American League Central
Encyclopedia
The American League Central Division is one of six divisions
Division (sport)
In sports, a division is a group of teams who compete against each other for a championship.-League system:In sports using a league system , a division consists a group of teams who play a sport at a similar competitive level...

 in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...

. This division was formed in the realignment in 1994, and its teams are all located in the Midwestern United States
Midwestern United States
The Midwestern United States is one of the four U.S. geographic regions defined by the United States Census Bureau, providing an official definition of the American Midwest....

. The Central Division is currently the only division in the Major Leagues in which all of its members have won the World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...

 at least once.

Current members

  • Chicago White Sox
    Chicago White Sox
    The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...

     – Founding member; formerly of the AL West
  • Cleveland Indians
    Cleveland Indians
    The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...

     – Founding member; formerly of the AL East
  • Detroit Tigers
    Detroit Tigers
    The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...

     – Joined in 1998; formerly of the AL East
  • Kansas City Royals
    Kansas City Royals
    The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...

     – Founding member; formerly of the AL West
  • Minnesota Twins
    Minnesota Twins
    The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...

     – Founding member; formerly of the AL West

Former member

  • Milwaukee Brewers
    Milwaukee Brewers
    The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...

     – Founding member, moved into the NL Central
    National League Central
    The National League Central Division is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. This division was created in 1994, by moving two teams from the Western Division and three teams from the Eastern Division of the National League...

     in 1998
    1998 in baseball
    -Headline events of the year:*Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Ken Griffey, Jr., and Greg Vaughn all hit 30 home runs before the All-Star break and engage in a historic chase for Roger Maris's single-season record of 61 home runs...


Membership timeline

Time period Members Changes from previous set-up
1994–1997 Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Indians, Kansas City Royals, Milwaukee Brewers, Minnesota Twins Creation of division due to the realignment (the Chicago White Sox, Kansas City Royals, and Minnesota Twins from the AL West
American League West
The American League West is one of three divisions in Major League Baseball's American League. The division currently has four teams, but it has had as many as seven teams before the 1994 realignment. Although its teams currently only reside along the west coast and in Texas, historically the...

, and the Cleveland Indians and Milwaukee Brewers from the AL East
American League East
The American League Eastern Division is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions . This division was created before the start of the 1969 season along with the Western Division...

)
1998–present Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Indians, Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals, Minnesota Twins Due to the expansion in 1998, placing a new team in St. Petersburg, Florida
Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are a Major League Baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays are a member of the Eastern Division of MLB's American League. Since their inception in , the club has played at Tropicana Field...

, the Tigers moved in from AL East
American League East
The American League Eastern Division is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions . This division was created before the start of the 1969 season along with the Western Division...

, and also to give each league an even number of teams, the Brewers moved into NL Central
National League Central
The National League Central Division is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. This division was created in 1994, by moving two teams from the Western Division and three teams from the Eastern Division of the National League...


Champions by year

The Chicago White Sox are the only team from the AL Central division to have won the World Series since the league realignment in 1994.
  • Team names link to the season in which each team played

Year Winner Record % Playoff finish
1994 No winner due to strike *
1995 Cleveland Indians
1995 Cleveland Indians season
The Cleveland Indians season was the Major League Baseball season that led to the Indians returning to the World Series for the first time since . In a season that started late by 18 games - giving it just a 144 games - the Indians finished in first place in the American League Central Division...

100–44 .694 Lost World Series
1995 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 21, 1995 at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium in Atlanta, GeorgiaAtlanta ace Greg Maddux pitched a two-hit complete game victory in his first World Series appearance ....

 to Atlanta
1995 Atlanta Braves season
The 1995 Atlanta Braves season was the 125th season in the history of the franchise and 30th season in the city of Atlanta. The team finished the strike-shortened season with a record of 90–54, the best in the National League, en route to winning the World Series. For the sixth straight season,...

, 4–2
1996 Cleveland Indians
1996 Cleveland Indians season
For the second consecutive sesaon, the Indians had the best record in Major League Baseball. This was the first time in franchise history that the Indians had accomplished such a feat.-Offseason:*November 9, 1995: Ruben Amaro Jr...

