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Major League Playoffs

Table of Contents

History
American League Playoffs
ALCS Most Valuable Player
National League Playoffs
NLCS Most Valuable Player
Other Resources

History

The American League and National League both split into eastern and western divisions in 1969. That required post-season playoffs between the two division champions to determine the pennant winner.

The league championship series, affectionately known as the ALCS and NLCS, were originally best-three-of-five contests. In 1985, they went to the best-four-of-seven format used in the World Series.

The American League expanded from 12 to 14 teams in 1977, but the playoff system didn't change until after the National League also went to 14 teams in 1993.

The following year, each league was split into three divisions and a four-team playoff was adopted. However, the 1994 season was never completed because of a player strike, so the first four-team playoff didn't take place until 1995.

In addition to the three division champions, the second-place team with the best won-loss record goes into the playoffs as a wild card.

In the first round of games, the pennant-winner with the best record faces the wild-card entry, while the other two pennant-winning teams play one another to determine who gets into the league championship series.

This first round, rather confusingly, is called the division playoff, even though divisional titles are not at stake.

The division playoffs are best-three-of five.

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American League Playoffs

Year	Result
1969	Baltimore 3, Minnesota 0
1970	Baltimore 3, Minnesota 0
1971	Baltimore 3, Oakland 0
1972	Oakland 3, Detroit 2
1973	Oakland 3, Baltimore 2
1974	Oakland 3, Baltimore 1
1975	Boston 3, Oakland 0
1976	New York 3, Kansas City 2
1977	New York 3, Kansas City 2
1978	New York 3, Kansas City 1
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1979	Baltimore 3, California 1
1980	Kansas City 3, New York 0
1981	New York 3, Oakland 0
1982	Milwaukee 3, California 2
1983	Baltimore 3, Chicago 1
1984	Detroit 3, Kansas City 0
1985	Kansas City 4, Toronto 3
1986	Boston 4, California 3
1987	Minnesota 4, Detroit 1
1988	Oakland 4, Boston 0
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1989	Oakland 4, Toronto 1
1990	Oakland 4, Boston 0
1991	Minnesota 4, Toronto 1
1992	Toronto 4, Oakland 2
1993	Toronto 4, Chicago 2
1994	Not held because of strike
1995	Cleveland 3, Boston 0
	Seattle 3, New York 2
	FINAL
	Cleveland 4, Seattle 2
1996	Baltimore 3, Cleveland 1
	New York 3, Texas 1
	FINAL
	New York 4, Baltimore 1
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1997	Baltimore 3, Seattle 1
	Cleveland 3, New York 2
	FINAL
	Cleveland 4, Baltimore 2
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1998	New York 3, Texas 0
	Cleveland 3, Boston 1
	FINAL
	New York 4, Cleveland 2
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1999	New York 3, Texas 1
	Boston 3, Cleveland 2
	FINAL
	New York 4, Boston 1
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2000	New York 3, Oakland 2
	Seattle 3, Chicago 0
	FINAL
	New York 4, Seattle 2
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2001	New York 3, Oakland 2
	Seattle 3, Cleveland 2
	FINAL
	New York 4, Seattle 1
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2002	Minnesota 3, Oakland 2
	Anaheim 3, New York 1
	FINAL
	Anaheim 4, Minnesota 1
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2003	Boston 3, Oakland 2
	New York 3, Minnesota 1
	FINAL
	New York 4, Boston 3
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2004	Boston 3, Anaheim 0
	New York 3, Minnesota 1
	FINAL
	Boston 4, New York 3
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2005	Chicago 3, Boston 0
	California 3, New York 2
	FINAL
	Chicago 4, California 1
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2006	Oakland 3, Minnesota 0
	Detroit 3, New York 1
	FINAL
	Detroit 4, Oakland 0
2007	Cleveland 3, NEW York 1
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	Boston 3, Los Angeles 0
	FINAL
	Boston 4, Cleveland 3
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2008	Tampa Bay 3, Chicago 1
	Boston 3, Los Angeles 1
	FINAL
	Tampa Bay 4, Boston 1
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2009	New York 3, Minnesota 0
	Los Angeles 3, Boston 0
	FINAL
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	New York 4, Los Angeles 2
2010	New York 3, Minnesota 0
	Texas 3, Tampa Bay 2
	FINAL
	Texas 4, New York 2
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2011	Detroit 3, New York 2
	Texas 3, Tampa Bay 2
	FINAL
	Texas 4, Detroit 2
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ALCS Most Valuable Player

