| Major League Baseball, like many other large | | | | because they are new they have last choice in |
| sports groups, is a franchisor. What this means is | | | | the draft. What that means is that the handful of |
| that expansion teams are only added when they | | | | new expansion teams are competing against one |
| pay to be part of the group, bringing a new city | | | | another to get the best of a mediocre lineup of |
| into the mix as a potential champion. | | | | talent. It is not impossible to succeed within a few |
| When the league was formed there were only 16 | | | | years, though: the Arizona Diamondbacks were |
| teams, all of which were in the east and St. Louis. | | | | founded in 1998 and they won the World Series in |
| But between the leagues inception and today the | | | | 2001. That said, this is the exception to the rule. |
| population of the west has more than doubled. | | | | The first two expansion teams were brought in |
| Those residents of Oakland, San Francisco, | | | | 1961, and the MLB has been seeing additions |
| Denver, Phoenix, LA and other Western cities | | | | every few years since then. The most recent |
| wanted representation, too. Some eastern teams | | | | additions were in 1998. Today's team roster has |
| moved west (SF Giants) but most didn't want to. | | | | gone up from its original 16 to 30. |
| What were the cities to do? They got expansion | | | | 1961: LA Angels of Anaheim (brought in as |
| teams. | | | | Anaheim Angels) and Texas Rangers (originally |
| Expansion teams generally perform terribly during | | | | Washington Senators) |
| their first few seasons. New teams don't have | | | | 1962: Houston Astros (formerly Houston Colt. |
| the money to bring big names to their cities, and | | | | |