99–62 .615 Lost ALDS
1996 American League Division Series
-Texas Rangers vs. New York Yankees:-Game 1, October 1:Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, MarylandIt was Baltimore's first playoff game since the clinching Game 5 of the 1983 World Series. For the Indians, it was their second consecutive division title. Charles Nagy and David Wells matched...

 to Baltimore
1996 Baltimore Orioles season
The Baltimore Orioles season in which the Orioles finishing 2nd in the American League East with a record of 88 wins and 74 losses and qualifying for the post-season as the Wild Card team. The Orioles broke the all-time record for most home runs hit by a team with 257...

, 3–1
1997 Cleveland Indians
1997 Cleveland Indians season
The Cleveland Indians season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Indians making their second World Series appearance in three years...

86–75 .534 Lost World Series
1997 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 18, 1997 at Pro Player Stadium in Miami Gardens, FloridaThe first World Series game in the state of Florida, Game 1 featured a youngster and a veteran facing each other on the mound...

 to Florida
1997 Florida Marlins season
The 1997 Florida Marlins season started off with the team trying to improve on their record from 1996. Their manager was Jim Leyland. They played home games at Pro Player Stadium...

, 4–3
1998 Cleveland Indians
1998 Cleveland Indians season
-Offseason:*November 12, 1997: Paul Assenmacher was signed as a Free Agent with the Cleveland Indians.*December 1, 1997: Matt Williams was traded by the Cleveland Indians to the Arizona Diamondbacks for Travis Fryman, Tom Martin, and cash....

89–73 .549 Lost ALCS
1998 American League Championship Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 6, 1998 at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New YorkCleveland came in as heavy underdogs, but also were the defending American League Champions. In Game 1, the Yankees got off to a good start, by hitting four straight singles in the bottom of the first to score two runs...

 to New York
1998 New York Yankees season
The New York Yankees' 1998 season was the 96th season for the Yankees. The team finished with a franchise record regular-season standing of 114-48, 22 games ahead of the second-place Boston Red Sox in the American League East...

, 4–2
1999 Cleveland Indians
1999 Cleveland Indians season
The 1999 Cleveland Indians became the first team in the modern era of major league baseball to score over 1,000 runs during the regular season. They were shut out only 3 times in 162 games. Five Indians scored at least 100 runs and four drove in at least 100 runs...

97–65 .599 Lost ALDS
1999 American League Division Series
-Cleveland Indians vs. Boston Red Sox:-Game 1, October 5:Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New YorkThe Yankees once again swept the Rangers and held them to one run through three games. In Game 1, Aaron Sele went against Orlando Hernández...

 to Boston
1999 Boston Red Sox season
The 1999 Boston Red Sox season involved the Red Sox' finishing 2nd in the American League East with a record of 94 wins and 68 losses. Pedro Martinez won the AL Cy Young Award and become the second pitcher to win the Cy Young Award in both leagues....

, 3–2
2000 Chicago White Sox
2000 Chicago White Sox season
The 2000 Chicago White Sox season was the White Sox's 101st season. They finished with a record 95-67, good enough for 1st place in the American League Central, 5 games ahead the 2nd place Cleveland Indians.-2000 Opening Day Lineup:Ray Durham, 2b...

95–67 .586 Lost ALDS
2000 American League Division Series
-Oakland Athletics vs. New York Yankees:-Chicago vs. Seattle:The Seattle Mariners returned to the postseason to avenge two postseason failures in the 1990s. The Chicago White Sox returned to the postseason for the first time since 1993...

 to Seattle
2000 Seattle Mariners season
The Seattle Mariners' 2000 season was the franchise's 24th, and ended with the Mariners losing the American League Championship Series to the New York Yankees in 6 games....

, 3–0
2001 Cleveland Indians
2001 Cleveland Indians season
-Offseason:* December 28, 2000: Fausto Carmona was signed by the Indians as an amateur free agent.* January 9, 2001: Juan González was signed as a free agent by the Indians.-Regular season:...

