Quote:
Originally Posted by Spritze
the names of the levels changed over time as more levels were added. what is now thought of as AAA actually started with an A designation in 1900 or thereabouts.
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See table below.
Code:
Tier 1902 1912 1936 1946 1952 1963 1965 1990
1 A AA AA AAA Open AAA AAA AAA
2 B A A1 AA AAA AA AA AA
3 C B A A AA A A A-H
4 D C B B A R A-S A-L
5 D C C B R A-S
6 D D C R-A
7 D R
Notes for the above:
- The above is simplified somewhat in that it omits Class E; only one league ever existed at that classification, and it folded before the end of the season
- I'm not sure when Short Season A became an official classification unto itself; the first Class A league to play a short schedule was in 1965
- I'm not sure when Class A was divided into High and Low, nor when Rookie was split into Rookie Advanced and Rookie; somewhere around 1990 is when I can find explicit references to those levels being distinct
- Rookie classification appears in the National Association rules prior to 1963; I personally think the Nebraska State League and the Appalachian League, when these played short schedules, were in fact Rookie classification, not Class D, as is usually stated