In 1882, the National League and the American Association following their regular season games decided to play a series to judge which one was the World Champion. At that time Cincinnati Reds stood for the American Association, and the White Stockings of Chicago represented National League. Since the AA players were disallowed to compete against the NL players, the Reds released their players so that they might be able to sign World Series contracts. The Reds won by 4-0. Two years later the leagues once again competed. This time Providence Grays represented the National League and New York Metropolitans stood for AA. By now the post-season playoffs had become a regular event. Until 1891, preceding the disintegration of American Association the sequence of series had been played. In 1892, to maintain the supremacy of post-season, the NL followed the format of split-season. Unfortunately the format failed to impress the fans.

From 1894 to 1897, National League s winning team and the second place team competed for the Temple Cup. The trophy was handed over by William C. Temple. Undoubtedly the series received wide acclamation. Cy Young led Cleveland to win the Temple Cup series in 1895. In 1901 Ban Johnson presided over the American League. He claimed that his new built American League was no less than the National League. The existing NL that had already twenty years of experience didn t react.  In 1902, the AL tried to attract the NL players by offering them more comfort and more money. Consequentially NL players joined the AL. Even the improbable also happened, NL decided to merge with AL. the two confederacies operated under the "National Agreement," or a central body. Both the leagues function autonomously but are bound to share the same game canons and permit to deal the players among their 16 teams. After the culmination of the 1903 season the leagues proprietors decided to follow a best-of-nine series format to adjudge the World Champion. According to this format, the contest won by Boston s has been considered the precursor of the first "modern" World Series. Since 1903 this custom of post-season play to determine the baseball champion has been followed year after year with an exception of two seasons (1904 and 1994).

In 1904, New York Giants president John T. Brush and manager John McGraw of American League refused to compete against the NL champion New York Giants quoting, "We're the champions of the only real major league. In 1994 the players lockout made it compulsory to call off the World Series for the first time in nine decades. In 1947, Jackie Robinson after being acquired by the Brooklyn Dodgers broke the rule of racial expulsion in the majors. Every Series since with an exception of 1950 has featured at least one African American player. The Yankees is the most dominant club in the World Series with 26 Fall Classic titles to its credit and appearing in 38 of the 98 series played till date. The first World Series night game was played at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh between the Pirates and Orioles in Game Four.

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