query: Overwatch is a board game.

pos: Overwatch (video game) Overwatch is a team-based online multiplayer first-person shooter video game developed and published by Blizzard Entertainment . It was released in May 2016 for Windows , PlayStation 4 , and Xbox One .   Overwatch assigns players into two teams of six , with each player selecting one of 24 pre-defined characters , called heroes , each with unique movement , attributes , and abilities , whose roles are divided into four categories : Offense , Defense , Tank , and Support . Players on a team work together to secure and defend control points on a map or escort a payload across the map in a limited amount of time . Players gain cosmetic rewards that do not affect gameplay , such as character skins and victory poses , as they play the game . The game was initially launched with casual play , with a competitive ranked mode , various ` arcade ' game modes , and a player-customizable server browser subsequently included following its release . Additionally , Blizzard has developed and added new characters , maps , and game modes post-release , while stating that all Overwatch updates will remain free , with the only additional cost to players being microtransactions to earn additional cosmetic rewards .   Overwatch is Blizzard 's fourth major franchise and came about following the 2014 cancellation of the ambitious massively multiplayer online role-playing game Titan . A portion of the Titan team came up with the concept of Overwatch , based on the success of team-based first-person shooters like Team Fortress 2 and the growing popularity of multiplayer online battle arenas , creating a hero-based shooter that emphasized teamwork . Some elements of Overwatch borrow assets and concepts from the canceled Titan project . After establishing the narrative of an optimistic near-future Earth setting after a global crisis , the developers aimed to create a diverse cast of heroes that spanned genders and ethnicities as part of this setting . Significant time was spent adjusting the balance of the characters , making sure that new players would still be able to have fun while skilled players would present each other with a challenge .   Overwatch was unveiled at BlizzCon 2014 in a fully playable state and was in a closed beta from late 2015 through early 2016 . An open beta in May 2016 drew in more than 9.7 million players . The release of the game was promoted with short animated videos to introduce the game 's narrative and each of the characters . Upon official release , Overwatch received universal acclaim from critics , who praised the game for its accessibility , diverse appeal of its hero characters , bright cartoonish art style , and enjoyable gameplay . Considered one of the best games released in 2016 , the game received numerous accolades , including being awarded Game of the Year at The Game Awards , D.I.C.E. Awards , and Game Developers Choice Awards , as well as from numerous publications . Since its release , Overwatch has become recognized as an eSport , where in addition to sponsoring tournaments , Blizzard has announced plans to help support professional league play starting in 2017 .

neg: Lego Chess Lego Chess is a Lego-themed strategy video game based on chess , developed by Krisalis Software and published by Lego Media .

neg: Board game development Board game development is the process of creating and developing a board game .

neg: Stratego Stratego -LSB- strəˈtiːɡoʊ -RSB- is a strategy board game for two players on a board of 10 × 10 squares . Each player controls 40 pieces representing individual officer ranks in an army . The pieces have Napoleonic insignia . The objective of the game is to find and capture the opponent 's Flag , or to capture so many enemy pieces that the opponent can not make any further moves . Stratego has simple enough rules for young children to play , but a depth of strategy that is also appealing to adults . The game is a slightly modified copy of an early 20th century French game named L'Attaque . It has been in production in Europe since World War II and the United States since 1961 . There are now 2 - and 4-handed versions , versions with 10 , 30 or 40 pieces per player , and boards with smaller sizes ( number of spaces ) . There are also variant pieces and different rulesets .   The International Stratego Federation , the game 's governing body , sponsors an annual Stratego World Championship and Computer Stratego World Championship .

neg: Normal-form game In game theory , normal form is a description of a game . Unlike extensive form , normal-form representations are not graphical per se , but rather represent the game by way of a matrix . While this approach can be of greater use in identifying strictly dominated strategies and Nash equilibria , some information is lost as compared to extensive-form representations . The normal-form representation of a game includes all perceptible and conceivable strategies , and their corresponding payoffs , for each player .   In static games of complete , perfect information , a normal-form representation of a game is a specification of players ' strategy spaces and payoff functions . A strategy space for a player is the set of all strategies available to that player , whereas a strategy is a complete plan of action for every stage of the game , regardless of whether that stage actually arises in play . A payoff function for a player is a mapping from the cross-product of players ' strategy spaces to that player 's set of payoffs ( normally the set of real numbers , where the number represents a cardinal or ordinal utility -- often cardinal in the normal-form representation ) of a player , i.e. the payoff function of a player takes as its input a strategy profile ( that is a specification of strategies for every player ) and yields a representation of payoff as its output .

