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Major League Playoffs

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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

YearResult
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
1994Not held because of strike
1995Cleveland 3, Boston 0 
 Seattle 3, New York 2 
 FINAL
 Cleveland 4, Seattle 2 
1996Baltimore 3, Cleveland 1 
 New York 3, Texas 1 
 FINAL
 New York 4, Baltimore 1 
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1997Baltimore 3, Seattle 1 
 Cleveland 3, New York 2 
 FINAL
 Cleveland 4, Baltimore 2 
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1998New York 3, Texas 0 
 Cleveland 3, Boston 1 
 FINAL
 New York 4, Cleveland 2 
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1999New York 3, Texas 1 
 Boston 3, Cleveland 2 
 FINAL
 New York 4, Boston 1 
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2000New York 3, Oakland 2 
 Seattle 3, Chicago 0 
 FINAL
 New York 4, Seattle 2 
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2001New York 3, Oakland 2 
 Seattle 3, Cleveland 2 
 FINAL
 New York 4, Seattle 1 
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2002Minnesota 3, Oakland 2 
 Anaheim 3, New York 1 
 FINAL
 Anaheim 4, Minnesota 1 
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2003Boston 3, Oakland 2 
 New York 3, Minnesota 1 
 FINAL
 New York 4, Boston 3 
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2004Boston 3, Anaheim 0 
 New York 3, Minnesota 1 
 FINAL
 Boston 4, New York 3 
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2005Chicago 3, Boston 0 
 California 3, New York 2 
 FINAL
 Chicago 4, California 1 
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2006Oakland 3, Minnesota 0 
 Detroit 3, New York 1 
 FINAL
 Detroit 4, Oakland 0 
2007Cleveland 3, NEW York 1 
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 Boston 3, Los Angeles 0 
 FINAL
 Boston 4, Cleveland 3 
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2008Tampa Bay 3, Chicago 1 
 Boston 3, Los Angeles 1 
 FINAL
 Tampa Bay 4, Boston 1 
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2009New York 3, Minnesota 0 
 Los Angeles 3, Boston 0 
 FINAL
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 New York 4, Los Angeles 2 
2010New York 3, Minnesota 0 
 Texas 3, Tampa Bay 2 
 FINAL
 Texas 4, New York 2 
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2011Detroit 3, New York 2 
 Texas 3, Tampa Bay 2 
 FINAL
 Texas 4, Detroit 2 
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2012Baltimore 1, Texas 0 
 Detroit 3, Oakland 2 
 New York 3, Baltimore 2 
 FINAL
 Detroit 4, New York 0 
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ALCS Most Valuable Player

Year Player, Team, Pos.
1980Frank White, Kansas City, 2B
1981Graig Nettles, New York, 3B
1982Fred Lynn, California, OF
1983Mike Boddicker, Baltimore, P
1984Kirk Gibson, Detroit, OF
1985George Brett, Kansas City, 3B
1986Marty Barrett, Boston, 2B
1987Gary Gaetti, Minnesota, 3B
1988Dennis Eckersley, Oakland, P
1989Rickey Henderson, Oakland, OF
1990Dave Stewart, Oakland, P
1991Kirby Puckett, Minnesota, OF
1992Roberto Alomar, Toronto, 2B
1993Dave Stewart, Toronto, P
1994Not held because of strike
1995Orel Hershiser, Cleveland, P
1996Bernie Williams, New York, OF
1997Marquis Grissom, Cleveland, OF
1998David Wells, New York, P
1999Orlando Hernandez, New York, P
2000David Justice, New York, OF
2001Derek Jeter, New York, SS
2002Adam Kennedy, Anaheim, OF
2003Mariano Rivera, New York, P
2004David Ortiz, Boston, DH
2005Paul Konerko, Chicago, OF
2006Placido Polanco, Detroit, 2B
2007Josh Beckett, Boston, P
2008Matt Garza, Tampa Bay, P
2009C. C. Sabathia, New York, P
2010Josh Hamilton, Texas, OF
2011Nelson Cruz, Texas, OF
2012Delmon Young, Detroit, OF
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National League Playoffs

