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American League

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American League
SportBaseball
FoundedJanuary 28, 1901; 123 years ago (1901-01-28) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
FounderBan Johnson
Presidentvacant (honorary)
Divisions3
No. of teams15
Countries
  • United States (14 teams)
  • Canada (1 team)
Most recent
champion(s)		Texas Rangers (3rd title)
Most titlesNew York Yankees (40)

The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is the younger of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major league status. It is sometimes called the Junior Circuit because it claimed Major League status for the 1901 season, 25 years after the formation of the National League (the "Senior Circuit").

Since 1903, the American League champion has played in the World Series against the National League champion with only two exceptions: 1904, when the NL champion New York Giants refused to play their AL counterpart, and 1994, when a players' strike resulted in the cancellation of the Series. Through 2023, American League teams have won 68 of the 119 World Series played since 1903. The New York Yankees have won 27 World Series and 40 American League titles, the most in major league history. The Philadelphia/Kansas City/Oakland Athletics have won the second most AL titles with 15, followed by the Boston Red Sox with 14.

For decades, Major League baseball clubs only played teams from their own league during the regular season and playoffs, with only the two pennant winners meeting in the World Series. The AL and NL also employed and trained their own umpires, who only worked regular season games in their own league. These differences resulted in the leagues developing slightly different strategies and styles of play. The American League was usually regarded as the less "traditional" league during the 20th century, a reputation most exemplified by the introduction of the designated hitter rule in 1973, which encouraged AL managers to largely abandon "smallball" tactics. However, with the advent of free agency in the 1970s allowing for more player movement between leagues, the introduction of regular season interleague play in 1997, umpires working games across MLB beginning in 1999, and the NL's adoption of the designated hitter rule in 2022, the difference in play between the two major leagues has diminished considerably.

Though both leagues agreed to be jointly governed by a commissioner in 1920, they remained separate business entities with their own presidents and management. This was the case until after the 1999 season, when the American League legally merged with the National League under the auspices of Major League Baseball, which now operates much like other North American professional sports leagues, albeit with two "leagues" instead of "conferences".

History[edit]

Main article: History of the American League
American League President and founder Ban Johnson, in center, surrounded by the portraits of the league's eight teams in 1907.

Originally a minor league known as the Western League, which existed from 1885 to 1899 with teams in mostly Great Lakes states, the league changed its name to the American League for the 1900 season and the next year developed into a second major league as a competitor to the older National League. This was prompted by the NL dropping four teams following the 1899 season after having absorbed its previous rival, the American Association, which disbanded in 1891 after ten seasons.

In its early history of the late 1880s, the minor Western League struggled until 1894, when Ban Johnson became the president of the league. Johnson pushed the league to rise to major league status, after the name change to the American League was decided in a league meeting in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, at the former Republican Hotel. A historical marker is at the intersection of North Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and West Kilbourn Avenue where the hotel once stood.[1]

In March 1904, Johnson moved the league's headquarters from Chicago to New York.[2]

Babe Ruth, noted as one of the most prolific hitters in Major League Baseball history, spent the majority of his career in the American League with the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees. From 1973 to 2022 The American League had one notable difference versus the rival National League, as it had the designated hitter rule. Under the rule, a team may use a batter in its lineup who is not in the field defensively, replacing the pitcher in the batting order, compared to the old rule that made it mandatory for the pitcher to bat. In the last two decades, the season schedule has allowed occasional interleague play. In 1969, the AL (and NL) were divided into East and West divisions, with a postseason playoff series for the pennant and the right to play in the World Series.

U.S. President Calvin Coolidge (1872–1933, served 1923–1929), and Washington Senators pitcher Walter Johnson (1887–1946, played 1907–1927, managed 1929–1932 for Senators; managed Cleveland Indians 1933–1935), shake hands following the Senators' 1924 American League championship at Griffith Stadium, Washington, D.C.

Until the late 1970s, league umpires working behind home plate wore large, balloon-style chest protectors worn outside the shirt or coat, while their colleagues in the National League wore chest protectors inside the shirt or coat. In 1977, new umpires (including Steve Palermo) had to wear the inside chest protector, although those on staff wearing the outside protector could continue to do so. Most umpires made the switch to the inside protector, led by Don Denkinger in 1975 and Jim Evans the next year, although several did not, including Bill Haller, Russ Goetz, George Maloney, Bill Kunkel and Jerry Neudecker, who became the last full-time MLB umpire to use the outside protector in 1985.

In 1994, the league, along with the National League, reorganized again, this time into three divisions (East, West, and Central) and added a third round to the playoffs in the form of the American League Division Series, with the best second-place team advancing to the playoffs as a wild-card team, in addition to the three divisional champions. In 1998, the newly franchised Tampa Bay Devil Rays joined the league, and the Arizona Diamondbacks joined the National League: i.e., each league each added a fifteenth team. An odd number of teams per league meant that at least one team in each league would have to be idle on any given day, or alternatively, that odd team out would have had to play an interleague game against its counterpart in the other league. The initial plan was to have three five-team divisions per league with inter-league play year-round—possibly as many as 30 interleague games per team each year.

For various reasons, it soon seemed more practical to have an even number of teams in both leagues. The Milwaukee Brewers agreed to change leagues to become the National League's 16th team, moving from the AL Central to the NL Central. At the same time, the Detroit Tigers were moved from the AL East to the AL Central, making room for the Devil Rays in the East. Even after expansion, the American League then continued with 14 teams. This situation changed again in 2013 when the Houston Astros moved from the National League Central division to the American League West. The Astros had been in the NL for 51 years since beginning as an expansion team in 1962. Since their move, both leagues now consist of 15 teams.

Interleague play, and merger[edit]

For the first 96 years, American League teams faced their National League counterparts only in exhibition games or in the World Series. Beginning in 1997, interleague games have been played during the regular season and count in the standings. As part of the agreement instituting interleague play, the designated-hitter rule was used only in games where the American League team is the home team, until the 2022 season, when the universal DH rule was implemented. In 2023, American League teams played 46 regular season interleague games against all 15 National League teams, 23 at home and 23 on the road.

In 2000, the American League ended its status as a legally independent entity when the American and National Leagues were both merged into the legal entity Major League Baseball (MLB).[3] This left MLB as a single league, divided into two parts, also called leagues. This change in legal status had no effect on play, scheduling, and so forth.

Teams[edit]

Charter franchises[edit]

There were eight charter teams in 1901, the league's first year as a major league, and the next year the original Milwaukee Brewers (not to be confused with the current Milwaukee Brewers) moved to St. Louis to become the St. Louis Browns, and the year after the New York Highlanders replaced the disbanded original Baltimore Orioles. Those eight franchises constituted the league for 52 seasons until the Browns moved to Baltimore and took up the Orioles name. The eight original teams and their counterparts in the "Classic Eight" were:

Expansion, renaming, and relocation summary[edit]

See also: Major League Baseball relocation of 1950s–1960s

Current teams[edit]

American League East[edit]

Main article: American League East

American League Central[edit]

Main article: American League Central

American League West[edit]

Main article: American League West
  • Houston Astros enfranchised 1962 in National League as the Houston Colt .45s (team changed name to Astros in 1965), transferred to American League (2013)
  • Los Angeles Angels enfranchised 1961 as the Los Angeles Angels, then as the California Angels after moving to Anaheim (1966), then the Anaheim Angels (1997), then the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (2005). This last remains the legal name of the franchise, but in actual practice, the team is known as the Los Angeles Angels, officially so since 2016.
  • Oakland Athletics enfranchised 1901[a] in Philadelphia, moved to Kansas City (1955) and to Oakland (1968)
  • Seattle Mariners enfranchised 1977
  • Texas Rangers enfranchised 1961 as the Washington Senators, moved to the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex (1972)

Presidents[edit]

Following the 1999 season, the American and National Leagues were merged with Major League Baseball, and the leagues ceased to exist as business entities. The position of the American League President and National League President became honorary.

Key
† Member of the Baseball Hall of Fame
* Honorary President
Name Years Ref
Ban Johnson† 1901–1927
Frank Navin 1927
Ernest Barnard 1927–1931
Will Harridge† 1931–1959
Joe Cronin† 1959–1973
Lee MacPhail† 1973–1984
Bobby Brown 1984–1994
Gene Budig 1994–1999
Jackie Autry* 2000–2015
Frank Robinson†* 2015–2019

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ See commentary on Western League page. The Indianapolis and Minneapolis teams were replaced by teams in Baltimore and Philadelphia in 1901, but it is unclear and disputed as to which team went where.