neg: Grind (board game) Grind is a board game by Privateer Press . It is the first of their board games to be based on Warmachine . It is a steam-punk game where the players control teams of 5 machines called warjacks and pit them against each other to force a huge spiked ball called the grinder into their opponents goal pit .   The box contains 10 warjacks , 5 red and 5 blue , each team has 2 heavy warjacks ( crushers ) and 3 light warjacks ( runners ) , it also contains a full-size board , 24 specialty dice , 12 tokens , 2 pillars and the grinder   Gameplay is fast-paced and tactical , with the player moving their warjacks , attacking other warjacks and the grinder , and blocking other warjacks while trying to keep the other team from getting near their goal zone .   There are no numbered dice ( d6 ) used in the game because the whole system works around strikes , there are 3 different types of dice , white action dice , blue boost dice and red power dice , the power dice have the highest chance of hitting , while action dice have the lowest . All of the dice have a 1-in-6 chance of rolling a super strike which is worth 2 strikes .

neg: Hex game Hex game may refer to :   Hex ( board game ) , a strategy board game played on a hexagonal grid  Hex ( video game ) , a turn-based strategy game for Atari ST and Amiga  Hex : Shards of Fate , a massively multiplayer online trading card game  Hex-based game or hex map , a game board design commonly used in wargames

neg: Die Macher Die Macher is a strategy board game designed by Karl-Heinz Schmiel of Germany . The game is based on the German electoral system and each player takes the role of one of five political parties ( in the 2006 edition , the CDU/CSU , FDP , SPD , Greens , and Die Linke ) . Parties score points based on seats won in seven state ( Land ) elections , the size of their national party base , the amount to which they control the national media , and how well their party platform aligns with national opinion .   Each state election is a `` mini game '' on its own . Each state has its own interests ( such as `` do we support higher taxes , or not ? '' ) , and a party will do better if its platform aligns with the local concerns . Players can deploy a limited number of `` party meetings '' ( groups of grassroots activists ) to a state ; the more they have there , the more votes they will generate when the election is resolved . `` Shadow Cabinet '' cards , representing influential party officials , can be used to perform some special actions , and each party tracks its `` trend '' ( favorability rating ) in the state using a sliding scale . When the election is held , each party scores votes based on the formula ( trend + interest alignment ) * ( number of meetings ) . A maximum score is 50 , and parliamentary seats ( victory points ) are awarded based on this score and the state 's actual number of seats in parliament . The seven states are chosen at random from the sixteen Länder of Germany , so some elections will be more influential than others . Players can modify their party 's ' platform and by controlling the local media can also affect what the state is concerned about .   Winning the local election allows the party to advance their media control to the national level and to help outline the national issues list . Players see the elections developing in advance and can apply their resources to the current election or upcoming ones , adding to the difficult decision making . During each state election , parties can agree to , or be forced into , coalitions , and share in any victory . Parties must also decide whether or not they will accept contributions from special interests with the possibility of alienating their grassroots donor base .   Die Macher takes about four hours to play .   Die Macher was first released by Hans im Glück publishing in 1986 as a four-player game , featuring only the Länder of the former West Germany and political issues relevant to the mid-1980s . This version is often sought-after by collectors . A revised version of the game with higher production value was released 12 years later , and this version was nominated for the 1998 Spiel des Jahres ( Game of the Year ) award ; it added the Länder of eastern Germany , a fifth party ( the PDS , the successor of the East German SED ) , updated the issues to those of the 1990s , and extensively changed the rules . In 2006 , Valley Games of Canada produced a new version of the game , with language-independent components , revised issues , the PDS renamed to Die Linke , and a few minor rules changes .

neg: Wargame (video games) Wargames are a subgenre of strategy video games that emphasize strategic or tactical warfare on a map , as well as historical ( or near-historical ) accuracy .

neg: Camelot (board game) Camelot is a strategy board game for two players . It was invented by George S. Parker late in the 19th century , and was one of the first games published by Parker Brothers , originally under the name Chivalry .   The game was reissued as `` Camelot '' in 1930 , with reduced size and number of pieces . It flourished through numerous editions and variants , achieving its greatest popularity in the 1930s , and remained in print through the late 1960s . Parker Brothers briefly republished the game in the 1980s under the name Inside Moves . Since then it has been out of print , but retains a core of fans anticipating another revival .   Camelot is easy to learn and without extensive theory or praxis , making it perhaps more accessible for novices to play/enjoy compared to chess . Gameplay is exceptionally tactical almost from the first move , so games are quick to play to a finish .   A World Camelot Federation exists , with free membership , led by Michael W. Nolan . Camelot was featured in Abstract Games magazine in 2001 and 2002 .