YearResult
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
1994Not held because of strike
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1995Atlanta 3, Colorado 1 
 Cincinnati 3, Los Angeles 0 
 FINAL
 Atlanta 4, Cincinnati 0 
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1996St. Louis 3, San Diego 0 
 Atlanta 3, Los Angeles 0 
 FINAL
 Atlanta 4, St. Louis 3 
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1997Atlanta 3, Houston 0 
 Florida 3, San Francisco 0 
 FINAL
 Florida 4, Atlanta 2 
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1998San Diego 3, Houston 1 
 Atlanta 3, Chicago 0 
 FINAL
 San Diego 4, Atlanta 2 
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1999Atlanta 3, Houston 1 
 New York 3, Arizona 1 
 FINAL
 Atlanta 4, New York 2 
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2000St. Louis 3, Atlanta 0 
 New York 3, San Francisco 1 
 FINAL
 New York 4, St. Louis 1 
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2001Arizona 3, St. Louis 2 
 Atlanta 3, Houston 0 
 FINAL
 Arizona 4, Atlanta 1 
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2002St. Louis 3, Arizona 0 
 San Francisco 3, Atlanta 2 
 FINAL
 San Francisco 4, St. Louis 1 
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2003Chicago 3, Atlanta 2 
 Florida 3, San Francisco 1 
 FINAL
 Florida 4, Chicago 3 
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2004Houston 3, Atlanta 2 
 St. Louis 3, Los Angeles 1 
 FINAL
 St. Louis 4, Houston 3 
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2005Houston 3, Atlanta 1 
 St. Louis 3, San Diego 0 
 FINAL
 Houston 4, St. Louis 2 
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2006New York 3, Los Angeles 0 
 St. Louis 3, San Diego 1 
 FINAL
 St. Louis 4, New York 3 
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2007Arizona 3, Chicago 0 
 Colorado 3, Philadelphia 1 
 FINAL
 Colorado 4, Arizona 0 
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2008Los Angeles 3, Chicago 0 
 Philadelphia 3, Milwaukee 1 
 FINAL
 Philadelpha 4, Los Angeles 1 
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2009Los Angeles 3, St. Louis 0 
 Philadelphia 3, Colorado 1 
 FINAL
 Philadelpha 4, Los Angeles 1 
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2010San Francisco 3, Atlanta 1 
 Philadelphia 3, Cincinnati 0 
 FINAL
 San Francisco 4, Philadelpha 2 
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2011St. Louis 3, Philadelphia 2 
 Milwaukee 3, Arizona 2 
 FINAL
 St. Louis 4, Milwaukee 2 
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2012St. Louis 1, Atlanta 0 
 San Francisco 3, Cincinnati 2 
 St. Louis 3, Washington 2 
 FINAL
 San Francisco Giants 4, St. Louis Cardinals 3 
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NLCS Most Valuable Player

Year Winner, Team, Pos.
1977Dusty Baker, Los Angeles, OF
1978Steve Garvey, Los Angeles, 1B
1979Willie Stargell, Pittsburgh, 1B
1980Manny Trillo, Philadelphia, 2B
1981Burt Hooton, Los Angeles, P
1982Darrell Porter, St. Louis, C
1983Gary Matthews, Philadelphia, OF
1984Steve Garvey, San Diego, 1B
1985Ozzie Smith, St. Louis, SS
1986Mike Scott, Houston, P
1987Jeff Leonard, San Francisco, OF
1988Orel Hershiser, Los Angeles, P
1989Will Clark, San Francisco, 1B
1990Rob Dibble, Cincinnati, P
TIERandy Myers, Cincinnati, P
1991Steve Avery, Atlanta, P
1992John Smoltz, Atlanta, P
1993Curt Schilling, Philadelphia, P
1994Not held because of strike
1995Mike Devereaux, Atlanta, OF
1996Javy Lopez, Atlanta, C
1997Livan Hernandez, Florida, P
1998Sterling Hitchcock, San Diego, P
1999Eddie Perez, Atlanta, C
2000Mike Hampton, New York, P
2001Craig Counsell, Arizona, 2B
2002Benito Santiago, San Francisco, C
2003Ivan Rodriguez, Florida, C
2004Albert Pujols, St. Louis, 1B
2005Roy Oswalt, Houston, P
2006Jeff Suppan, St. Louis, P
2007Matt Holliday, Colorado, OF
2008Cole Hamels, Philadelphia, P
2009Ryan Howard, Philadelphia, 1B
2010Cody Ross, San Francisco, OF
2011David Freese, St. Louis, 3B
2012Marco Scutaro, San Francisco, 2B

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This page last updated Wednesday, 07-Nov-2012 15:59:50 EST
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