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Birthplace of the American League Historical Marker". www.hmdb.org. Retrieved September 16, 2019.
  2. ^ "Move to New York: American League to Transfer its Headquarters to Gotham". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. March 16, 1904. p. 6.
  3. ^ "Year In Review: 2000 National League". Baseball-Almanac.com. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
  4. ^ "Bankrupt Orioles". Baseball-Reference. Archived from the original on July 23, 2014. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
  5. ^ Officially "Bluebirds", a form seldom used
  6. ^ "American League". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved August 25, 2013.
  7. ^ To distinguish them from Boston's National League team, then called the Red Stockings or the Nationals
  8. ^ after their home, Hilltop Park, and a pun on their owner's name, Gordon's Highlanders, referencing the famous Scottish regiment.
  9. ^ Sources recently have dissociated the 1902–1903 Baltimore Orioles from the Highlanders/Yankees. Sports Reference.com Archived July 23, 2014, at the Wayback Machine and sources cited on that page. Retrieved July 23, 2014.
  10. ^ Edgarf. "Baltimore Orioles History – American League East". MLB Baseball Betting. Archived from the original on June 10, 2016. Retrieved August 25, 2013.

Sources[edit]

  • The National League Story, Lee Allen, Putnam, 1961.
  • The American League Story, Lee Allen, Putnam, 1962.
  • The Baseball Encyclopedia, published by MacMillan, 1968 and later.
Camp Nou
Spotify Camp Nou
UEFA [1]
Map
Full nameCamp Nou
LocationBarcelona, Catalonia, Spain
Public transit at Palau Reial or Les Corts
at Collblanc
at Av. de Xile
OwnerBarcelona
Executive suites23[7]
Capacity105,000 (expected)[6]
Record attendance120,000 (Barcelona vs Juventus), 1986 European Cup, Quarter-finals[8]
Field size105 m × 68 m (115 yd × 74 yd)[2]
SurfaceGrassMaster hybrid grass[5] (5% synthetic fibres, 95% natural grass)
ScoreboardSony
Construction
Built1954–1957
Opened24 September 1957; 66 years ago (1957-09-24)[2]
Renovated2026 (expected)[3]
Expanded1982, 1994,[4] 2026 expected[3]
Construction cost€1.73 billion
ArchitectFrancesc Mitjans and Josep Soteras
Tenants
Barcelona (1957–present)
Catalonia national team (selected matches)
Barcelona Women (selected matches)
Website
https://www.fcbarcelona.com/en/club/facilities/spotify-camp-nou

Camp Nou (Catalan pronunciation: [ˌkamˈnɔw], meaning New Field, often referred to in English as the Nou Camp, currently known as Spotify Camp Nou for sponsorship reasons) is a stadium in Barcelona and the home of La Liga club Barcelona since its opening in 1957.[1][9]It is currently undergoing renovation, and with a planned increased seating capacity of 105,000,[10] it will be the stadium with the largest capacity in Spain and Europe, and the second largest football stadium in the world.[11][12]

It has hosted two European Cup/Champions League finals in 1989 and 1999, two European Cup Winners' Cup finals, four Inter-Cities Fairs Cup final games, five UEFA Super Cup games, four Copa del Rey finals, two Copa de la Liga finals, and twenty-one Supercopa de España finals. It also hosted five matches in the 1982 FIFA World Cup (including the opening game), half of the four matches at the 1964 European Nations' Cup, and the football tournament's final at the 1992 Summer Olympics.

Renovation of the stadium commenced after the end of the 2022-2023 season. Final completion of all renovations is scheduled for June 2026, although the club may return before that date.[13][14] During the renovation, Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys is serving as Barcelona's home ground.

Construction[edit]

One of the stands displaying Barcelona's motto, Més que un club, meaning "More than a club"
A view of the supporters' side during a match, showing the FC Barcelona colours
Main stand external view of the stadium

The construction of the Camp Nou started on 28 March 1954 as Barcelona's previous stadium, Camp de Les Corts, had no room for expansion. Although originally planned to be called the Estadi del FC Barcelona, the more popular name Camp Nou ("new field") was used.[15] The June 1950 signing of László Kubala, regarded as one of Barcelona's greatest players, provided further impetus to the construction of a larger stadium.[16][17][18]

On 14 November 1950, the president Agustí Montal i Galobart obtained the favourable agreement of an assembly of members[19] to acquire land for the construction of a new stadium, located in Hospitalet de Llobregat, which was later exchanged with the Barcelona City Council for other land in the neighbourhood of Les Corts. The stadium is located at the end of Travessera de les Corts, next to the Cementiri and the Maternitat. The commission dedicated to the project recommended another location in February 1951. The official purchase took place two years later.[19]

The appointment of Francesc Miró-Sans as president of Barcelona, on 14 November 1953, was to relaunch the project. Invested in February of the following year, Miró-Sans decided in favour of the land acquired in 1950, and the first stone of the stadium was laid on 28 March 1954.[20] A procession of several thousands of people made the journey from the Camp de Les Corts to La Masia de Can Planes, where the ceremony of laying the first stone was held, a solemn ceremony in the presence of Miró-Sans, the head of the Civil Government of Barcelona and the archbishop of Barcelona, Gregorio Modrego.[20]

The project was completed one year later, when the club entrusted the construction to the building company Ingar SA. The work was supposed to last eight months, but the costs were more than four times higher than expected, reaching 288 million pesetas. Through mortgages and loans, the club managed to finish the project, borrowing heavily for several years. The club hoped to cover the cost with the sale of the land at Les Corts, but the Barcelona City Council took five years to requalify it, giving rise to a period of certain economic hardship, Finally, the head of state and of the Spanish government at the time, the dictator Francisco Franco, authorised the requalification of the land at Les Corts and put an end to the crisis of the Barcelona club.[21][22] During the course of the Camp Nou construction work, La Masia served as a workshop for making the models and a workplace for architects and builders.

The architects were Francesc Mitjans and Josep Soteras, with the collaboration of Lorenzo García-Barbón.[23]

Finally, on 24 September 1957, the feast of La Mercè, the Camp Nou was inaugurated.[24] A solemn mass presided over by the archbishop, who welcomed the finished stadium, preceded the Hallelujah from Handel's Messiah. Dignitaries of the Franco regime and of the city gathered in the presidential tribune, and some 90,000 people attended the opening ceremony in the stands of the huge stadium. During the event, football clubs from all over Catalonia paraded on the field, as well as members of the different sections of Barça, the penyes and the different Barcelona teams.[24][25]

Like Santiago Bernabéu Stadium of Real Madrid, the stadium was inspired by De Kuip, home of Feyenoord Rotterdam, which was built in 1937, and featured oval rings around the pitch, resulting in continuous stands without open corners.

History[edit]

Interior of the stadium with its current capacity of 99,354 during a UEFA Champions League game between Barcelona and Inter Milan in 2019

The stadium's capacity has varied greatly over the years, opening at 106,146, and growing to 121,401 for the 1982 FIFA World Cup. In May 1972, the Camp Nou hosted its first European Cup Winners' Cup final between Rangers and Dynamo Moscow. Rangers won the match with a score of 3–2. Electronic scoreboards were installed in 1975.[26]

The stadium underwent an expansion in 1980, in anticipation of the 1982 FIFA World Cup, which added boxes, VIP lounges, a new press area, new markers and the construction of the third tier, which was smaller in height than the original design by 6 metres (46.60 metres compared to the original design of 52.50 metres). The expansion of the stadium added 22,150 new seats,[27] taking the total seating capacity to 71,731, and the standing capacity was expanded by 16,500 to 49,670, taking the total stadium capacity (seated and standing combined) to 121,401.[28] Barcelona's record attendance was set on 5 March 1986 in the European Cup quarter-final against Juventus in front of 120,000 spectators, just 1,401 shy of the stadium's capacity.[29][30]

The Camp Nou was one of several stadiums used throughout the 1982 World Cup, hosting the inauguration ceremony on 13 June.[31][32] It also hosted more matches in that tournament than any of the 16 other stadiums used all over Spain, including the opening match, where the traditional opening ceremonies took place (including the releasing of a dove). In front of 95,000, Belgium upset the defending champions Argentina 1–0 in that opening match.[33][34] It then hosted three round-robin matches between the Soviet Union, Poland and Belgium, which Poland ended up winning and qualifying from to reach the semi-finals, where they played Italy at the Camp Nou, losing 2–0; Italy went on to win the final match, which was played at Real Madrid's Santiago Bernabéu in Madrid.[35]

The Camp Nou also hosted the 1999 UEFA Champions League Final between Manchester United and Bayern Munich, with both teams in contention to complete league title/domestic cup/European Cup trebles. Bayern led early through Mario Basler's goal in the sixth minute and kept the lead as the clock reached 90 minutes, but United came back to win with injury time goals from Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjær.[36]

As well as hosting Barcelona, the Camp Nou is home to the Catalan team.[37] The stadium is frequently used for other football events. The European Cup final between Milan and Steaua București was held on 24 May 1989, with the Italian club winning 4–0.[38] The Camp Nou hosted part of the football competition, including the final, in the 1992 Summer Olympics.[39] In preparation for these matches, two additional tiers of seating were installed over the previous roof-line.[40]