neg: Risk (game) Risk is a strategy board game of diplomacy , conflict and conquest for two to six players . The standard version is played on a board depicting a political map of the earth , divided into forty-two territories , which are grouped into six continents . Turn rotates among players who control armies of playing pieces with which they attempt to capture territories from other players , with results determined by dice rolls . Players may form and dissolve alliances during the course of the game . The goal of the game is to occupy every territory on the board and in doing so , eliminate the other players . The game can be lengthy , requiring several hours to multiple days to finish . European versions are structured so that each player has a limited `` secret mission '' objective that shortens the game .   Risk was invented by a French filmmaker in 1957 , and went on to become one of the most popular board games in history , inspiring other popular games like Axis & Allies and Settlers of Catan . The simple rules but complex interactions make it appealing to adults as well as children and families . It is still in production by Hasbro with numerous editions and variants with popular media themes and different rules including PC software versions , video games and mobile apps .

neg: Logacta LOGacta was a board game that uniquely simulated full season ( s ) of ( usually English or Scottish ) football ( soccer ) . The game used a series of dice , cards and charts that allowed a player to somewhat randomly simulate a full football season , including a league ( consisting of a single 16-team `` Super League '' ) , the League and FA Cups , the three ( as was in the late 1970s ) European Competitions , plus the World Cup and European Championships .

neg: Skin gambling In video games , skin gambling is the use of virtual goods , which are most commonly cosmetic elements such as `` skins '' which have no direct influence on gameplay , as virtual currency to bet on the outcome of professional matches or on other games of chance . It primarily has occurred within the player community for the game Counter-Strike : Global Offensive by Valve Corporation , but practice of it exists in other game communities . Valve also runs the Steam marketplace which can be interfaced by third-parties to enable trading , buying , and selling of skins from players ' Steam inventories for real-world or digital currency , though Valve itself condones the gambling practices .   Valve added random skin rewards as part of an update to Counter-Strike : Global Offensive in 2013 , believing that players would use these to trade with other players and bolster both the player community and its Steam marketplace . A number of websites were created to bypass monetary restrictions Valve set on the Steam marketplace to aid in high-value trading and allowing users to receive cash value for skins . Some of these sites subsequently added the ability to gamble on the results of professional matches or in games of chance with these skins , which in 2016 was estimated to handle around $ 5 billion of the virtual goods . These sites , along with Valve and various video game streamers , have come under scrutiny due to ethical and legal questions relating to gambling on sporting matches , underage gambling , undisclosed promotion , and outcome rigging . Evidence of such unethical practices was discovered in June 2016 , and led to two formal lawsuits filed against these sites and Valve in the following month . Valve subsequently has taken steps to stop such sites from using Steam 's interface for enabling gambling , leading to about half of these sites to close down , while driving more of the skin gambling into an underground economy .

neg: Starship Troopers (board wargame) Starship Troopers is a board wargame by Avalon Hill based on the novel of the same name by Robert A. Heinlein . It was originally released in 1976 and designed by Randall C. Reed . Avalon Hill redesigned and re-released a `` movie '' version ( entitled Starship Troopers : Prepare for Battle ! ) in 1997 to coincide with the movie 's release .   The game is a hexagon-based wargame for two players . The player who takes the side of Arachnids has a sheet of paper with a copy of the map-board on which he plots out his bug-hive and tunnel system . The Mobile Infantry player sends in his soldiers and tries to dig them out . A third faction , the Skinnies , starts out playing on the bug side , but switches to the human side during later scenarios .   In a 1977 review of the original ( 1976 ) Avalon Hill game , Martin Easterbrook stated that `` All in all this is probably the best SF game currently on the market because it has the well worked out background of Heinlein 's novel and because it is an extrapolation of current military technology , allowing Avalon Hill to use their experience in game design '' and gave the game an overall 9/10 rating .

neg: Ogre Battle , sometimes referred to as , is a series of five tactical role-playing and real-time strategy video games developed by Quest Corporation and currently owned by Square Enix . There are five original games in the series , and one remake .

neg: World of Tanks World of Tanks is a massively multiplayer online game developed by the Belarusian-Cypriot company Wargaming , featuring early to mid-20th century era combat vehicles . It is built upon a freemium business model where the game is free-to-play , but participants also have the option of paying a fee for use of `` premium '' features . The focus is on player vs. player gameplay with each player controlling an armored vehicle , which may be a light , medium or heavy tank , tank destroyer , or self-propelled gun . World of Tanks debuted as an eSports game at the World Cyber Games 2012 .   World of Tanks has been ported to multiple gaming consoles . An Xbox 360 version was developed by Wargaming West studio , called World of Tanks : Xbox 360 Edition . Xbox 360 players use separate servers to those playing the Windows version , and players of each version have separate accounts . The PlayStation 4 version was released in 2016 . World of Tanks has also recently expanded to mobile platforms under the name World of Tanks Blitz , in addition to a board game titled World of Tanks Rush and a collectable card game titled World of Tanks : Generals .

