The Top 5 MLB Teams That Had the Most Impact on Modern Baseball

Hey again.
Of all of the major sports in the USA, baseball has one of the longest and most interesting histories. Teams shuffle all of the time, the game has changed significantly in the years it's been around. The game has had to be saved several times, yet has endured. For this list, I look at the 5 teams that had the biggest impact on the history of modern baseball as we know it. There are a few conditions I've laid out for this list.
1) Records do not count. They don't impact the evolution of the game.
2) Players do. If a player makes history that changes the game, that team gets credit. I don't care if "it was going to happen at some point soon anyway". It didn't.
3) Being old or really really bad (or good) doesn't make you historically relevant. Just because a team has been around a long time doesn't mean it's made a big impact on the history and evolution of the game. Case in point, the Cubs aren't on this list because being terrible for 100 years doesn't mean you made an impact. Also, if the franchise doesn't exist today, it is ineligible.
4) Causation only gets you so far. The Red Sox are not more historically relevant because they traded Babe Ruth to the Yankees. The Yankees, however, are relevant for having Babe Ruth.
5) Not every impact has to be a positive one. There's one team in particular this applies to.

WARNING: THIS ARTICLE IS LONG! Glad we got all of that clear. Here's the list.

5) Pittsburgh Pirates

I'll tell you this much... the Pirates couldn't make this list for being good even if they wanted to. 15 straight losing seasons (and counting) has thrown that out the window. Admittedly, this list gets pretty shaky after the top 4, so there are probably a couple of team you could make a case for. Here's why the Pirates are my #5.

a) Had the first really smart general manager... and helped end a competing league.

Ever wonder why the Pirates are called the Pirates? They used to be called the Pittsburgh Allegheny's until in 1894, their GM started making some... aggressive moves. Here's a little bit of background. In 1890, second baseman Lou Bierbauer of the Philadelphia A's and a whole boatload of players jumped ship from the National League and American Association to join the Player's League. When that league folded, a lot of players returned to their NL and AA teams. Bierbauer did not however, he was instead signed by the Allegheny's. A cross league fight ensued with the Allegheny's winning and the A's manager calling the Alleghenys' actions "piratical". Hence the name. This fight ultimately led to the downfall of the American Association, one of the NL's earlier competitors. In another move in 1899, Pittsburgh plundered every star player of the soon-to-be-contracted Louisville Colonels for 4 unknown players. Yarrrrrrrr!

b) Broke baseball's humanitarian barrier.

This is a relatively small item, but having the great Roberto Clemente play for you is a big deal. Clemente, while by no means the first Hispanic or black Hispanic player, faced a certain degree of racism from his teammates over the years. His work off the field, however, posthumously earned him the Congressional Gold Medal and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2002 and has an award named after him. He's considered one of the great humanitarian athletes ever to play any sport.

4) Chicago White Sox

This team may surprise someone who has a more modern knowledge of the history of baseball. After all, the White Sox are the second most important team in their own city. They don't have a lot of World Series banners to their name. Their title drought was longer (albeit less painful) than the Red Sox's cursed 86-year one. However, Chicago's second team has had the most impact on the game. Here's why they're #4:

a) They nearly ended baseball as we know it.

For those of you who don't know what I'm referring to, Google or Wikipedia the 1919 World Series or the Black Sox Scandal. Or read "Eight Men Out" or see the movie of the same name. To sum it up quickly, the White Sox threw a World Series after being paid off by gamblers, the public found out, baseball looked really bad and attendance suffered. Baseball nearly folded. As I said before, not every impact on the game has to be a positive one. You don't get any more negative than nearly destroying a league and certainly crippling it.

b) They created the commissioner's office.

To save face for the Black Sox scandal, Major League Baseball appointed Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis it's first commissioner of baseball. Pretty big change, wouldn't you say? Slight extra negative credit for the White Sox that Landis was a jerk, upheld the color barrier, and protected baseball from competition. I'm not sure if any team has had as much of a negative impact as these guys did.

3) New York Yankees

You may be surprised seeing the Yankees this low on the list. After all, they're one of the most successful professional sports franchises to ever exist. Unfortunately for the Yankees, winning over 20% of all of the World Series doesn't really qualify you for this list. Neither does the sheer amount of money they've spent, the amount of managers they've hired and fired, nor just generally being assholes. That doesn't mean there aren't several reasons why the Yankees make this list.

a) The Bambino.

Babe Ruth is arguably the most legendary player to ever play the game. He's larger than life, mythic, and just plain important. Ruth isn't on here for hitting a lot of home runs. The Sultan of Swat did much more than that... He saved baseball. The White Sox nearly destroyed it and the small-ball tactics of the day didn't help. Babe and his mighty bat came along and picked the game back up. He and he alone drove crowds back to the parks. He also became the first baseball player to really be a major national celebrity.

b) The House That Ruth (and the Yankees) Built.

Baseball stadiums are not generally very permanent. Those that have stood the test of the time generally must have done something right. For the Yankees, that something that was done right was capacity. Building a stadium of that magnitude set up baseball to grow over the decades to come. The fact it lasted as long as it did is a testament to it's impact on baseball and the parks where it's played. It doesn't have to be the best stadium to have the biggest impact.

c) Bringing America back... sort of.