The Camp Nou opened the FC Barcelona club museum in 1984.[41] The stadium was renovated in 1993–94, in which the pitch was lowered by 2.5 metres (8 feet), the security gap that separated the lawn from the galleries was removed, and standing room was eliminated in favour of individual seating. A new press box, renovation of the presidential grandstand and boxes, new parking under the main grandstand and new lighting and sound systems were completed in time for the 1998–99 season.[2] During 1998–99, UEFA rated Camp Nou a five-star stadium for its services and functionalities.[42] Although popularly called Camp Nou, the stadium's official name was actually “Estadi del FC Barcelona” since its completion, and it was not until the 2000–01 season that club members voted to officially rename the stadium to its popular nickname.[43]

The facilities now include a memorabilia shop, mini-pitches for training matches and a chapel for the players. The stadium also houses the second-most visited museum in Catalonia, the Barcelona Museum, which receives more than 1.2 million visitors per year.[44]

On 1 October 2017, Barcelona's league match against Las Palmas was played in an empty Camp Nou due to political turmoil in the region.[45]

In 2022, music streaming service Spotify reached a deal with Barcelona to acquire the naming rights to the stadium for four years in a deal worth $310 million. The stadium was rebranded as Spotify Camp Nou in July 2022.[46]

Renovation and expansion[edit]

The club issued an international tender to remodel the stadium as a celebration of the stadium's fiftieth anniversary. The objective was to make the facility an integrated and highly visible urban environment. The club sought to increase the seating capacity by 13,500, with at least half of the total seating to be under cover.[clarification needed] The intention was to make it the third-largest stadium in the world in terms of seating capacity, after the Narendra Modi Stadium in India (132,000 capacity) and Rungrado 1st of May Stadium in North Korea (114,000 capacity).

On 18 September 2007, the British architect Norman Foster and his company were selected to "restructure" the Camp Nou. The plan included the addition of roughly 6,000 seats, for a maximum capacity of 105,000, at an estimated cost of €250 million.[47] The Barcelona board approved the sale of their former training ground (the Mini Estadi) against significant opposition in order to finance the remodeling. The project was planned to begin in 2009 and to be finished for the 2011–12 season.[48] However, due to the 2008 financial crisis, the sale of the training ground was postponed, and likewise the remodeling project. In May 2010, Sandro Rosell, then a candidate for president of Barcelona, dismissed the possibility of selling the Mini Estadi, saying it would be indefensible to "sell the crown jewels", and his election on 30 June 2010 effectively halted the plan to remodel the Camp Nou.[49][50]

In January 2014, Barcelona's board of directors rejected the option of building a new stadium due to financial constraints, and instead opted to remodel the Camp Nou to bring the capacity up to 105,000.[51] The project was expected to run from 2017 to early 2021, with a cost of around £495 million (€600 million), making it one of the most expensive expansions on a per-seat basis.[52][53] A refined plan was released in May 2015 showing plans to add a canopy over the stands and showing the plans for seating expansion in greater detail.[54] Construction was planned in 2019 to begin in summer 2020 and to be completed in 2024.[55]

On 28 April 2022, the club confirmed that renovations would begin after the 2022–23 season.[56] Renovation work on the stadium began on 1 June 2023.[57] At that time, Barcelona president Joan Laporta stated that the club expected to return by December 2024, when most of the work will be done.[14] Final completion of all renovations is scheduled for June 2026.[13] While the renovations are ongoing, Barcelona is playing home matches at Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys in Montjuïc.

Other uses[edit]

A panoramic photograph of the stadium

Camp Nou has been used for various purposes other than football, often hosting major concerts. Some notable high-profile appearances include:

Camp Nou was host when U2 played in Barcelona on their 360° Tour.

On 4 November 2014, Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR), which operates France's professional rugby union leagues, announced that the 2015–16 Top 14 final would be held at the Camp Nou on 24 June 2016.[60] The Top 14 final is traditionally held at the Stade de France in the Paris suburb of Saint-Denis. However, the scheduling of the 2015 Rugby World Cup caused the 2015–16 French season to be shifted by several weeks, in turn causing the Stade de France to be unavailable because it would be a major venue for UEFA Euro 2016.[61] The match ultimately drew a crowd of 99,124, setting a new record for attendance at a domestic rugby union match.[62]

On 18 May 2019, the first Super League game in Spain was hosted Camp Nou. The Catalans Dragons defeated the Wigan Warriors 33–16. This match set the Super League attendance record for a non-Magic Weekend, regular season fixture, attracting 31,555 fans.

In 2022, Barcelona had the largest known attendances for women's football since the 1971 Women's World Cup final,[63][64] Mexico–Denmark (110,000), at the Azteca Stadium.[65][66] Real Madrid and Wolfsburg were the visiting teams at Camp Nou in the Women's Champions League (91,553 and 91,648).[64][65]

Transport connections[edit]

Avinguda de Xile Station

The stadium is accessible from the Barcelona Metro with the closest stations to Camp Nou are Palau Reial, Maria Cristina and Les Corts, on L3; Badal on L5 and Collblanc on L5 or L9.[67] All are 500 to 1,000 metres (0.31 to 0.62 mi) from Camp Nou, depending on which of the gates (accesses) to Camp Nou are used. Usually metro services are increased when there is a match, which causes significant passenger congestion.

A new station, named Avinguda de Xile / Camp Nou, is under construction and will be served by L9 and L10.[68][69]

Approximately 680 metres (0.42 mi) from Camp Nou there is the Trambaix Avinguda de Xile station (lines T1, T2 and T3).

Camp Nou is also served by several TMB bus routes, an AMB line, and four Nitbus services. Apart from regular routes, there are two special lines to Mossèn Jacint Verdaguer Square and to Catalonia Square on days with matches.

The stadium is located 13.7 kilometres (8.5 mi) from the El Prat International Airport. It is connected by L9 from the airport directly to Collblanc, which is a short walk from the stadium.

1982 FIFA World Cup[edit]

The stadium was one of the 17 venues of the 1982 FIFA World Cup, and held the following matches:

Date Team No. 1 Result Team No. 2 Round Attendance
13 June 1982  Argentina 0–1  Belgium Group 3 (first round, opening match) 95,000
28 June 1982  Poland 3–0
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Juventus

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SV Werder Bremen

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For the Werder Bremen women's team, see SV Werder Bremen (women).

Werder Bremen
Full nameSportverein Werder Bremen
von 1899 e. V.
Nickname(s)Die Werderaner (The River Islanders)
Die Grün-Weißen (The Green-Whites)[1]
Short nameWerder, Bremen
Founded4 February 1899; 125 years ago (1899-02-04)
GroundWeserstadion
Capacity42,100
PresidentHubertus Hess-Grunewald
Head coachOle Werner
LeagueBundesliga
2023–24Bundesliga, 9th of 18
WebsiteClub website
Current season

Sportverein Werder Bremen von 1899 e. V. (German pronunciation: [ɛs faʊ̯ ˌvɛʁdɐ ˈbʁeːmən] ⓘ), commonly known as Werder Bremen, Werder or simply Bremen, is a German professional sports club based in the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen. Founded on 4 February 1899, Werder are best known for their professional association football team, who compete in the Bundesliga, the first tier of the German football league system. Bremen share the record for most seasons played in the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich, and are ranked third in the all-time Bundesliga table, only behind Bayern and Borussia Dortmund.[2]

Werder have been German champions four times, have won the DFB-Pokal six times, the DFL-Ligapokal once, the DFL-Supercup thrice, and the European Cup Winners' Cup once. The team's first major trophy was the 1960–61 DFB-Pokal; they last won the cup in 2008–09. Bremen's first German championship came in 1964–65, and their latest in 2003–04, when they won the double. In European football, Werder won the 1991–92 European Cup Winners' Cup, and were runners-up in the 2008–09 UEFA Cup.