91–71 .562 Lost ALDS
2001 American League Division Series
-New York Yankees vs. Oakland Athletics:-Game 1, October 9:Safeco Field in Seattle, Washington-Game 2, October 11:Safeco Field in Seattle, Washington-Game 3, October 13:Jacobs Field in Cleveland, Ohio-Game 4, October 14:Jacobs Field in Cleveland, Ohio...

 to Seattle
2001 Seattle Mariners season
The Seattle Mariners' 2001 season was the 25th since franchise inception, and ended with the Mariners winning their third American League West division title, with a record of 116-46. The team set an American League record for single-season wins, and tied the Major League record set by the Chicago...

, 3–2
2002 Minnesota Twins 94–67 .584 Lost ALCS
2002 American League Championship Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 8, 2002 at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis, MinnesotaJoe Mays outdueled Kevin Appier as the Twins won Game 1. A.J. Pierzynski hit a sac fly to put the Twins out in front first, but the Angels tied it the next inning on an error by Cristian Guzmán. The Twins...

 to Anaheim
2002 Anaheim Angels season
The Anaheim Angels 2002 season was the franchise's 42nd, and it ended with the team's first American League pennant and World Series championship....

, 4–1
2003 Minnesota Twins 90–72 .556 Lost ALDS
2003 American League Division Series
-Oakland Athletics vs. Boston Red Sox:-Game 1, September 30:Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New York-Game 2, October 2:Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New York-Game 3, October 4:Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minnesota-Game 4, October 5:...

 to New York
2003 New York Yankees season
The New York Yankees' 2003 season was the 100th season for the Yankees. The team finished with a record of 101-61 finishing 6 games ahead of the Boston Red Sox. New York was managed by Joe Torre. The Yankees played at Yankee Stadium. In the playoffs, they defeated the Boston Red Sox in 7 games in...

, 3–1
2004 Minnesota Twins 92–70 .568 Lost ALDS
2004 American League Division Series
-Anaheim Angels vs. Boston Red Sox:-Game 1, October 5:Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New YorkPitching dominated in Game 1 as Mike Mussina faced Johan Santana. The Twins got on the board first when Shannon Stewart singled home Michael Cuddyer. Then in the sixth, Jacque Jones hit a solo home run to make...

 to New York
2004 New York Yankees season
The New York Yankees' 2004 season was the 102nd season for the Yankees. The Yankees opened the season by playing two games against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in Japan on March 30, 2004. The team finished with a record of 101-61, finishing 3 games ahead of the Boston Red Sox in the AL East. New...

, 3–1
2005 Chicago White Sox
2005 Chicago White Sox season
The 2005 Chicago White Sox season was the White Sox's 105th season. They finished with a 99-63 record in the regular season and won first-place the American League Central division by six games over the Cleveland Indians...

99–63 .611 Won World Series
2005 World Series
The 2005 World Series, the 101st Major League Baseball championship series, saw the American League champion Chicago White Sox sweep the National League champion Houston Astros four games to none in the best-of-seven-games series, winning their third championship and first since 1917.Home-field...

 over Houston
2005 Houston Astros season
The Houston Astros' 2005 season was a season in which the Houston Astros qualified for the postseason for the second consecutive season. The Astros overcame a sluggish 15-30 start to claim the wild card playoff spot, and would go on to win the National League pennant to advance to the World Series...

, 4–0
2006 Minnesota Twins 96–66 .593 Lost ALDS
2006 American League Division Series
-Game 1, October 3:Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New YorkA five-run third inning by the Yankees put the game out of reach for the Tigers. Bobby Abreu doubled to score Johnny Damon and Derek Jeter . Gary Sheffield then singled in Abreu, and Jason Giambi launched a two-run home run for a commanding 5–0...

 to Oakland
2006 Oakland Athletics season
The Oakland Athletics' 2006 season was the 106th season of the Athletics franchise and its 43rd in Oakland. The A's finished 1st in the American League West with a record of 93 wins and 69 losses...