neg: FIDE Online Arena The FIDE Online Arena is the Fédération internationale des échecs or World Chess Federation 's ( FIDE ) commercial Internet chess server devoted to chess playing and related activities . A test version of the server began on August 8 , 2013 ; the fully operational version was announced for October 2013 . FIDE Online Arena is the only official online chess platform of the World Chess Federation where Online Official games , tournaments and World Championships can be played , with Official International rating and titles .   The fully operational version of FIDE online arena was launched on April 4 , 2014 with the announcement made by FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov . Games played between two FIDE online arena members will be for FIDE online ratings . A plan to merge online and over-the-board FIDE ratings for the blitz and rapid time controls in the future was also announced . The app , in the mean time , is still in construction . On December 21 , 2015 , a new interface was rolled out .   According to a September 2015 internal report , there are currently 4805 members , 2078 paying the subscription fee , with India the most populous .   On January 7 , 2016 , the first newsletter was published , with plans for exhilarating events in 2016 , promising to engage all chess fans to a unique gaming experience , along with the New Era that has come along with rated Online games and Arena titles . `` Arena titles are going to be included in monthly FIDE rating lists starting from January 2016 . As official FIDE titles they can precede the players ' names in over the board competitions as well . '' However , the official Title regulations of FIDE declare `` Only the titles as in ( 0.3 ) are acknowledged by FIDE '' , which list GM , IM , FM , CM and women 's versions , but no Arena versions .

neg: European Go players The board game of Go was created in East Asia , and is still dominated by Japan , Korea and China . However , since the late 1900s several high-level players have grown and become active in Europe .  Some of them are players from Asia who came to promote the game of go in Europe .  Mainly , though , the players were born in Europe , sometimes with strong support from Asian Go professionals , and a few of the Europeans have themselves become professional players .   In general , every country in Europe has its own national federation or association , which is affiliated to the European Go Federation ( EGF ) , and each national body manages the activities linked to the game of go in their own country .  The activities are almost exclusively undertaken by volunteers .

neg: Daily fantasy sports Daily fantasy sports ( DFS ) are a subset of fantasy sport games . As with traditional fantasy sports games , players compete against others by building a team of professional athletes from a particular league or competition while remaining under a salary cap , and earn points based on the actual statistical performance of the players in real-world competitions . Daily fantasy sports are an accelerated variant of traditional fantasy sports that are conducted over short-term periods , such as a week or single day of competition , as opposed to those that are played across an entire season . Daily fantasy sports are typically structured in the form of paid competitions typically referred to as a `` contest '' ; winners receive a share of a pre-determined pot funded by their entry fees . A portion of entry fee payments go to the provider as rake revenue .   In the United States , the daily fantasy sports industry is dominated by two competing services : the New York-based FanDuel , and the Boston-based DraftKings . Both companies were established as venture capital-backed startup companies , received funding from investment firms , sports broadcasters , leagues , and team owners , and became known for the aggressive marketing of their services . As of September 2015 , both companies have an estimated value of at least $ 1 billion , and control 95 % of the U.S. DFS market . The two primarily compete against smaller DFS services , such as Fantasy Aces and Yahoo! Sports . The popularity of the daily fantasy format has been credited to its convenience in comparison to season-length games , as well as the focus on major cash prizes in the promotion of these services . Daily fantasy has also been credited with helping to improve television viewership and engagement with sports .   Daily fantasy sports have faced notable legal challenges , including disputes over whether DFS constitutes gambling . Politicians and other critics have argued that due to their format , players are essentially making proposition wagers on the varying performance of individual athletes in specific games , and not managing the performance of their selections on a week-to-week basis . Proponents have defended DFS as being a game of skill , as the required familiarity with the players and teams , as well as salary cap management , rewards skilled players . Local laws have varying definitions of gambling games , such as whether a game 's elements of chance are predominant over those or skill , or how much control the player has over the outcome of the game .   In the United States , the legality of DFS has been determined on a state-by-state basis based on local gambling laws and other rulings . The federal Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act ( UIEGA ) contains language dictating that fantasy sports are not considered an unlawful wager under the act ; however , the act only prohibits the electronic transfer of funds from unlawful gambling as defined under state laws . A number of state attorneys general have issued opinions concluding that DFS is a form of illegal gambling , while the state of Nevada declared that DFS games must be licensed as a sports pool . The New York State ruling , which resulted from an investigation of DFS services after it was alleged that employees working for DraftKings and FanDuel had used inside information to win cash prizes from each other , spawned retaliatory lawsuits from the companies which alleged that the rulings were the result of a misinterpretation of the nature of their services . The state has since joined other states , such as Massachusetts and Virginia , in choosing to legalize and regulate DFS rather than prohibit it .

neg: Multiplayer online game A multiplayer online game is a multiplayer video game which can be played via a game server over the internet , with other players around the world . Some prominent examples of this include fighting games ( e.g. Street Fighter IV and Tekken 6 ) , sports games ( e.g. NHL 14 and Grid Autosport ) , older online games ( e.g. Sega Meganet titles ) , first-person shooters ( Battlefield 2 , BZFlag , Call of Duty , Counter-Strike , Quake 3 , Resistance 3 and Unreal Tournament ) , a subgenre of shooter games called hero shooter ( Battleborn , Overwatch and Paladins ) , strategy video games ( e.g. Warcraft 3 and StarCraft or II ) and a subgenre of strategy games called multiplayer online battle arena ( e.g. Defense of the Ancients , League of Legends , Dota 2 and Heroes of the Storm ) .   These games differ from massively multiplayer online game ( MMO ) in that they do not create a persistent world , but create a playing arena for the purpose of a single game or round . In other words , they rely on a game listen server used only for that round , and there can be numerous servers all around the world . MMO games on the other hand , rely on dedicated servers , as these games must be running continuously .

neg: OpTic Gaming OpTic Gaming , LLC. , also known as the The Green Wall , is a professional American eSports team and competitive gaming company specializing in the FPS genre . OpTic currently has teams playing Call of Duty , Halo , Counter-Strike : Global Offensive , and Gears of War . It was founded in 2006 by Ryan `` OpTic J '' Musselman and `` OpTic KR3W '' . The company is owned by Hector `` H3CZ '' Rodriguez . OpTic Gaming are two time X Games champions , winning in 2014 and 2015 respectively . On 3 December 2015 , OpTic Gaming won the Best eSports Team of the Year at The Game Awards 2015 . The organization holds many rivalries most notably eClasico with Team EnVyUs and The War with FaZe Clan .


query: The Sopranos is a televised show.

pos: The Sopranos The Sopranos is an American crime drama television series created by David Chase . The story revolves around the fictional character , New Jersey-based Italian American mobster Tony Soprano ( James Gandolfini ) . The series portrays the difficulties he faces as he tries to balance the conflicting requirements of his home life and his criminal organization . These are often highlighted during his therapy sessions with psychiatrist Jennifer Melfi ( Lorraine Bracco ) . The series features Tony 's family members , mafia colleagues and rivals , in prominent roles and story arcs , most notably his wife Carmela ( Edie Falco ) and protégé Christopher Moltisanti ( Michael Imperioli ) .   After the pilot was ordered in 1997 , the show premiered on the premium cable network HBO in the United States on January 10 , 1999 , and ran its six seasons with 86 episodes to June 10 , 2007 . The series then went through syndication and has been broadcast on A&E in the United States and internationally . The Sopranos was produced by HBO , Chase Films , and Brad Grey Television . It was primarily filmed at Silvercup Studios , New York City , and on location in New Jersey . The executive producers throughout the show 's run were David Chase , Brad Grey , Robin Green , Mitchell Burgess , Ilene S. Landress , Terence Winter , and Matthew Weiner .   The Sopranos is widely regarded as one of the greatest television series of all time . The series also won a multitude of awards , including Peabody Awards for its first two seasons , 21 Primetime Emmy Awards and five Golden Globe Awards . A staple of 2000s American popular culture , the series has been the subject of critical analysis , controversy , and parody . It has spawned books , a video game , high-charting soundtrack albums , and a large amount of assorted merchandise . Several members of the show 's cast and crew who were previously largely unknown to the public have had successful careers after The Sopranos . In 2013 , the Writers Guild of America named The Sopranos the best-written TV series of all time , while TV Guide ranked it the best television series of all time .