Year	Player, Team, Pos.
1980	Frank White, Kansas City, 2B
1981	Graig Nettles, New York, 3B
1982	Fred Lynn, California, OF
1983	Mike Boddicker, Baltimore, P
1984	Kirk Gibson, Detroit, OF
1985	George Brett, Kansas City, 3B
1986	Marty Barrett, Boston, 2B
1987	Gary Gaetti, Minnesota, 3B
1988	Dennis Eckersley, Oakland, P
1989	Rickey Henderson, Oakland, OF
1990	Dave Stewart, Oakland, P
1991	Kirby Puckett, Minnesota, OF
1992	Roberto Alomar, Toronto, 2B
1993	Dave Stewart, Toronto, P
1994	Not held because of strike
1995	Orel Hershiser, Cleveland, P
1996	Bernie Williams, New York, OF
1997	Marquis Grissom, Cleveland, OF
1998	David Wells, New York, P
1999	Orlando Hernandez, New York, P
2000	David Justice, New York, OF
2001	Derek Jeter, New York, SS
2002	Adam Kennedy, Anaheim, OF
2003	Mariano Rivera, New York, P
2004	David Ortiz, Boston, DH
2005	Paul Konerko, Chicago, OF
2006	Placido Polanco, Detroit, 2B
2007	Josh Beckett, Boston, P
2008	Matt Garza, Tampa Bay, P
2009	C. C. Sabathia, New York, P
2010	Josh Hamilton, Texas, OF
2011	Nelson Cruz, Texas, OF
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National League Playoffs