, 3–0
2007 Cleveland Indians
2007 Cleveland Indians season
The Cleveland Indians' 2007 season saw the Indians win the AL Central title for the first time since 2001 and play for American League title before losing to the Boston Red Sox in seven games....

96–66 .593 Lost ALCS
2007 American League Championship Series
-Game 1:Friday, October 12, 2007 at Fenway Park in Boston, MassachusettsIn Game 1, the Cleveland Indians took the lead when Travis Hafner hit a home run to deep right field in the first inning against Josh Beckett. Beckett retired the next ten batters in a row, finishing by striking out seven while...

 to Boston
2007 Boston Red Sox season
The Boston Red Sox' 2007 season began with the Boston, Massachusetts-based Major League Baseball team trying to rebound after a disappointing 2006 season, in which they finished third in the American League East behind the New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays, and missed the postseason for...

 4–3
2008 Chicago White Sox
2008 Chicago White Sox season
The 2008 Chicago White Sox Season is the organization's 109th season in Chicago and 108th in the American League. The White Sox won the American League Central division title for the first time since 2005. They finished the regular season tied with the Minnesota Twins and won a one-game playoff...

**
89–74 .546 Lost ALDS
2008 American League Division Series
-Tampa Bay Rays vs. Chicago White Sox:-Game 1, October 1:Angel Stadium of Anaheim in Anaheim, CaliforniaIn a re-match of last year's ALDS, starters Jon Lester and John Lackey were sharp early on, each tossing a couple of scoreless innings. The Angels finally got on the board in the third, when...

 to Tampa Bay
2008 Tampa Bay Rays season
The Tampa Bay Rays' 2008 season, the 11th season in franchise history, marked the change of the team's name from the "Tampa Bay Devil Rays" to the "Tampa Bay Rays", as revealed on November 8, 2007. The change in name also came with a change in logo and uniforms, with new team colors of Columbia...

 3–1
2009 Minnesota Twins
2009 Minnesota Twins season
The Minnesota Twins season was the 49th season for the franchise in Minnesota, and the 109th overall in the American League. It was their final season at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome with their new stadium, Target Field, opening in 2010. They ended the regular season as AL Central champions...

#
87–76 .534 Lost ALDS
2009 American League Division Series
The American League Division Series consisted of two concurrent best-of-five game series that determined the participating teams in the 2009 American League Championship Series. Three divisional winners and a "wild card" team played in the two series. The ALDS began on Wednesday, October 7 and...

 to New York
2009 New York Yankees season
The 2009 New York Yankees season was the 107th season for the New York Yankees franchise. The Yankees opened their new Yankee Stadium on April 3, 2009, when they hosted an exhibition game against the Chicago Cubs...

, 3–0
2010 Minnesota Twins
2010 Minnesota Twins season
The Minnesota Twins season was the 50th season for the franchise in Minnesota, and the 110th overall in the American League.It was their first season in their new stadium, Target Field, which made its regular-season debut on April 12 as the Twins defeated the Boston Red Sox 5–2...

94–68 .580 Lost ALDS
2010 American League Division Series
The 2010 American League Division Series were two best-of-five game series to determine the participating teams in the 2010 American League Championship Series. The three divisional winners and a fourth "Wild Card" team played in two series from October 6 to October 12...

 to New York
2010 New York Yankees season
The 2010 New York Yankees season was the 110th season for the New York Yankees franchise The Yankees were attempting to defend its status as American League and World Series champions, but lost in the ALCS to the Texas Rangers...

, 3–0
2011 Detroit Tigers
2011 Detroit Tigers season
The 2011 Detroit Tigers season was the team's 111th season. The season began on March 31 at New York against the Yankees, and the home opener was on April 8 against the Kansas City Royals. The Tigers honored the late Sparky Anderson during the season...

95-67 .586 Lost ALCS
2011 American League Championship Series
The 2011 American League Championship Series was a best-of-seven playoff pitting the winners of the 2011 American League Division Series, the Texas Rangers and Detroit Tigers, against each other for the American League championship and the right to be the league's representative in the 2011 World...

 to Texas
2011 Texas Rangers season
The Texas Rangers’ 2011 season was the 51st season in the overall history of the franchise and the 40th since the team relocated to Arlington, Texas. Going into the season they were the defending American League champions....