Bremen have played at the Weserstadion since 1909. The club shares a rivalry with fellow northern German club Hamburger SV, known as the Nordderby (English: "North derby"). In April 2022, Werder had over 40,000 members.[3]

History[edit]

1899–1970[edit]

Historical chart of Werder's league performance

On 4 February 1899, FV Werder Bremen was founded by a group of 16-year-old students who had won a football in a tug of war tournament.[4] The name "Werder" is the German word for "river peninsula", alluding to the riverside field on which the team played their first football matches. On 10 September 1899, Werder won their first match 1–0, against ASC 1898 Bremen. In 1900, the club was one of the founder members of the German Football Association (DFB). Werder then had some early success, winning several local championships. In 1903, all three of their teams won their local leagues. Due to the club's popularity, Werder became the first side in the city to charge entry fees for home matches.[4]

After the First World War, the club adopted other sports, such as athletics, baseball, chess, cricket, and tennis.[4] On 19 January 1920, the club took on their current name: Sportverein Werder Bremen. In 1922, it became the first club in Bremen to hire a professional coach, the Hungarian Ferenc Kónya. Werder made regular appearances in the play-offs of the Northern German football championship during the 1920s and early 1930s, but did not win any titles. In the mid-1930s, striker Matthias Heidemann became the club's first international.[4]

Werder won the Gauliga Niedersachsen in 1933–34, and again in 1935–36, 1936–37, and 1941–42.[5] By winning the Gauliga, the team qualified for the national championship play-offs; Bremen's best result was a quarter-final place in 1942. As professionalism was not permitted in German football, several Werder players worked at the nearby Brinkmann tobacco factory; the side were subsequently nicknamed "Texas 11" after one of the company's cigarette brands.[6]

Between the end of the Second World War and the formation of the Bundesliga in 1963, the club was recognised as one of the top two teams in northern Germany, along with Hamburger SV. In 1960–61, Werder won their first DFB-Pokal, defeating 1. FC Kaiserslautern 2–0 in the final. The team consisted of future international Sepp Piontek, former international Willi Schröder, and Arnold Schütz, among others.[5] A second place in the 1962–63 Oberliga Nord, behind Hamburger SV, ensured Werder's place in the 1963–64 Bundesliga, the competition's inaugural season.[7] Werder won their first German championship in 1964–65, finishing three points ahead of 1. FC Köln.[8] One of the team's key players was German international and defender Horst-Dieter Höttges.[9] Werder finished runners-up in 1967–68; in the following years, they languished in the bottom half of the table.

1970–2000[edit]

In April 1971, during an away match at Borussia Mönchengladbach, the hosts' striker Herbert Laumen fell in Werder's goal net after a collision with Bremen goalkeeper Günter Bernard. The right goalpost snapped as a result of the impact, bringing the goal down, which could not be repaired nor replaced. The referee abandoned the game with a scoreline of 1–1; the DFB later awarded the win to Werder.[10] As a result of signing several expensive players, Bremen were nicknamed "Millionenelf". The team's form did not improve, and in 1979–80, Werder were relegated from the Bundesliga for the first time.[11]

The team won the 1980–81 2. Bundesliga Nord title and were promoted back to the Bundesliga. Manager Otto Rehhagel was appointed in April 1981; under his guidance, Werder were Bundesliga runners-up in 1982–83, 1984–85 and 1985–86. In 1983 and 1986, the side lost the title on goal difference. During the latter season, Werder hosted Bayern Munich in the penultimate match; Bremen needed to win to secure the title. In the last minutes of the game, Werder were awarded a penalty kick, which Michael Kutzop missed; the match ended goalless. Bayern won their last match, but Werder lost 2–1 to VfB Stuttgart, meaning that Bayern won the title.[12] Werder won their second Bundesliga title two years later, in 1987–88, only conceding a then-record 22 goals.[13] They also reached the semi-final of that year's UEFA Cup.[14] In the third round of the 1989–90 UEFA Cup, Bremen defeated defending champions Napoli 8–3 on aggregate, after winning 5–1 at home (Diego Maradona was one of the Napoli players).[15]

Werder reached the DFB-Pokal final in 1989 and 1990, and were victorious in 1991. They also won the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1991–92, beating AS Monaco 2–0 in the final.[16] In 1992–93, the team won their third Bundesliga title, and won their third DFB-Pokal in 1994. Bremen became the first German club to reach the group stage of the newly rebranded UEFA Champions League in 1993–94.[17] During that season, Werder trailed Belgian club Anderlecht 3–0 after 66 minutes. The side turned the game around and won 5–3; it is hailed as an example of the "Wunder von der Weser" (English: "Wonder of the Weser").[18] In this period, Werder had numerous internationals, including Mario Basler, Marco Bode, Rune Bratseth, Andreas Herzog, Karl-Heinz Riedle, Wynton Rufer, and Rudi Völler.[19]

Bremen finished runners-up in the 1994–95 Bundesliga; at the end of the season, after a then-national record 14-year stint at Werder, Rehhagel left the club for Bayern Munich.[20] Rehhagel, Bremen's most successful manager, had employed a "controlled offensive" style of play, and worked on a tight budget during his reign.[21] His successors (Aad de Mos, Dixie Dörner, Wolfgang Sidka, and Felix Magath) did not win any major honours. In May 1999, former Werder defender, and youth coach Thomas Schaaf took over. He kept the team in the Bundesliga, and won the DFB-Pokal only weeks later, defeating Bayern on penalties.[22]

2000–present[edit]

Werder fans celebrating the team's 2008–09 DFB-Pokal triumph at the Bremen City Hall

Werder's league performance stabilized during the following seasons, regularly finishing in the upper half of the table. In 2003–04, Bremen won both the Bundesliga and the DFB-Pokal, claiming the double for the first time, becoming the third club in Bundesliga history to achieve this feat.[23] The team also regularly qualified for the Champions League during the 2000s. In the last match of the 2005–06 Bundesliga season, Werder won 2–1 at arch-rivals Hamburger SV to qualify for the Champions League, instead of Hamburg.[24] Bremen reached the semi-finals of the 2006–07 UEFA Cup, in which they were eliminated by Spanish club RCD Espanyol.[25] In 2008–09, the team reached the UEFA Cup final—losing 2–1 against Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk after extra time—and the DFB-Pokal final, defeating Bayer Leverkusen by a scoreline of 1–0. In April and May 2009, Werder had played Hamburg four times in 19 days; once in the Bundesliga, twice in the semi-final of the UEFA Cup, and in the semi-final of the DFB-Pokal. Bremen defeated Hamburg 2–0 in the Bundesliga, and eliminated them from the DFB-Pokal and the UEFA Cup.[25]

During this period, Werder had several players who were sold for large transfer fees, including Diego, Torsten Frings, Miroslav Klose, Mesut Özil, and Claudio Pizarro. In October 2010, Pizarro became the then-record foreign goalscorer in Bundesliga history.[26] In 2013, Schaaf left the club by mutual consent after a 14th-place finish in the Bundesliga.[27] In 2019–20, Bremen beat Köln 6–1 on the last matchday to finish in 16th place, overtaking Fortuna Düsseldorf; however, Bremen had to play the promotion-relegation play-offs against 1. FC Heidenheim to avoid relegation.[28][29] The tie ended 2–2 on aggregate, with Werder winning on the away goals rule, and avoiding relegation.[30] Bremen finished 17th the following season, and were relegated to the 2. Bundesliga for the first time since 1979–80.[31] The team finished runners-up in the 2021–22 2. Bundesliga and won promotion back to the Bundesliga after one season.[32]

Players[edit]

Current squad[edit]

As of 10 June 2024[33]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK Germany GER Michael Zetterer
2 MF Belgium BEL Olivier Deman
3 DF Germany GER Anthony Jung
4 DF Germany GER Niklas Stark (3rd captain)
5 DF Germany GER Amos Pieper
6 MF Denmark DEN Jens Stage
7 FW Germany GER Marvin Ducksch
8 DF Germany
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Seattle Mariners

Seattle Mariners theme by CpDude

Download: SeattleMariners.p3t

Seattle Mariners Theme
(1 background)

"M's" redirects here. For the song, see M's (song). For other uses, see MS and M (disambiguation).

Seattle Mariners
2024 Seattle Mariners season
Team logoCap insignia
Major league affiliations
Current uniform
Retired numbers
Colors
  • Navy blue, metallic silver, Northwest green, royal blue, yellow, cream[1][2][3]
               
Name
  • Seattle Mariners (1977–present)
Other nicknames
  • The M's
Ballpark
Major league titles
World Series titles (0)None
AL Pennants (0)None
West Division titles (3)
Wild card berths (2)
Front office
Principal owner(s)John Stanton
President of baseball operationsJerry Dipoto
General managerJustin Hollander[4]
ManagerScott Servais
Websitemlb.com/mariners

The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. The Mariners compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West Division. The team joined the American League as an expansion team in 1977 playing their home games in the Kingdome. Since July 1999, the Mariners' home ballpark has been T-Mobile Park, located in the SoDo neighborhood of Seattle.

The "Mariners" name originates from the prominence of marine culture in the city of Seattle. They are nicknamed the M's, a title featured in their primary logo from 1987 to 1992. They adopted their current team colors – navy blue, northwest green (teal), and silver – prior to the 1993 season, after having been royal blue and gold since the team's inception; the original colors continue to be used in alternate uniforms.[3] Their mascot is the Mariner Moose.

The franchise did not field a winning team until 1991 and further success eluded them until the late-90s, which saw the most successful period in franchise history. Led by Hall of Fame players Edgar Martinez, Ken Griffey Jr., and Randy Johnson, the Mariners clinched their first playoff berth in 1995 when they won their first division championship and defeated the New York Yankees in the ALDS. Martinez's walk-off double in Game 5 drove Griffey in from first base to win the game in the 11th inning, clinched a series win for the Mariners, served as a powerful impetus to preserve baseball in Seattle, and has since become an iconic moment in team history. They would later win their second division title in 1997.

