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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
1969Baltimore 3, Minnesota 0
1970Baltimore 3, Minnesota 0
1971Baltimore 3, Oakland 0
1972Oakland 3, Detroit 2
1973Oakland 3, Baltimore 2
1974Oakland 3, Baltimore 1
1975Boston 3, Oakland 0
1976New York 3, Kansas City 2
1977New York 3, Kansas City 2
1978New York 3, Kansas City 1
1979Baltimore 3, California 1
1980Kansas City 3, New York 0
1981New York 3, Oakland 0
1982Milwaukee 3, California 2
1983Baltimore 3, Chicago 1
1984Detroit 3, Kansas City 0
1985Kansas City 4, Toronto 3
1986Boston 4, California 3
1987Minnesota 4, Detroit 1
1988Oakland 4, Boston 0
1989Oakland 4, Toronto 1
1990Oakland 4, Boston 0
1991Minnesota 4, Toronto 1
1992Toronto 4, Oakland 2
1993Toronto 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
1997Baltimore 3, Seattle 1
Cleveland 3, New York 2
FINAL
Cleveland 4, Baltimore 2
1998New York 3, Texas 0
Cleveland 3, Boston 1
FINAL
New York 4, Cleveland 2
1999New York 3, Texas 1
Boston 3, Cleveland 2
FINAL
New York 4, Boston 1
2000New York 3, Oakland 2
Seattle 3, Chicago 0
FINAL
New York 4, Seattle 2
2001New York 3, Oakland 2
Seattle 3, Cleveland 2
FINAL
New York 4, Seattle 1
2002Minnesota 3, Oakland 2
Anaheim 3, New York 1
FINAL
Anaheim 4, Minnesota 1
2003Boston 3, Oakland 2
New York 3, Minnesota 1
FINAL
New York 4, Boston 3
2004Boston 3, Anaheim 0
New York 3, Minnesota 1
FINAL
Boston 4, New York 3
2005Chicago 3, Boston 0
California 3, New York 2
FINAL
Chicago 4, California 1
2006Oakland 3, Minnesota 0
Detroit 3, New York 1
FINAL
Detroit 4, Oakland 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
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National League Playoffs

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

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This page last updated Wednesday, 16-Apr-2008 17:21:07 PDT
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