, 4–2


* Due to the 1994 Major League Baseball strike starting August 12, no official winner became victorious. The White Sox were leading at the time that the strike broke out.

** In , the Minnesota Twins and the Chicago White Sox finished the season with the identical records of 88–74. A one-game playoff
2008 American League Central tie-breaker game
The 2008 American League Central tie-breaker game was a one-game playoff for Major League Baseball's American League Central division. The game took place on September 30, 2008 between the Chicago White Sox and Minnesota Twins at US Cellular Field. It was necessary after both teams finished the...

 was held and the White Sox won it 1–0 over the Twins to capture the division title.

# In , the Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...

 and the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...

 finished the season with identical records of 86–76. A one-game playoff
2009 American League Central tie-breaker game
The 2009 American League Central tiebreaker game was a one-game playoff for Major League Baseball's American League Central divisional championship. The game took place on October 6, 2009 between the Detroit Tigers and the Minnesota Twins at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome. It was necessary after...

 was held, and the Twins won it 6–5 in 12 innings over the Tigers to capture the division title.

Wild-card winners produced

The Central division was the last division in baseball to produce a "wild-card"
Wild card (sports)
The term wild card refers broadly to a tournament or playoff berth awarded to an individual or team that has not qualified through normal play.-International sports:...

 team that actually competed in the playoffs—in 2006—twelve years after its creation (in 1994, the AL's first "wild-card" team—the Indians—did not play, because there were no postseason playoffs that year). On September 24, 2006, a victory by the Twins guaranteed that the wild card would come from this division, eliminating the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...

 of the American League East
American League East
The American League Eastern Division is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions . This division was created before the start of the 1969 season along with the Western Division...

 from wild-card contention, and also ending a three-year streak of wild-card appearances by the Red Sox. The Twins eliminated the White Sox from playoff contention on September 25 and then passed the Tigers on the last day of the regular season to give the Tigers the wild-card slot. The Tigers went on to win the American League Championship.
Year Winner Record % GB Playoffs
2006 Detroit Tigers
2006 Detroit Tigers season
The 2006 Detroit Tigers won the American League Pennant. They represented the AL in the World Series before falling to the St. Louis Cardinals 4 games to 1. The season was their 106th since they entered the AL in 1901.- Regular season :...

95–67 .586 1 Lost World Series
2006 World Series
The 2006 World Series, the 102nd edition of Major League Baseball's championship series, began on October 21 and ended on October 27, and matched the American League champion Detroit Tigers against the National League champion St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals won the Series in five games, taking...

 to St. Louis
2006 St. Louis Cardinals season
The St. Louis Cardinals 2006 season was the team's 125th season in St. Louis, Missouri and the 115th season in the National League. The season started out with a bang, as the team raced out to a 31-16 record by late May...

, 4–1

AL Central titles won by team

Team Championships Last year won
Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...

7 2007
Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...

6 2010
Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...

3 2008
Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...

1 2011
Kansas City Royals
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...

0

See also

  • American League East
    American League East
    The American League Eastern Division is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions . This division was created before the start of the 1969 season along with the Western Division...

  • American League West
    American League West
    The American League West is one of three divisions in Major League Baseball's American League. The division currently has four teams, but it has had as many as seven teams before the 1994 realignment. Although its teams currently only reside along the west coast and in Texas, historically the...

  • National League East
    National League East
    The National League East Division is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. The Atlanta Braves and the Philadelphia Phillies are tied for the most National League East Division titles . All of Atlanta's NL East titles came during a record stretch of 14 consecutive division titles...

  • National League Central
    National League Central
    The National League Central Division is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. This division was created in 1994, by moving two teams from the Western Division and three teams from the Eastern Division of the National League...

  • National League West
    National League West
    The National League Western Division, or NL West, is one of the three divisions of Major League Baseball's National League. It was created in 1969 when the previously undivided National League expanded its membership to twelve teams, positioning half of them in an Eastern division and the other...

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK