why do the americans call the baseball finals the world series when only american teams are in it?

Answer 1

As far as the actual "name" World Series goes there are many theories as to why the name was given, one baseball myth that just won't die is that the "World Series" was named for the New York World newspaper, which supposedly sponsored the earliest contests. It didn't, and it wasn't.

In fact, the postseason series between the AL and NL champs was originally known as the "Championship of the World" or "World's Championship Series." That was shortened through usage to "World's Series" and finally to "World Series."

This usage can be traced through the annual baseball guides. Spalding's Base Ball Guide for 1887 reported the results of the 1886 postseason series between Chicago, champions of the National League, and St. Louis, champions of the American Association, under the heading "The World's Championship." As the editor noted, the two leagues "both entitle their championship contests each season as those for the base ball championship of the United States," so a more grandiose name was required to describe the postseason showdown between the two "champions of the United States."

But the Spalding Guide -- which, after all, was published by one of the world's largest sporting goods companies, with a vested interest in bringing baseball to other lands -- had grander ambitions. By 1890, the Spalding Guide was explaining that "[t]he base ball championship of the United States necessarily includes that of the entire world, though the time will come when Australia will step in as a rival, and after that country will come Great Britain; but all that is for the future."

This didn't happen, but the name "World's Championship Series" stuck. Reporting on the first modern postseason series, the Red Sox-Pirates battle of 1903, the 1904 Reach Guide called it the "World's Championship Series." By 1912, Reach's headline spoke of the "World's Series," while editor Francis Richter's text still referred to the "World's Championship Series." The Reach Guide switched from "World's Series" to "World Series" in 1931, retaining the modern usage through its merger with the Spalding Guide and through its final issue in 1941. The separately-edited Spalding Guide used "World's Series" through 1916, switching to "World Series" in the 1917 edition.

The Spalding-Reach Guide was replaced as Major League Baseball's semi-official annual by the Sporting News Guide, first published in 1942. The Sporting News Guide used "World's Series" from 1942 through 1963, changing to "World Series" in the 1964 edition.

Moreover, the New York World never claimed any connection with postseason baseball. The World was a tabloid much given to flamboyant self-promotion. If it had been involved in any way with sponsoring a championship series, the fact would have been emblazoned across its sports pages for months. I reviewed every issue of the World for the months leading up to the 1903 and 1905 World's Championship Series -- there's not a word suggesting any link between the paper and the series.

I hope that answers your question.

Answer 2

I think I need to keep a separate file on my hard drive, with the answer to this one, as it's asked so very, very often. In fact, the last time I answered this was less than 24 hours ago.

First. MLB teams are not located just in the US. In fact. US-based teams are not the only ones to have won the WS. But the name of the MLB championship series is the World Series, and it's been called that for more than a century. So, if you're going to insist that the name be changed, then let's also change the name of, say, the Sistine Chapel.

Baseball is played in the US, Canada, Mexico, Venezuela, Colombia, Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Aruba, Guam, Japan, Australia, Taiwan, Korea, Italy, The Netherlands and South Africa. That's just off the top of my head. So, if I've forgotten anyone, I apologize.

In addition, you might have heard of a little tournament called the World Baseball Classic. It's to be played every four years, at least for now, and the first one was played 11 months ago. That's why the St Louis Cardinals are called the World Series champions and the Japanese are called the World champions. The US team didn't get to the finals. In fact, there were life and death to make it out of the first round.


For kenrayf, the first commissioner was Kennesaw Mountain Landis, hired by the owners in 1920, to help to clean up and run MLB after th Black Sox scandal. The tile "World Series" predates the Commissioner's office by almost 20 years.

Answer 3

Well, the commissioner way back when wanted to elevate this game to another level and so dubbed it the "World Series." As far as you saying that only American teams play in it, Canada has the Toronto Blue Jays, had the Montreal Expos, and may potentially get another team in the future.

Also, the teams are hardly "all American." There are players from places like Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Canada, and other countries as well. Also, there is a growing number of Asian players each year, thus making this truly a "World" sport.

Answer 4

Now more than ever is the American Baseball a world league. Look at the world baseball that is going on now, nearly every star plays in America. It is really the only league that can pay the stars from around the world what they are worth, so they make it here to shine.

Answer 5

Canadian teams are in it too. However, the Series was named when only Americans played baseball, and the name has stuck. There really is no need to change it, even though hundreds of people on this site keep asking that question over and over again. At least TRY to be original.

Chow!!

Answer 6

Christ, why doesn't this question get shelved? It's called the World Series because when it was coined only Americans played the friggin game. The rest of the world was playing futbol or cricket or rugby or rounders, not baseball. If the name offends your international perspective then choose not to watch the sport.

Answer 7

only one guy got it right. the world (paper or bank) hand nothing to do with the naming of the championship game. the commish at the time wanted to start a series that would stand out from other sports so they named it the world series-the sponsers came later BECAUSE of the name.

this was done because as the guy said ( i don't have the names in front of me so sue me) that such a great game needed a great title. he went on to say that it should be named the world series because simply put-he wanted it to sound THAT important because most people would look at as a kids game (at the time golf was bigger of the two and football was coming on-people were more in to boxing and sports like cycling and horse racing and track sports).

so the commish and the owners wanted the game to sound important so they named it

the world series.

remember this is the time of vaude ville and all those famous "the WORLDS strongest man-the WORLDS oldest women...you get the picture.

it was done for show and marketing.

had nothing to do with a paper or a bank. i am a avid baseball fan and have seen this spoken about on more than one documentry. Ken burns baseball doc-mentions this in full detail.

again has nothing to do with a paper or a bank.

Answer 8

Its simply called the World Series because back when it first started in 1903, baseball was only played professionally in the U.S. The World newspaper sponsored the event and at first it was a best of nine series then changed to the best of 7 format. Hence the name World (for the paper) and Series for the best of 9 or 7 game format. It has stayed that way because of tradition.

Answer 9

I never liked the title 'World Champions' when a team wins an American professional sports title. I thought it was great when America didn't even make it to the finals of the World Baseball Classic.

Answer 10

Why do they call the super bowl the Super Bowl when I can't seem to find a bowl anywhere, I hope this question isn't to dumb.
As for the World Series, they called it that so all the people in the world ar invited to watch the series. Dumb asses! U no understand?