neg: 1994 United States broadcast TV realignment The 1994 United States broadcast television realignment consisted of a series of events , primarily involving affiliation switches between television stations , that resulted from a multimillion-dollar deal between the Fox Broadcasting Company ( commonly known as simply Fox ) and New World Communications , a media company that -- through its then-recently formed broadcasting division -- owned several VHF television stations affiliated with major broadcast television networks , primarily CBS .   The major impetus for the changes was to allow Fox to improve its local affiliate coverage , in preparation for the commencement of its rights to the National Football Conference ( NFC ) television package , which the National Football League ( NFL ) awarded to the fledgling network in December 1993 . As a result of various other deals that followed as a result of the affiliation switches created by the deal between Fox and New World , most notably the buyout of CBS by Westinghouse , the switches constituted some of the most sweeping changes in American television history . As a result of this realignment , Fox ascended to the status of a major television network , comparable in influence to the Big Three television networks ( CBS , NBC and ABC ) .   Nearly 70 stations in 30 media markets throughout the United States changed affiliations starting in September 1994 and continuing through September 1996 ( although an additional affiliation switch would occur in February 1997 , through the launch of an upstart station that gained its network partner through one of the ancillary deals ) , which -- along with the concurrent January 1995 launches of The WB Television Network ( a joint venture between Time Warner , the Tribune Company and the network 's founding chief executive officer , Jamie Kellner ) and the United Paramount Network ( UPN ) ( founded by Chris-Craft/United Television , through a programming partnership with Paramount Television ) , both of which affiliated with certain stations that lost their previous network partners through the various affiliation agreements -- marked some of the most expansive changes ever to have occurred in American television .

neg: List of Saturday Night Live episodes Saturday Night Live ( SNL ) is a late-night sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels . It premiered on NBC , a terrestrial television network , on October 11 , 1975 under the title NBC 's Saturday Night . The show often satirizes contemporary American popular culture and politics . Saturday Night Live features a two-tiered cast : the repertory members , also known as the `` Not Ready for Prime-Time Players , '' and newer cast members , known as `` Featured Players . '' Each week , the show features a host , often a well-known celebrity , who delivers an opening monologue and performs in sketches with the cast . A musical guest is also invited to perform several sets ( usually two , and occasionally more ) . Every so often a host or musical guest will fill both roles , such as was the case with Britney Spears in 2000 and 2002 , Jennifer Lopez in 2001 and 2010 , Justin Timberlake in 2003 , 2006 and 2013 , Taylor Swift in 2009 , Bruno Mars in 2012 , Lady Gaga in 2013 , Miley Cyrus in 2013 and 2015 , Drake in 2014 and 2016 , Blake Shelton in 2015 , and Ariana Grande in 2016 . With the exception of Season 7 and several other rare cases , the show has begun with a cold open that ends with someone breaking character and proclaiming `` Live from New York , it 's Saturday Night ! ''   Saturday Night Live is one of the longest running network programs in American television history , with over 800 episodes broadcast over the span of 42 seasons . A number of the show 's sketches have been developed into feature films , including The Blues Brothers , Wayne 's World , A Night at the Roxbury , Superstar , Coneheads , and MacGruber .   Seasons 1 through 5 are available on DVD in Region 1 . Various Saturday Night Live sketches are available in several new media formats , including streaming on Hulu and Netflix . Selected sketches and segments are also available for purchase at the iTunes Store to download and playback on home computers and certain iPod and iPhone models .

neg: Dramatic soprano A dramatic soprano is a type of operatic soprano with a powerful , rich , emotive voice that can sing over , or cut through , a full orchestra . Thicker vocal folds in dramatic voices usually ( but not always ) mean less agility than lighter voices but a sustained , fuller sound . Usually this voice has a lower tessitura than other sopranos , and a darker timbre . They are often used for heroic , often long-suffering , tragic women of opera . Dramatic sopranos have a range from approximately low A ( A3 ) to `` high C '' ( C6 ) . Some dramatic sopranos , known as Wagnerian sopranos , have an exceptionally big voice that can assert itself over a large orchestra ( of more than 80 or even 100 pieces ) . These voices are substantial , often denser in tone , extremely powerful and , ideally , evenly balanced throughout the vocal registers . Wagnerian sopranos usually play mythic heroines . Successful Wagnerian sopranos are rare and often Wagnerian roles are performed by Italianate dramatic sopranos .

neg: New York Emmy Awards The New York Emmy Awards are a division of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences honoring those in television and advanced media in the tri-state New York-New Jersey-Connecticut and New York State . The division was founded in 1955 and in addition to granting the New York Emmy Awards , the chapter also recognizes awards scholarships , honors industry veterans at the Silver Circle Celebration , has a free research and a nationwide job bank . The chapter also participates in judging Emmy entries at the regional and national levels .