After Griffey, Johnson, and Alex Rodriguez all left the team, the Mariners, bolstered by the signing of Ichiro Suzuki, won 116 games in 2001, which set the American League record for most wins in a single season and tied the 1906 Chicago Cubs for the Major League record for most wins in a single season. The team would not make the postseason again until 2022, which was the longest active drought in the four major North American sports.[5][6]

As of 2023, the franchise has finished with a losing record in 30 of 47 seasons. The Mariners are the only active MLB franchise never to have appeared in the World Series, and currently hold the longest active World Series appearance drought in MLB.

As of 2023, the Mariners' all-time win–loss record is 3,514–3,873–2 (.482).[7]

History[edit]

Main article: History of the Seattle Mariners

The Mariners were created as a result of a lawsuit. In 1970, in the aftermath of the Seattle Pilots' purchase and relocation to Milwaukee as the Milwaukee Brewers by Bud Selig, the city of Seattle, King County, and the state of Washington (represented by then-state Attorney General and future U.S. Senator Slade Gorton) sued the American League for breach of contract.[8] Confident that Major League Baseball would return to Seattle within a few years, King County built the multi-purpose Kingdome, which would become home to the National Football League's expansion Seattle Seahawks in 1976. The name "Mariners" was chosen by club officials in August 1976 from over 600 names submitted by 15,000 entrants in a name-the-team contest.[9] The name was submitted by Roger Szmodis of Bellevue, Washington. However, when the Mariners attempted to reach Szmodis about the prize he had won as a result of his entry being chosen, they were unable to make contact with him, with all efforts to track the man down for years being unsuccessful.[10]

Ken Griffey Jr. holds six single-season batting records and an individual career record for the Mariners franchise.

The first home run in team history was hit on April 10, 1977, by designated hitter Juan Bernhardt.[11]

That year, star pitcher Diego Seguí, in his last major league season, became the only player to play for both the Pilots and the Mariners. The Mariners finished with a 64–98 record, echoing the record the 1969 Pilots once held; however, the team was able to avoid last place in the AL West by half a game. In 1979, Seattle hosted the 50th Major League Baseball All-Star Game. After the 1981 season, the Mariners were sold to California businessman George Argyros,[12] who in turn sold the team to Jeff Smulyan in 1989, and then to Nintendo of America in 1992. Nintendo CEO Hiroshi Yamauchi, who would hold a 49 percent share, had never been to a baseball game but sought to thank the city for their role in the company's success.[13][14]

Mariners logo, 1977–1979
Mariners logo, 1980–1986. Created for the 1979 MLB All-Star Game; was featured on the team's batting helmets for the first time that year.
Mariners logo, 1987–1992

During the 1992–93 offseason, the Mariners hired manager Lou Piniella, who had led the Cincinnati Reds to victory in the 1990 World Series. Mariner fans embraced Piniella,[15] and he would helm the team from 1993 through 2002, winning two American League Manager of the Year Awards along the way. Piniella also had the distinction of being selected by the Seattle Pilots in the 1968 expansion draft and being on their roster from November 1968 to April 1969 when he was traded to the Kansas City Royals, where he earned rookie of the Year honors for 1969.

The 2001 Mariners club finished with a record of 116–46, leading all of Major League Baseball in winning percentage for the duration of the season and easily winning the American League West division championship. In doing so, the team broke the 1998 Yankees American League single-season record of 114 wins and matched the all-time MLB single-season record for wins set by the 1906 Chicago Cubs. At the end of the season, Ichiro Suzuki won the AL MVP, AL Rookie of the Year, and one of three outfield Gold Glove Awards, becoming the first player since the 1975 Boston Red Sox's Fred Lynn to win all three in the same season. The celebration wouldn't last, however, as the Mariners lost to the New York Yankees in the 2001 ALCS.

On October 22, 2008 the Mariners announced the hiring of Jack Zduriencik, formerly scouting director of the Milwaukee Brewers, as their general manager.[16] Weeks later, on November 18, the team named Oakland Athletics bench coach Don Wakamatsu as its new field manager. Wakamatsu and Zduriencik hired an entirely new coaching staff for 2009, which included former World Series MVP John Wetteland as bullpen coach. The off-season also saw a litany of roster moves, headlined by a 12-player, 3-team trade that included sending All-Star closer J. J. Putz to the New York Mets and brought 5 players—including prospect Mike Carp and outfielder Endy Chávez from New York and outfielder Franklin Gutiérrez from the Cleveland Indians—to Seattle. Many of the moves, like the free-agent signing of Mike Sweeney, were made in part with the hope of squelching the clubhouse infighting that plagued the Mariners in 2008. It also saw the return of Seattle favorite Griffey Jr. The 2009–10 offseason was highlighted by the trade for 2008 American League Cy Young Award winner Cliff Lee from the Philadelphia Phillies, the signing of third baseman Chone Figgins and the contract extension of star pitcher "King" Félix Hernández.

Griffey Jr. announced his retirement on June 2, 2010, after 22 MLB seasons.[17]

Inside the Kingdome (1977–June 1999)

The Mariners fired field manager Don Wakamatsu along with bench coach Ty Van Burkleo, pitching coach Rick Adair and performance coach Steve Hecht on August 9, 2010. Daren Brown, the manager of the AAA affiliate Tacoma Rainiers, took over as interim field manager. Roger Hansen, the former Minor League catching coordinator, was promoted to bench coach. Carl Willis, the former Minor League pitching coordinator, was promoted to pitching coach.[18]

The Mariners hired former Cleveland Indians manager Eric Wedge as their new manager on October 19, 2010.[19]

Dave Niehaus, the Mariners' play-by-play announcer since the team's inception, died of a heart attack on November 10, 2010, at the age of 75.[20] In memory of Niehaus, Seattle rapper Macklemore wrote a tribute song called "My Oh My" in December 2010. He performed the song at the Mariners' Opening Day game on April 8, 2011.

On April 21, 2012, Philip Humber of the Chicago White Sox threw the third perfect game in Chicago White Sox history against the Mariners at Safeco Field in Seattle. It was the 21st perfect game in MLB history.[21] Mariners starting pitcher Kevin Millwood and five other pitchers combined to throw the tenth combined no-hitter in MLB history and the first in team history on June 8, 2012. The last combined one occurred in 2003, when six Houston Astros no-hit the New York Yankees in New York. The six pitchers used in a no-hitter is a major league record. Félix Hernández pitched the first perfect game in team history, shutting down the Tampa Bay Rays 1–0 at Safeco Field on August 15, 2012. It was the 23rd perfect game in Major League Baseball history.[22] The Mariners became the first team in Major League Baseball to be involved in two perfect games in one season.[23]

General manager Jack Zduriencik was relieved of his position by the team on August 28, 2015. Jerry Dipoto, who formerly served as general manager of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, was hired as the new general manager of the Mariners one month later.[24] On October 9, 2015, manager Lloyd McClendon was fired, and the search for a new manager was begun.[25] Scott Servais was named the new Mariners' manager on October 23, 2015.[26]

Nintendo of America issued a press release on April 27, 2016, stating it would sell most shares it held of Seattle Mariners ownership to First Avenue Entertainment limited partnership, led by John W. Stanton. Nintendo retained a 10% ownership share of the team after the sale was completed in August 2016.[27]

The Stanton/Dipoto/Servais era has been characterized by two phases. In the first phase, the organization tried to contend for a championship by building around the then-present core of Robinson Cano, Felix Hernandez, Nelson Cruz, and Kyle Seager. The team came close but ultimately missed the playoffs each year from 2016 to 2018. Following the 2018 season, the organization pivoted to a rebuild, trading off their most valuable players in return for prospects. Following a fallow period of 2019–20, the team returned to contention in 2021, winning 90 games but falling short of the playoffs. In 2022, with a new core of Julio Rodriguez, J. P. Crawford, Cal Raleigh, Luis Castillo, George Kirby, and Logan Gilbert, the team reached the postseason for the first time since 2001. This broke what was at the time the longest playoff drought of any team in the big 4 North American sports. Rodriguez also won the American League Rookie of the Year Award. In 2023, the team won 88 games but finished one game out of a playoff spot.

Uniforms[edit]

1977–1980[edit]

Uniform design from 1977 to 1980

The Mariners' original colors were blue and gold, the color scheme previously used by the Seattle Pilots and its successor Milwaukee Brewers. For the first four seasons, they wore white pullover jerseys at home with the team name in front and numbers on the left chest. The "M" in "Mariners" was shaped to resemble a trident. On the road, they wore baby blue pullover jerseys with the city name in front and numbers on the left chest. The lettering colors were blue with gold trim, though in the 1977 season the trim on the road jersey was white and the "Seattle" wordmark appeared smaller. The trident logo was added to the left sleeve prior to the 1979 season.

The cap was all-blue and featured the gold trident logo with white trim.

