MLB EXPANSION 1969
Jesse Mills
Why the Expansion of 1969 saved the MLB
The NFL was growing exponentially while the MLB was lacking as "America's Past Time."
The four new franchises in the expansion included the Kansas City Royals, San Diego Padres, Seattle Pilots (Milwaukee Brewers ), and the Montreal Expos ( Washington Nationals).
Four new franchises brought a new curiosity interest from customers that, up until that time, were not able to go to MLB on a regular basis.
The expansion caused the MLB to bracket the teams into two separate divisions; The American League and the National League.
With the addition of 4 new teams, the amount of games played in the season jumped from 1,232 to 1,944.
The Expansion led to the explosion of other Professional Sports in America like hockey, and basketball.
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals performed at a high level for the majority of its time in the league. The Royals became a powerhouse. Up until 1985, The Royals had not won a world series, but with the help of George Brett , they finally broke through and won their only championship.
American League Additions
Seattle Pilots
The Seattle Pilots were not successful in their first season. As a result of awful ticket sales and financial troubles, Bud Selig purchased the struggling team and moved them to Milwaukee after their first year. Now the team is known as the Brewers.
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres have been mediocre ever since the Expansion. They have only made the playoffs 5 times, and they have won 2 pennants. Other than that, they haven't been much of a dominant force in the National League.
National League Additions
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos sold the most tickets of the 4 expansion teams of 1969 in its first season. The Expos were a strong team up until the late 90's when they started to decline. In 2005, the team was moved to Washington D.C., and now they are known as the Washington Nationals.