After 9/11/2001, America was reeling. After a short hiatus, baseball and football resumed play and helped rally America in the face of recovering from a major catastrophe. Both sports still fight over which one had more to do with helping Americans get back to normal life. I personally remember baseball having a greater impact at the time, mainly because of the 2001 World Series. The 7-game showdown in 2001 between the Yankees and Diamondbacks was for my money the greatest World Series ever to be played. There are so many unforgettable moments and faces you can pick out from that series. Rudy Giuliani, George W. Bush, Byung Hyung Kim, Mr. November, Mariano Rivera, Randy Johnson, Curt Schilling, Luis Gonzalez. Yeah, the Yankees didn't win, but their mere presence was enough to make an impact on the city's psyche. This didn't have as much of an impact on the game itself... but I felt like including it anyway so take that and shove it.

2) St. Louis Cardinals

Ahh yes, the Cardinals. Gems of the Midwest. The Cardinals aren't here for winning the most World Series in the NL. They aren't here for having one of the worst WS winners ever (2007 Cardinals). They aren't here for driving the hapless St. Louis Browns and Bill Veeck out of town. Here's why they are sitting pretty at #2:

a) No Cardinals, no free agency.

Without getting into too much detail, baseball operated essentially as slavery for years. The Reserve Clause, in place until 1975, kept players from moving unless the team let them. The clause allowed teams to automatically re-sign players to a new contract every season. There were no 6 year deals, only a string of one year deals with the same salary. In 1969, Curt Flood realized that this was a pile of crap. He took baseball to court (eventually the Supreme Court) fighting the reserve clause and his potential trade. Although he lost the case, he inspired players to rally and keep pressing the issue. Eventually, in 1975, the reserve clause was abolished and free agency was established. This has had a wide-ranging effect on the game and salaries. It has made off-season baseball interesting, gives hope to every fan (except maybe Cubs fans), but also makes rooting for your team often a bit too much like rooting for laundry. You gotta take the good with the bad.

b) Went along for the ride in 1998 - baseball's Summer of Love.

This entire section revolves around one Cardinal and his resurrection of baseball in 1998. Mark "I don't want to talk about the past" McGwire (with supporting actor Sammy Sosa) starred in the hit summer movie of 1998, "Chasing Roger Maris". The movie was a big box office success, with McGwire and Sosa helping fans forget all about the World Series being canceled in 1994 and reviving the game. McGwire smashed Maris' single season home run record of 61 with 70 bombs of his own. Forget about the fact that both McGwire and Sosa were on 'roids at the time and soon after disgrace the game. This was a big shot in the arm for baseball, and it helped bring fans back to the ballpark big time. It's not just chicks who dig the long ball.

c) Created the Farm system.

Branch Rickey had a huge impact on the game of baseball. He was behind Jackie Robinson's barrier breaking feat and drafted Roberto Clemente. This was no different. While working with the St. Louis Cardinals, Rickey established an extensive minor league "farm" system that allowed the Cardinals to develop younger players while maintaining their rights. This allowed the Cardinals to form the infamous Gashouse Gang and create a winning club, but, more importantly, changed the way baseball integrated younger players. The commissioner of baseball tried to stop Rickey and failed. This laid the groundwork for the system we have today.

1) Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers

Before I get into why the Dodgers clearly have had the most impact on the game of baseball, let me preface this with a few things. I'm not a Dodgers fan. I go to school in LA, but I'm from Santa Fe and a D'backs guy all of the way. I think the Dodgers have one of the worst fan experiences at Dodger Stadium I've ever had in the majors (and I've been to Tropicana Field). Dodgers Stadium is one of the most overrated stadiums ever. The "I'm going to show up for 5 innings" fans suck. The whole place feels like it's on lockdown. But as far as impact on the game of baseball goes, they have absolutely no equal. Here's the Dodgers impressive resume.

a) Responsible for the Existence/Relocation of Nine Current Major League Teams

When the Dodgers moved from Brooklyn to Los Angeles in 1958, they didn't just break a lot of hearts; they opened the Southwest and the West Coast to the major leagues. In doing so, they paved the way for the placement nine of baseball's current 30 teams. Let's count (going sort of counterclockwise)... Seattle Mariners, Oakland A's, San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres, Arizona Diamondbacks, Colorado Rockies, and the New York Mets (someone had to replace the Dodgers and Giants). For those nitpickers who say that the Giants and Dodgers moved together, you're right, but the deal was really engineered by Walter O'Malley. The Giants just tagged along. As far as I know, no other single team has had this type of impact.

b) Integrated Baseball
The impact this move has had on the game is immeasurable. The color barrier and baseball's segregation was an ugly part of the game's past. The Dodgers and Jackie Robinson shattered this when Robinson took the field April 15 of 1947. His courage, determination, perseverance, and remarkable dignity in the face of ignorance and racism helped baseball advance. Jackie paved the way for all of the great African American players that would follow in his footsteps. The game would not have been the same without his contribution.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Texas Rangers (A-Rod's contract)

Boston Red Sox (Winning the First Modern World Series)

Boston/Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves (Inspiring O'Malley to Relocate, Sort of Setting Relocation in Motion)

TEAMS YOU THINK SHOULD BE ON THE LIST BUT SHOULDN'T (AND WHY)

Chicago Cubs (Being arguably the worst professional sports franchise ever to exist doesn't mean you impacted history in a meaningful way, neither does having arguably the best ballpark in Major League Baseball)

Boston Red Sox (Being cursed and almost there year after year doesn't make you historically impactful, neither does having the best ballpark I've ever been to, nor does being stupid by trading away Babe Ruth)

Philadelphia Phillies (Having the most losses of any team ever doesn't cut it, neither does throwing the most things at players, nor does booing everyone, and having the most obvious name doesn't help your case either)

Hope you enjoyed the article. Look for a much shorter one on a totally different topic next weekend.
Til then...
Alex