1981–1986[edit]

The Mariners made some subtle changes to the uniform in 1981. The trident logo was replaced by blue and gold racing stripes on the shoulders, and the lettering received an extra blue outline. The number font also changed from rounded to block style. In 1985, the road jersey color was changed to grey.

The cap logo also featured a slight update of the trident logo, changing its color to blue, along with additional outlines and a white star background.

1987–1992[edit]

Uniform design from 1987 to 1992

In 1987, the Mariners changed its uniform style to traditional buttoned tops and belted pants. Both uniforms incorporated blue piping and a block "Mariners" wordmark in blue with gold and blue outlines. The numbers remained blue, but eliminated the trim outlines.

The cap logo was changed to a gold "S".

1993–present[edit]

The Mariners donned their current uniforms in 1993. The white home uniform originally featured "Mariners" in navy with Northwest Green trim and featured the "compass" logo atop the "M". The grey road uniform originally featured "Seattle" in navy with Northwest Green and white trim; in 2001, the "compass" logo was added in the middle of the "S". In 2015, a silver inline was added to the wordmark of both uniforms, which was also applied to the block letters and numbers. The primary logo is applied to the left sleeve.[28]

From 1997 to 2000, the Mariners also wore sleeveless versions of their primary uniforms, accompanied with a navy undershirt.

The Mariners have also worn Northwest Green alternate uniforms at some points in their history. The original version was unveiled in 1994 and had "Mariners" in silver with navy and white trim. The next season, the white trim was removed to improve visibility. The Mariners did not wear these uniforms from 1997 to 2010, after which it became a regular part of their uniform rotation. Formerly worn on Friday home games, the Northwest Green alternates are currently worn on select Saturday home games and on road games in which the home team wears either navy or black uniforms.[29][30]

Current uniform designs

The navy alternate uniform originally replaced the Northwest Green alternate in 1997 and featured the team name in silver with Northwest Green and navy trim. In 1999, the alternates were updated to feature the city name with the "S" behind the "compass" logo and silver piping; this became their road alternate the following season after a corresponding home navy alternate was introduced. In 2003, the silver piping was removed and the letter and number fonts were changed to match the wordmark. In 2012, after the Northwest Green home alternates were brought back, the navy uniforms were tweaked anew, this time with the city name in front and stylized serifed letters instead of the normal block letters. In 2024, the names were changed to block lettering. It is now worn on most road games, though they have also donned them at home on occasion.

A navy blue cap that features a ball and compass "S" logo is paired with the home white, road gray, and navy blue jerseys. A variation of this cap with a Northwest Green brim is worn with the home alternate jersey. The Mariners also wore Northwest Green caps with navy brims, but only in the 1994 season, and a navy "compass" cap with grey brims in the 1997 season.

In January 2015, the team announced a new alternate uniform to be worn for Sunday home games. This cream-colored "fauxback" uniform features the current logo and lettering style in a royal blue and gold color scheme, a throwback to the original team colors. Unlike the rest of the uniform set, the back of the jersey does not display the player name.[29][1] The cap features the current cap logo in the throwback colors.[1][31]

In January 2019, the Mariners announced a new home and away uniform to be worn during spring training. The jersey has a design similar to their home white jerseys but features a powder blue throwback to the team colors during the 1980s. The cap has the usual navy blue color, but with a logo that features the signature compass rose and with a large M in the center.

For the 2023 season, MLB and Nike have instituted a "four plus one" model for team uniforms, consisting of a home uniform, away uniform, two alternate uniforms, and a "City Connect" uniform featuring "color schemes and logos that pay homage to a team’s city."[32] The Mariners confirmed that they will replace the gray jerseys with the navy blue jerseys as their standard away uniforms for the 2023 season.[33][34] The team will also stop using the powder blue jerseys during spring training.[33] The choice to remove the gray and powder blue jerseys was based on feedback from players and fans, according to Kevin Martinez, the Mariners senior vice president of marketing and communications.[34]

The Mariners' City Connect uniform was visual nod to Seattle's baseball history. The uniform featured a patch on the jersey sleeve featuring Mount Rainier, as well as the letters "PNW", an acronym for Pacific Northwest. The uniform also features the colors of Amarillo, Rush Blue and Sundown, representing the inaugural colors of the team, as well as the word "Seattle" across the chest in the lettering style of the city's first Major League Baseball team, the Seattle Pilots. This uniform is currently worn during Friday home games.[35]

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Nascar #2

Nascar theme by SebChevy18

Download: Nascar_2.p3t

Nascar Theme 2
(4 backgrounds)

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Circuits Nascar

Circuits Nascar theme by SebChevy18

Download: CircuitsNascar.p3t

Circuits Nascar Theme
(6 backgrounds)

P3T Unpacker v0.12
Copyright (c) 2007. Anoop Menon

This program unpacks Playstation 3 Theme files (.p3t) so that you can touch-up an existing theme to your likings or use a certain wallpaper from it (as many themes have multiple). But remember, if you use content from another theme and release it, be sure to give credit!

Download for Windows: p3textractor.zip

Instructions:

Download p3textractor.zip from above. Extract the files to a folder with a program such as WinZip or WinRAR. Now there are multiple ways to extract the theme.

The first way is to simply open the p3t file with p3textractor.exe. If you don’t know how to do this, right click the p3t file and select Open With. Alternatively, open the p3t file and it will ask you to select a program to open with. Click Browse and find p3textractor.exe from where you previously extracted it to. It will open CMD and extract the theme to extracted.[filename]. After that, all you need to do for any future p3t files is open them and it will extract.

The second way is very simple. Just drag the p3t file to p3textractor.exe. It will open CMD and extract the theme to extracted.[filename].

For the third way, first put the p3t file you want to extract into the same folder as p3textractor.exe. Open CMD and browse to the folder with p3extractor.exe. Enter the following:
p3textractor filename.p3t [destination path]Replace filename with the name of the p3t file, and replace [destination path] with the name of the folder you want the files to be extracted to. A destination path is not required. By default it will extract to extracted.filename.

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St. Louis Cardinals

St. Louis Cardinals theme by Ryan Specht

Download: StLouisCardinals.p3t

St. Louis Cardinals Theme
(1 background)

For the National Football League team that played in the city of St. Louis from 1960 to 1987, see St. Louis Cardinals (NFL). For the current NFL team, see Arizona Cardinals.

St. Louis Cardinals
2024 St. Louis Cardinals season
Team logoCap insignia
Major league affiliations
Current uniform
Retired numbers
Colors
  • Cardinal red, navy blue, yellow, white[1][2]
           
Name
  • St. Louis Cardinals (1900–present)
  • St. Louis Perfectos (1899)
  • St. Louis Browns (1892–1898)
  • St. Louis Browns (1883–1891) (AA)
  • St. Louis Brown Stockings (1882) (AA)
Other nicknames
  • The Cards
  • The Redbirds
  • The Birds
  • The Baseball Cardinals (1960–1987)
Ballpark
Major league titles
World Series titles (11)
NL Pennants (19)
AA Pennants (4)
Central Division titles (12)
East Division titles (3)[d]
Pre-modern World Series (1)
Wild card berths (5)[e]
Front office
Principal owner(s)Bill DeWitt Jr.[4]
PresidentBill DeWitt III
President of baseball operationsJohn Mozeliak
General managerMike Girsch
ManagerOliver Marmol
Mascot(s)Fredbird, Rally Squirrel
Websitemlb.com/cardinals

The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central Division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals have played their home games at Busch Stadium in downtown St. Louis. One of the nation's oldest and most successful professional baseball clubs, the Cardinals have won 11 World Series championships, the most of any NL team and second in MLB only to the New York Yankees.[5][6] The team has won 19 National League pennants, third-most of any team behind the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants. St. Louis has also won 15 division titles in the East and Central divisions.

In 1881, entrepreneur Chris von der Ahe purchased the Brown Stockings barnstorming club, renamed it the St. Louis Browns, and made it a charter member of the American Association baseball league. The team won four league championships, qualifying them to play in the era's professional baseball championship series, a forerunner of the modern World Series.[7] In two of these championships, the Browns met the Chicago White Stockings, now the Chicago Cubs, launching the enduring Cardinals–Cubs rivalry.

In 1892, the Browns – also called the Perfectos – joined the National League. In 1900, the team was renamed the Cardinals. (Two years later, an unrelated St. Louis Browns team joined the American League.)

Notable Cardinals achievements include manager/owner Branch Rickey's invention of the farm system, Rogers Hornsby's two batting Triple Crowns, Dizzy Dean's 30-win season in 1934, Stan Musial's 17 MLB and 29 NL records, Bob Gibson's 1.12 earned run average (ERA) in 1968, Whitey Herzog's Whiteyball, Mark McGwire's single-season home run record in 1998, the 2011 championship team's unprecedented comebacks,[8] and Albert Pujols’ 700th home run. The Cardinals have won 105 or more games in four seasons and won 100 or more nine times. Cardinals players have won 21 league MVPs, four batting Triple Crowns, and three Cy Young Awards. Baseball Hall of Fame inductees include Lou Brock, Dizzy Dean, Bob Gibson, Whitey Herzog, Rogers Hornsby, Tony LaRussa, Joe Medwick, Stan Musial, Enos Slaughter, Branch Rickey, Red Schoendienst, Ozzie Smith, Ted Simmons, Bruce Sutter, and Scott Rolen.

