Major League Baseball (MLB) is the highest level of play in North American professional
baseball. More specifically, Major League Baseball refers to the organization that operates
North American professional baseball's two major leagues, the
National League and the
American League, by means of a joint organizational structure which has existed between them since 1903. Major League Baseball teams play a 162 game season. The American League operates under the
Designated Hitter Rule, but the National League does not (inter-league, all-star and World Series game rules are determined by the home team's league rules). In 2000, the American and National Leagues were officially disbanded as separate legal entities with all rights and functions consolidated in the commissioner's office. MLB effectively operates as a single league and as such it constitutes one of the
major professional sports leagues of North America. Major League Baseball is controlled by
an agreement that has undergone several incarnations since 1876, then called the NL Constitution, with the most recent revisions being made in 2005. Major League Baseball, under the direction of its
Commissioner,
Bud Selig, hires and maintains the sport's
umpiring crews, and negotiates
marketing, labor, and
television contracts. As is the case for most North American sports leagues, the 'closed shop' aspect of MLB effectively prevents the yearly
promotion and relegation of teams into and out of the Major League by virtue of their performance.
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