Year	Result
1969	New York 3, Atlanta 0
1970	Cincinnati 3, Pittsburgh 0
1971	Pittsburgh 3, San Francisco 1
1972	Cincinnati 3, Pittsburgh 2
1973	New York 3, Cincinnati 2
1974	Los Angeles 3, Pittsburgh 1
1975	Cincinnati 3, Pittsburgh 0
1976	Cincinnati 3, Philadelphia 0
1977	Los Angeles 3, Philadelphia 1
1978	Los Angeles 3, Philadelphia 1
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1979	Pittsburgh 3, Cincinnati 0
1980	Philadelphia 3, Houston 2
1981	Los Angeles 3, Montreal 2
1982	St. Louis 3, Atlanta 0
1983	Philadelphia 3, Los Angeles 1
1984	San Diego 3, Chicago 2
1985	St. Louis 4, Los Angeles 2
1986	New York 4, Houston 2
1987	St. Louis 4, San Francisco 3
1988	Los Angeles 4, New York 3
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1989	San Francisco 4, Chicago 1
1990	Cincinnati 4, Pittsburgh 2
1991	Atlanta 4, Pittsburgh 3
1992	Atlanta 4, Pitsburgh 3
1993	Philadelphia 4, Atlanta 2
1994	Not held because of strike
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1995	Atlanta 3, Colorado 1
	Cincinnati 3, Los Angeles 0
	FINAL
	Atlanta 4, Cincinnati 0
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1996	St. Louis 3, San Diego 0
	Atlanta 3, Los Angeles 0
	FINAL
	Atlanta 4, St. Louis 3
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1997	Atlanta 3, Houston 0
	Florida 3, San Francisco 0
	FINAL
	Florida 4, Atlanta 2
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1998	San Diego 3, Houston 1
	Atlanta 3, Chicago 0
	FINAL
	San Diego 4, Atlanta 2
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1999	Atlanta 3, Houston 1
	New York 3, Arizona 1
	FINAL
	Atlanta 4, New York 2
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2000	St. Louis 3, Atlanta 0
	New York 3, San Francisco 1
	FINAL
	New York 4, St. Louis 1
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2001	Arizona 3, St. Louis 2
	Atlanta 3, Houston 0
	FINAL
	Arizona 4, Atlanta 1
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2002	St. Louis 3, Arizona 0
	San Francisco 3, Atlanta 2
	FINAL
	San Francisco 4, St. Louis 1
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2003	Chicago 3, Atlanta 2
	Florida 3, San Francisco 1
	FINAL
	Florida 4, Chicago 3
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2004	Houston 3, Atlanta 2
	St. Louis 3, Los Angeles 1
	FINAL
	St. Louis 4, Houston 3
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2005	Houston 3, Atlanta 1
	St. Louis 3, San Diego 0
	FINAL
	Houston 4, St. Louis 2
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2006	New York 3, Los Angeles 0
	St. Louis 3, San Diego 1
	FINAL
	St. Louis 4, New York 3
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2007	Arizona 3, Chicago 0
	Colorado 3, Philadelphia 1
	FINAL
	Colorado 4, Arizona 0
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2008	Los Angeles 3, Chicago 0
	Philadelphia 3, Milwaukee 1
	FINAL
	Philadelpha 4, Los Angeles 1
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2009	Los Angeles 3, St. Louis 0
	Philadelphia 3, Colorado 1
	FINAL
	Philadelpha 4, Los Angeles 1
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2010	San Francisco 3, Atlanta 1
	Philadelphia 3, Cincinnati 0
	FINAL
	San Francisco 4, Philadelpha 2
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2011	St. Louis 3, Philadelphia 2
	Milwaukee 3, Arizona 2
	FINAL
	St. Louis 4, Milwaukee 2
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NLCS Most Valuable Player

Year	Winner, Team, Pos.
1977	Dusty Baker, Los Angeles, OF
1978	Steve Garvey, Los Angeles, 1B
1979	Willie Stargell, Pittsburgh, 1B
1980	Manny Trillo, Philadelphia, 2B
1981	Burt Hooton, Los Angeles, P
1982	Darrell Porter, St. Louis, C
1983	Gary Matthews, Philadelphia, OF
1984	Steve Garvey, San Diego, 1B
1985	Ozzie Smith, St. Louis, SS
1986	Mike Scott, Houston, P
1987	Jeff Leonard, San Francisco, OF
1988	Orel Hershiser, Los Angeles, P
1989	Will Clark, San Francisco, 1B
1990	Rob Dibble, Cincinnati, P
TIE	Randy Myers, Cincinnati, P
1991	Steve Avery, Atlanta, P
1992	John Smoltz, Atlanta, P
1993	Curt Schilling, Philadelphia, P
1994	Not held because of strike
1995	Mike Devereaux, Atlanta, OF
1996	Javy Lopez, Atlanta, C
1997	Livan Hernandez, Florida, P
1998	Sterling Hitchcock, San Diego, P
1999	Eddie Perez, Atlanta, C
2000	Mike Hampton, New York, P
2001	Craig Counsell, Arizona, 2B
2002	Benito Santiago, San Francisco, C
2003	Ivan Rodriguez, Florida, C
2004	Albert Pujols, St. Louis, 1B
2005	Roy Oswalt, Houston, P
2006	Jeff Suppan, St. Louis, P
2007	Matt Holliday, Colorado, OF
2008	Cole Hamels, Philadelphia, P
2009	Ryan Howard, Philadelphia, 1B
2010	Cody Ross, San Francisco, OF
2011	David Freese, St. Louis, 3B

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