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As the Philadelphia Phillies and the Tampa Bay Rays prepare for the final games of the 2008 World Series, we’re reminded of how geography plays a fun role in the Great American Sport. Often state lines aren’t as important as regional divides or city-pride for any sports fan and create a new U.S. geography that can’t quite be mapped.

Place is definitely important in sports when we look at the rare times in history that U.S. (and Canadian!) baseball teams have re-located, creating some very angry and bitter fans in the process. This week’s Five for Friday highlights five major team re-locations in baseball history… and can possibly shed some light on some current rivalries between places!

                                  

1902-- The Milwaukee Brewers became the St. Louis Browns in one of the first team relocations.

1903-- The original Baltimore Orioles became the New York Highlanders, and then the Yankees. Ask a Baltimore fan about the Yankees, and you’ll get an earful for a number of reasons. Could this bitterness have started in 1903?? 

1955-- The Philadelphia Athletics moved to Kansas City…and then 13 years later to Oakland, California.

 

1958-- New York Giants became the San Francisco Giants, and one of the first Major League teams on the West Coast. Quite a big move!

1961-– The Washington D.C. Senators moved to the Twin Cities and became the Minnesota Twins. Even  after creating a new franchise called the Senators, the District felt another wrench of betrayal in 1972 when the Senators moved to Texas and became the Rangers. The capital city finally got a new team in 2005 –- The Washington Nationals.

 Turns out tracking these teams is a great way to learn geography!

Have you or your city or region experienced a team relocation? More importantly, who are you rooting for in this year’s World Series?

       

Bethany for My Wonderful World

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Comments

[brad]

Another couple: the Milwaukee Braves moved to Atlanta in 1966, and of course the Brooklyn Dodgers moving to LA in 1958

[Sarah Jane]

Of course we don't mind, Jake...fascinating stuff! I still vote that Oklahoma's new team should be the Tornadoes, rather than the "Thunder." Or better yet: The "Tumbleweeds." More geographic specificity :-)

[Jake K]

This is an interesting topic. Hopefully you don't mind if I drop a little related basketball knowledge (since baseball ended tonight and basketball just got rolling). Understanding the history of several NBA franchises and geography explains why several teams have nicknames that don't seem to make sense. For example...

-LA Lakers (not many lakes in Southern California, but their original home was in Minnesota, the land of 10,000 lakes).

-Utah Jazz (Salt Lake City isn't exactly a jazz hot spot, but they moved from New Orleans, the birthplace of jazz).

-Memphis Grizzlies (I've never encountered a Grizzly bear in Tennessee, but they can be found throughout Canada, where the team was founded (Vancouver)).

[Natalie Wojinski]

We could make this a Google Map! Or even a Google Earth tour! I've always loved the geography of baseball and am still amazed at the bitter rivalries (i.e. Giants and Dodgers) that go back nearly a half century.

[Stephen C. Veliz]

Great post!! We need more of this stuff!!