Quote:
Originally Posted by No Pepper
LGO, when did the minors go to a divisional format?
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That can be answered in a couple of different ways. Do you mean generally? Or do you mean specific leagues?
To answer the former, in general terms, I believe the first league to try out a divisional structure was the Eastern League in 1958; the experiment only lasted one season and the next year the league was back to a single division. The American Association adopted a divisional alignment for 1959, but that too only lasted for one season; the International League similarly used a divisional structure for a single season in 1963. The Carolina League used divisions from 1963-69, returning to a single division structure from 1970-79 before splitting into divisions once again.
The first league to split into divisions and to retain that divisional structure was the Pacific Coast League in 1963. The Florida State League split into divisions in 1967 and has used a divisional structure ever since. The Texas League split into divisions for a single season in 1965; it split into divisions again in 1968 and has retained that two division alignment since. The Northwest League has used divisions from 1970 onwards, the Midwest League from 1971, and the Southern League from 1972.