neg: NY1 Noticias NY1 Noticias ( pronounced `` New York One Noticias '' , also known as `` Spectrum Noticias NY1 '' ) is a 24-hour Spanish language cable news television channel that is owned by Charter Communications through its acquisition of Time Warner Cable in May 2016 , and serves New York City 's five boroughs . It is available to customers on channels 95 and 801 on Time Warner Cable 's DTV : Digital Television and DTV en Español and first went on the air at 8:01 p.m. on June 30 , 2003 . It can also be received on Cablevision channel 194 at select areas .   NY1 Noticias covers general news events covering the New York City area like its parent English channel NY1 , but also features in-depth coverage of issues that have a direct impact on New Yorkers of Hispanic and Latin American heritage , such as immigration , public health and community affairs . The `` Weather on the 1 's '' not only shows local forecasts but also North America forecasts .   Since 2005 , NY1 Noticias airs a weekly political program , Pura Política , which is anchored by political reporter Juan Manuel Benitez .

neg: Paramount Television Network The Paramount Television Network ( PTN ) was a venture by American film corporation Paramount Pictures to organize a television network in the late 1940s . The company built television stations KTLA in Los Angeles and WBKB in Chicago ; it also invested US$ 400,000 in the DuMont Television Network , which operated stations WABD in New York City , WTTG in Washington , D.C. , and WDTV in Pittsburgh . Escalating disputes between Paramount and DuMont concerning breaches of contract , company control , and network competition erupted regularly between 1940 and 1956 , and culminated in the dismantling of the DuMont Network . Television historian Timothy White called the clash between the two companies `` one of the most unfortunate and dramatic episodes in the early history of the television industry . ''   The Paramount Television Network aired several programs , including the Emmy Award-winning children 's series Time for Beany . Filmed in Hollywood , the programs were distributed to an ad-hoc network of stations across the United States . The network signed affiliation agreements with more than 50 television stations in 1950 ; despite this , most of Paramount 's series were not widely viewed outside the West Coast . The Federal Communications Commission ( FCC ) , which filed suit against Paramount for anti-trust violations , prevented the studio from acquiring additional television stations . Paramount executives eventually gave up on the idea of a television network , and continued to produce series for other networks . In 1995 , after four decades of television production for other companies , Paramount re-entered the broadcast network field when the company and Chris-Craft Industries launched the United Paramount Network ( UPN ) , a television network that operated until 2006 . Paramount 's television division is now owned by CBS Television Studios .

neg: David Chase David Chase ( born August 22 , 1945 ) is an American writer , director and television producer . Chase has worked in television for 40 years ; he has produced and written for such shows as The Rockford Files , I 'll Fly Away , and Northern Exposure . He has created two original series ; the first , Almost Grown , aired for 10 episodes in 1988 and 1989 . Chase is best known for his second original series , the influential and critically acclaimed HBO drama The Sopranos , which aired for six seasons between 1999 and 2007 . A prominent figure in American television , Chase has won seven Emmy Awards .

neg: Extended Data Services Extended Data Services ( now XDS , previously EDS ) , is an American standard classified under Electronic Industries Alliance standard CEA-608-E for the delivery of any ancillary data ( metadata ) to be sent with an analog television program , or any other NTSC video signal .   XDS is used by TV stations , TV networks , and TV program syndication distributors in the USA for several purposes .   Here are some of the most common uses of XDS :   The `` autoclock '' system delivers time data via an XDS `` Time-of-Day Packet '' for automatically setting the clock of newer TVs & VCRs sold in the USA . Most PBS stations provide this service .  Rudimentary program information which can be displayed on-screen , such as the name and remaining time of the program ,  Station identification ,  V-chip content ratings data .   XDS is also used by the American TV network ABC for their Network Alert System ( NAS ) . NAS is a one-way communication system used by ABC to inform and alert their local affiliate stations across the USA of information regarding ABC 's network programming ( such as program timings & changes , news special report information , etc. ) , using a special decoder manufactured for ABC by EEG Enterprises , a manufacturer of related equipment for the TV broadcast industry such as closed captioning and general-purpose XDS encoders . The CBS Television Network uses a similar method to transmit three separate internal messaging services to stations : one for programming departments , one for master control operations , and one for newsrooms .   Many standard definition receivers produced by Dish Network encode XDS data into their output signal . Data encoded includes time of day , program name , program description , program time remaining , channel identification , and content rating . This data is obtained from the satellite service 's EPG and replaces any data which may have been present when the signal was uplinked .   XDS uses the same line in the vertical blanking interval as closed captioning ( NTSC line 21 ) , and shares the available second video field bandwidth with the closed captioning channels CC3 and CC4 , and with the text channels TXT3 and TXT4 .

