14. Baseball began to move its teams following World War II
The popularity of Major League Baseball, and the huge radio audience for its annual World Series, led to changes post-World War II. One of the reasons Major League Baseball had never expanded beyond the Northeast and Upper Midwest was the time required to travel by train. During World War II baseball changed the format of the series in order to allow a seven-game series to be completed with just one train trip. The series was played in a 3-4 format, rather than the traditional 2-3-2. The war had allowed traveling military troops to pass through some of the cities featuring Major League Baseball. Some had the opportunity to see World Series games, as well as observe the impact the event had on the cities which participated in them. Some baseball owners, starting with the less successful teams, looked to new locations outside of baseball’s core region.
Movement began with the Boston Braves when the team relocated to Milwaukee in 1953. The St. Louis Browns relocated to Baltimore, becoming the Orioles. Philadelphia’s Athletics moved to Kansas City, displacing St. Louis as the westernmost Major League team. During the 1956 World Series (Yankees-Dodgers, won by the Yankees) officials representing Los Angeles met with owners of the Washington Senators and Brooklyn Dodgers to discuss moving their teams to the West Coast. Dodger’s owner Walter O’Malley was intrigued with the potential of a team in Los Angeles and a brand-new stadium. When New York Giants owner Horace Stoneham began negotiating a move for his team O’Malley made his decision. Meanwhile, the Milwaukee Braves, longtime failures in Boston, won the National League Pennant in 1957. Then they beat the Yankees in the World Series. Obviously, relocation could lead to on-field success and financial growth.