In 2018, Forbes valued the Cardinals at $1.9 billion, the 7th-highest among MLB clubs and far more than the $147 million paid in 1995 by owner William DeWitt Jr.'s investment group. In 2017, the team took in revenue of $319 million on an operating income of $40.0 million.[9][10][11] John Mozeliak is the President of Baseball Operations, Mike Girsch is the general manager, and Oliver Marmol is the manager.[12][13] The Cardinals are renowned for their strong fan support: despite being in one of the sport's mid-level markets, they routinely see attendances among the league's highest, and are consistently among the top three in MLB in local television ratings.[14][15]

Through 2023, the Cardinals' all-time win-loss record is 11,202–10,323–152 (.520).[16]

History[edit]

Main article: History of the St. Louis Cardinals (1875–1919)

Before the Cardinals (1875–1881)[edit]

Professional baseball began in St. Louis with the inception of the Brown Stockings in the National Association (NA) in 1875. The NA folded following that season, and the next season, St. Louis joined the National League as a charter member, finishing in third place at 45–19. George Bradley hurled the first no-hitter in Major League history. The NL expelled St. Louis from the league after 1877 due to a game-fixing scandal and the team went bankrupt.[17] Without a league, they continued play as a semi-professional barnstorming team through 1881.

The magnitudes of the reorganizations, following the 1877 and 1881 seasons, are such that the 1875–1877 and 1878–1881 Brown Stockings teams are not generally considered to share continuity as a franchise with the current St. Louis Cardinals.[18][19]

American Association and early National League eras (1882–1919)[edit]

Charles Comiskey, shown here circa 1910, guided the Browns to four American Association titles.

For the 1882 season, Chris von der Ahe purchased the team, reorganized it, and made it a founding member of the American Association (AA), a league to rival the NL.[20] 1882 is generally considered to be the first year of existence for the franchise which would later become known as the St. Louis Cardinals.[18][19][21][f]

The next season, St. Louis shortened their name to the Browns. Soon thereafter they became the dominant team in the AA, as manager Charlie Comiskey guided St. Louis to four pennants in a row from 1885 to 1888.[7][24] Pitcher and outfielder Bob Caruthers led the league in ERA (2.07) and wins (40) in 1885 and finished in the top six in both in each of the following two seasons. He also led the AA in OBP (.448) and OPS (.974) in 1886 and finished fourth in batting average in 1886 (.334) and fifth in 1887 (.357).[25] Outfielder Tip O'Neill won the first batting triple crown in franchise history in 1887 and the only one in AA history.[26][27][28] By winning the pennant, the Browns played the NL pennant winner in a predecessor of the World Series. The Browns twice met the Chicago White Stockings—the predecessor to the Chicago Cubs—tying one in a heated dispute and winning the other, thus spurring the vigorous St. Louis-Chicago rivalry that ensues to this day.[29] During the franchise's ten seasons in the AA, they compiled an all-time league-high of 780 wins and .639 winning percentage. They lost just 432 contests while tying 21 others.[7]

Rogers Hornsby won two Triple Crowns as a Cardinal.[28]

The AA went bankrupt after the 1891 season and the Browns transferred to the National League. This time, the club entered an era of stark futility. Between 1892 and 1919, St. Louis managed just five winning seasons, finished in last or next-to-last place sixteen times, and ended four seasons with 100 losses or more. The nadir was the 1897 season: a 29–102 record for a franchise-worst .221 winning percentage.[7] St. Louis' 84–67 finish as the Perfectos in 1899 would be the team's best finish between the AA era and Sam Breadon's purchase of the team.[22][30] As the "Perfectos", the team wore their jersey with a cardinal red trim and sock striping.[22] Later that season, St. Louis Republic sportswriter Willie McHale included an account in a column of a female fan he heard remarking about the uniforms, "What a lovely shade of cardinal." Fans liked the moniker "Cardinals" and, the next year in 1900, popularity for the nickname induced an official change to Cardinals.[22][30][31][32]

In 1902, an American League team moved from Milwaukee into St. Louis, renamed themselves the St. Louis Browns and built a new park on the site of the Cardinals' old stadium, striking a rivalry that lasted five decades.[33] Breadon bought a minority interest in the Cardinals in 1917 and in 1919 Browns manager Branch Rickey joined the Cardinals.[34][35] The Cardinals' first 28 seasons in the NL were a complete reversal of their stay in the AA – with a .406 winning percentage, they compiled 1,632 wins, 2,425 losses and 74 ties.[7]

Breadon era (1920–1952)[edit]

Main article: History of the St. Louis Cardinals (1920–1952)

St. Louis baseball commenced a renaissance: since 1926 the Cardinals have won eleven World Series and nineteen NL pennants.[7] Breadon spurred this revival when he bought out the majority stake in 1920 and appointed Rickey as business manager, who expanded scouting, player development, and pioneered the minor league farm system, filling the role of today's general manager.[36] With Rogers Hornsby at second base, he claimed Triple Crowns in 1922 and 1925, and the Cardinals won the 1926 World Series, their first.[28][37] St. Louis then won the league in 1928, 1930, and 1931 and the 1931 World Series.[22]

Stan Musial retired owning numerous National League and team batting records.

The Gashouse Gang edition claimed the 1934 World Series[22] and the Cardinals amassed new thresholds of popularity far outside St. Louis via radio, which led to the coining of the term "Cardinal Nation".[38]

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New York Mets

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New York Mets
2024 New York Mets season
Team logoCap insignia
Major league affiliations
Current uniform
Retired numbers
Colors
  • Blue, orange, white[1][2][3]
         
Name
  • New York Mets (1962–present)
Other nicknames
  • The Metropolitans
  • The Amazins
  • The Metsies[4]
  • The Miracle Mets (1969)[5]
  • The Amazin' Mets (1969)[5]
  • The Bad Guys (1986)[6]
Ballpark
Major league titles
World Series titles (2)
NL Pennants (5)
NL East Division titles (6)
Wild card berths (4)
Front office
Principal owner(s)Steve Cohen
Alexandra M. Cohen
PresidentSteve Cohen (CEO)
President of baseball operationsDavid Stearns
General managerVacant
ManagerCarlos Mendoza
Websitemlb.com/mets

The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East Division. They are one of two major league clubs based in New York City, the other being the New York Yankees of the American League (AL). One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed NL teams, the Brooklyn Dodgers and the New York Giants.[7] The team's colors evoke the blue of the Dodgers and the orange of the Giants.[1]

For the 1962 and 1963 seasons, the Mets played home games at the Polo Grounds in Manhattan before moving to Queens. From 1964 to 2008, the Mets played their home games at Shea Stadium, named after William Shea, the founder of the Continental League, a proposed third major league, the announcement of which prompted their admission as an NL expansion team.[8] Since 2009, the Mets have played their home games at Citi Field next to the site where Shea Stadium once stood.

In their inaugural season, the Mets posted a record of 40–120, the worst regular-season record since MLB went to a 162-game schedule. The team never finished better than second-to-last in the 1960s until the "Miracle Mets" beat the Baltimore Orioles in the 1969 World Series, considered one of the biggest upsets in World Series history despite the Mets having won 100 games that season.[9] The Mets have qualified for the postseason ten times, winning the World Series twice (1969 and 1986) and winning five National League pennants (most recently in 2000 and 2015), and six National League East division titles.

Since 2020, the Mets have been owned by billionaire hedge fund manager Steve Cohen, who purchased the team for $2.4 billion.[10] As of 2023, Forbes ranked the Mets as the sixth most valuable MLB team, valued at $2.9 billion.[11]

As of the end of the 2023 regular season, the team's overall win–loss record is 4,727–5,075–8 (.482).[12]

Franchise history[edit]

Main article: History of the New York Mets
William Shea was instrumental in returning National League baseball to New York City after five years of absence.

1960s: Founding and first World Series[edit]

After the 1957 season, the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants relocated from New York to California to become the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants, leaving the largest city in the United States with no National League franchise and only one major league team, the New York Yankees of the American League (AL). With the threat of a New York team joining the new Continental League, the National League expanded by adding the New York Mets following a proposal from William Shea. In a symbolic reference to New York's earlier National League teams, the new team took as its primary colors the blue of the Dodgers and the orange of the Giants, both of which are colors also featured on the Flag of New York City. The nickname "Mets" was adopted: being a natural shorthand to the club's corporate name, the "New York Metropolitan Baseball Club, Inc.",[13][14][15] which hearkened back to the "Metropolitans" (a New York team in the American Association from 1880 to 1887),[1] and its brevity was advantageous for newspaper headlines.[16]

Shea Stadium was the Mets' home field from 1964 to 2008.
Tom Seaver, three-time Cy Young Award winner, led the Mets to victory in the 1969 World Series. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1992.

