{"id":6446,"date":"2022-08-06T11:52:27","date_gmt":"2022-08-06T11:52:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/americansportsplanet.com\/?p=6446"},"modified":"2022-08-06T11:52:27","modified_gmt":"2022-08-06T11:52:27","slug":"why-does-new-york-have-two-baseball-teams","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/americansportsplanet.com\/why-does-new-york-have-two-baseball-teams\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Does New York Have Two Baseball Teams?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Editorial credit: Gary Yim \/ Shutterstock.com<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the home to the largest city in America, New York City, it\u2019s no surprise that New York is able to support two MLB teams. However, how does the history of baseball in New York affect the formation of the New York Yankees and the New York Mets?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over and above the fact that New York has the population and finances to support two teams, New York was a divided city that was host to multiple teams which played in two different baseball leagues. These teams survived the unification of New York City, hence two MLB teams.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

To better understand why New York has two MLB teams, we will explore the history of baseball in New York City and their two teams. Whereafter we will look at some other states with two or more MLB teams. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The History Of Baseball In New York<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

During the rise of baseball\u2019s popularity in New York in the 1880s (especially in urban areas of the state,) there was yet to be a single unified New York City.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead, Manhattan and the Bronx were part of New York City, while Queens and Brooklyn formed their own separate cities (these separate cities formed their own team known as The New York Metropolitans, while Manhattan and Brooklyn each had their own teams.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1898 New York City became fully incorporated, which included the absorption of Queens and Brooklyn, thus leading to three major baseball teams within the city\u2019s borders by the year 1913 (New York Yankees, New York Giants, and Brooklyn Dodgers.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Up until the 1950s, there were two major baseball leagues in America, the American League (in which the New York Yankees competed) and the National League (in which the Brooklyn   Dodgers and the New York Giants competed.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, due to building disputes arising around the construction of new baseball stadiums in New York City in 1957, both the New York Giants and the Brooklyn Dodgers moved to California, having been attracted by lucrative franchise deals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Consequently, the departure of two baseball teams from New York left a single team competing in the American League and no New York teams competing in the National League.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In answer to New York\u2019s absence from the American League, the New York Mets were founded in Queens in 1962 to compete in the National League on New York\u2019s behalf; while also being a homage to the New York Metropolitans from the 1880s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Therefore, despite the formation of a unified and centralized Major League Baseball (MLB) in 2000, the history and popularity of baseball mean the state (and the city of New York) have the population, infrastructure, and funds to comfortably support two MLB teams!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Many MLB Are There In New York?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Although there are literally hundreds of little league, minor league, and amateur league baseball teams in New York, there are only two MLB baseball teams:<\/p>\n\n\n\n