page_title: History of the American League
section_title: Hitting success
hierarchical_section_title: History of the American League / Major league beginning / Hitting success
context_page_description: The history of the American League of Professional Baseball Clubs stretches back into the late-19th century. Prior to 2000, when the AL and NL were dissolved as separate entities and merged into the organization called Major League Baseball, the American League was one of the two leagues that made up major league baseball. Originally a minor league known as the Western League, the league later developed into a major league after the American Association disbanded. In its early history, the Western League struggled until 1894, when Byron Bancroft “Ban” Johnson became the president of the league. Johnson led the Western League into major league status and soon became the president of the newly renamed American League. The American League has one notable difference over the National League, and that is the designated hitter rule. Under the rule, a team may use a batter in their lineup who is not in the field defensively, compared to the old rule that made it mandatory for the pitcher to hit.
context_section_description: Before the 1920s, pitching dominated both leagues. In 1920, both leagues adopted new rules against defacing baseballs. Led by Babe Ruth, hitters in the American League dominated the pitching competition. Attendance was mostly even with the National League through the 1920s. From 1927 to 1930, the National League beat the American League in attendance for the first time since the American League became a major league. Through the 1930s, high scoring continued in the American League, unlike the National League where runs were becoming scarce. In every year from 1931 through 1942, the American League outscored the National League. From the same 12-year time period, the American League led in attendance six time while the National League led six times, despite the scoring dependency.
caption: Babe Ruth played the majority of his career in the American League.
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