The 1962 Mets posted a 40–120 record, a major league record for the most losses in a season since 1899.[17] During the 1963 season the team featured a pitcher, Carlton Willey, who was having a great year, pitching four shut-outs, when he incurred an injury and finished with a 9–14 win–loss record. The '63 squad also had Duke Snider, who hit his 2,000th hit and later his 400th home run and earned a berth to the 1963 All-Star Game. In 1964, the Mets hired Yogi Berra as a coach under Casey Stengel's coaching staff.[18]

In 1966, the Mets famously bypassed future Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson in the amateur draft, instead selecting Steve Chilcott, who never played in the majors. But the following year, they acquired future Hall of Famer Tom Seaver in a lottery.[19] Seaver helped the 1969 "Miracle Mets" win the new National League East division title, then defeat the Atlanta Braves to win the National League pennant and the heavily favored Baltimore Orioles to win the 1969 World Series.[20]

1970s: Second pennant and the "Midnight Massacre"[edit]

In 1973, the Mets rallied from 5th place to win the division, despite a record of only 82–79.[21] They shocked the heavily favored Cincinnati Reds' "Big Red Machine" in the NLCS and pushed the defending World Series champion Oakland Athletics to a seventh game, but lost the series. Notably, 1973 was the only NL East title between 1970 and 1980 that was not won by either the Philadelphia Phillies or the Pittsburgh Pirates.[22][23] Star pitcher Tom Seaver was traded in 1977, on a day remembered as "the Midnight Massacre",[24] and the Mets fell into last place for several years.

1980s: Success, Wilpon takes over and second World Series championship[edit]

Both Dwight Gooden and Darryl Strawberry became key stars for the Mets during the 1980s

In January 1980, the Payson heirs sold the Mets franchise to the Doubleday publishing company for $21.1 million, a record amount at that time. Nelson Doubleday, Jr. was named chairman of the board while minority shareholder Fred Wilpon took the role of club president. In February, Wilpon hired longtime Baltimore Orioles executive Frank Cashen as general manager who began the process of rebuilding the Mets much in the same way he developed the Orioles in the late 1960s and early 1970s.[25]

The franchise turned around in the mid-1980s. During this time the Mets drafted slugger Darryl Strawberry (#1 in 1980)[26] and 1985 Cy Young Award winner Dwight Gooden (#5 in 1982).[27] Former National League MVP and perennial Gold Glove winner Keith Hernandez was obtained by the Mets in 1983 from the St. Louis Cardinals.[28][29] This began a rivalry between the two teams that lasted throughout the rest of the 1980s, during which the teams would swap NL East titles between 1985 and 1988, Mets players openly trolled the Cardinals, and Cardinals fans nicknamed the Mets "pond scum."[30][31]

After finishing their first three campaigns of the 1980s decade in either 5th or 6th (last) place, in 1984, new manager Davey Johnson was promoted from the helm of the AAA Tidewater Tides.[32] He led the Mets to a second-place, 90–72 record, their first winning season since 1976.[33]

In 1985, they acquired Hall of Fame catcher Gary Carter from the Montreal Expos and won 98 games, but narrowly missed the playoffs.[34][35] In 1986, they won the division with a record of 108–54, one of the best in National League history.[36] They then won a dramatic NLCS in six games over the Houston Astros.[37] The sixth game of the series lasted sixteen innings, the longest playoff game in history until 2005. The Mets came within one strike of losing the World Series against the Boston Red Sox before a series of hits and defensive miscues ultimately led to an error by Boston's Bill Buckner which gave the Mets a Game 6 victory. The Mets won their second World Series title in seven games.[38][39]

In 1987 the Mets declined to re-sign World Series MVP Ray Knight, who then signed with the Baltimore Orioles and also traded away the flexible Kevin Mitchell to the Padres for long-ball threat Kevin McReynolds.[40] Weeks later Mets' ace Dwight Gooden was admitted to a drug clinic after testing positive for cocaine.[41] Despite Gooden struggling in the first few months of the 1987 season, "Dr. K" rebounded, as did the team. It was during the tough times that the Mets made a great long-term deal, trading Ed Hearn to the Kansas City Royals for pitcher David Cone.[42]

The rivalry with the Cardinals culminated in the 1987 season, when the Mets surged to challenge them for the NL East title but suffered two painful losses. The first came on Seat Cushion Night where Tom Herr hit a walk-off grand slam. A greater loss came on September 11 in a game against St. Louis, 3rd baseman Terry Pendleton hit a homer to give the Cardinals a lead, and eventually the NL East title.[43] One highlight of the year was Darryl Strawberry and Howard Johnson becoming the first teammates' ever to hit 30 homers and steal 30 bases in the same season.

The Mets rebounded the following year to post a 100–60 overall record and win their division in 1988, but lost in the NLCS that year to the Los Angeles Dodgers and declined into the 1990s.

1990s: Struggles and return to the postseason[edit]

1991–1993: The Worst Team Money Could Buy[edit]

1991–92[edit]

During the 1991 season, the Mets were actually in contention for much of the season, closing to within 2.5 games of the front-running Pirates at one point. In the latter half, however, the bottom completely fell out and Harrelson was fired with a week left to go in the season, replaced by third base coach Mike Cubbage for the final games. Jefferies was once again a distraction as he released a controversial statement to be read on WFAN radio:[44]

When a pitcher is having trouble getting players out, when a hitter is having trouble hitting, or when a player makes an error, I try to support them in whatever way I can. I don't run to the media to belittle them or to draw more attention to their difficult times. I can only hope that one day those teammates who have found it convenient to criticize me will realize that we are all in this together. If only we can concentrate more on the games, rather than complaining and bickering and pointing fingers, we would all be better off.

This was seen as the end for Jefferies in New York as he would be traded to the Kansas City Royals in the offseason. The season ended on a high note, however, as David Cone pitched a one-hit shutout against the Phillies at Veterans Stadium, in which he struck out 19 batters, tying the National League regulation game record (first set by former Met Tom Seaver).[45] With all of the personal problems swirling around the Mets after the 1986 championship, the Mets tried to rebuild using experienced superstars. They picked up Eddie Murray for over $3 million, Bobby Bonilla for over $6 million.[46][47] They also traded McReynolds and Jefferies for one-time World Series hero Bret Saberhagen and his $3 million contract, along with signing veteran free agent pitcher Frank Tanana for $1.5 million. The rebuilding was supported by the slogan, "Hardball Is Back".[48]

The experiment of building a team via free agency quickly flopped as Saberhagen and Vince Coleman were soon injured and spent more time on the disabled list than on the field, and Bonilla exhibited unprofessional behavior towards members of the press, once threatening a reporter by saying, "I'll show you The Bronx" [1]. At the beginning of the 1991 season, Coleman, Gooden and outfielder Daryl Boston were named in an alleged sexual abuse incident against a woman near the Mets' spring training facility; the charges were later dropped. Meanwhile, popular pitcher David Cone was dealt to the Toronto Blue Jays during the 1992 season for Ryan Thompson and Jeff Kent. While the move was widely criticized by fans of both teams, the Jays went on to win the 1992 World Series. Their descent was chronicled by the book The Worst Team Money Could Buy: The Collapse Of The New York Mets (ISBN 0-8032-7822-5) by Mets beat writers Bob Klapisch and John Harper.

1993[edit]

Main article: 1993 New York Mets season

The lowest point of the experiment was the 1993 season when the Mets lost 103 games. In April of that year, Coleman accidentally hit Gooden's shoulder with a golf club while practicing his swing.[49] In July, Saberhagen threw a firecracker under a table near reporters.[50] Their young pitching prospect Anthony Young started the 1993 season at 0–13 and his overall streak of 27 straight losses over two years set a new record. After Young's record-setting loss, Coleman threw a firecracker out of the team bus window and injured three people resulting in felony charges that effectively ended his Mets career; the Mets placed him on paid administrative leave for the remainder of the season, and announced less than a month before the end of the season that he would never play for them again. Only a few days later, Saberhagen was in trouble again, this time for spraying bleach at three reporters.[51] The meltdown season resulted in the worst record for a Mets team since 1965. In addition, two of the three remaining links to the 1986 team, Howard Johnson and Sid Fernandez, departed after the season via free agency.

1994 shortened season[edit]

Main article: 1994 New York Mets season

The following season saw some promise for the troubled Mets, as first baseman Rico Brogna and second baseman Jeff Kent became fan favorites with their solid glove work and potential 20–25 home run power, Bonilla started to become the player the Mets expected, and a healthy Saberhagen, along with promising young starter Bobby Jones and John Franco, helped the Mets pitching staff along. In the strike-shortened 1994 season the Mets were in 3rd place behind first-place Montreal and