neg: Sesame Street research In 1969 , the children 's television show Sesame Street premiered on the National Educational Television network ( later succeeded by PBS ) in the United States . Unlike earlier children 's programming , the show 's producers used research and over 1,000 studies and experiments to create the show and test its impact on its young viewers ' learning . By the end of the program 's first season , the organization founded to oversee Sesame Street production , Children 's Television Workshop ( CTW ) , had developed what came to be called `` the CTW model '' : a system of planning , production , and evaluation that combined the expertise of researchers and early childhood educators with that of the program 's writers , producers , and directors .   CTW conducted research in two ways : in-house formative research that informed and improved production , and independent summative evaluations conducted by the Educational Testing Service ( ETS ) during the show 's first two seasons to measure the program 's educational effectiveness . CTW researchers invented tools to measure young viewers ' attention to the program . Based on these findings , the researchers compiled a body of data and the producers changed the show accordingly . The formative research on Sesame Street was the first time children 's television viewing was studied scientifically .   Summative research conducted over the years , including two landmark evaluations in 1970 and 1971 , demonstrated that viewing the program had positive effects on young viewers ' learning , school readiness , and social skills . Subsequent studies have replicated these findings , such as the effect of the show in countries outside of the US , several longitudinal studies , the effects of war and natural disasters on young children , and studies about how the show affected viewers ' cognition . As CTW researcher Gerald S. Lesser stated in 1974 , early tests conducted on the show ( both formative and summative ) `` suggested that Sesame Street was making strides towards teaching what it had set out to teach '' .

neg: Internet television in Australia Internet television in Australia is the digital distribution of movies and television content via the Internet . In Australia , Internet television is provided by five major pay-per-view providers , in addition to several niche television streaming services . Australia 's five major free-to-air television networks all offer catch up TV of previously broadcast content to watch via the Internet or via podcasts - drawing on both domestic and foreign content . A feature of Internet television is that a user can view TV or video on demand . Some distributors provide content as downloads , whiles other streaming media ; the main difference being that with downloads the end-user must have storage capacity for the content on their device and must wait for the download to be completed before the content can be viewed , while streamed content can be viewed almost immediately , but is not stored for a later second viewing .   Whether downloaded or streamed , video files over the Internet are usually metered in Australia , with most ISPs setting download quotas which can limit the downloads that a subscriber can make without incurring additional costs . ISPs also provide plans with unlimited downloads . Some ISPs offer downloads on a quota-free basis for partnered television services , which is also known as `` unmetered '' content .

neg: Tony Blundetto Anthony `` Tony '' Blundetto , played by Steve Buscemi , is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos . He is Tony Soprano 's cousin who is released from prison at the beginning of the show 's fifth season . Upon release , Tony Blundetto begins to pursue a straight , non-criminal life . However , he is eventually overpowered by the challenges of civilian life and turns back to crime , dragging the DiMeo Crime Family into the Lupertazzi Crime Family 's power struggle .   For his work in season 5 , Buscemi received critical acclaim and was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series .

neg: Procedural drama A procedural drama is a genre of television programming which focuses on how crimes are solved or some other aspect of a law enforcement agency , legislative body , or court of law . Some dramas include a lab or conference room with high-tech or state-of-the-art equipment where the main characters meet to work out the problem . Shows usually have an episodic format that does not require the viewer to have seen previous episodes . Episodes typically have a self-contained , also referred to as stand-alone , plot that is introduced and resolved within the same episode .   The procedural format is popular around the world . In 2011 , the director of a TV consultancy said , `` The continuing trend is for procedurals because they use a predictable structure . '' Due to their stand-alone episodic nature , they are more accessible to new viewers than serials . Self-contained episodes also make it easier for viewers to return to a show if they have missed some episodes . In general , procedural dramas can usually be re-run with little concern for episode order .   Procedurals are often criticized for being formulaic . Procedurals are also generally less character-driven than serialized shows . However , some procedurals have more character emphasis than is typical of the format . Some may occasionally feature a storyline stretching over several episodes .   A popular variant is the police procedural .

neg: Flow (television) In television programming , flow is how channels and networks try to hold their audience from program to program , or from one segment of a program to another . Thus , it is the `` flow '' of television material from one element to the next .   The term is also significant in television studies , the academic analysis of the medium . Media scholar Raymond Williams is responsible for first using the term in this sense . He emphasized that flow is `` the defining characteristic of broadcasting , simultaneously as a technology and as a cultural form '' ( 1975 , p. 86 , 93 ) . `` It is evident that what is now called ` an evening 's viewing ' is in some ways planned by providers and then by viewers as a whole ; that it is in any event planned in discernible sequences which in this sense override particular program units '' .   Since the 1990s , the concept of flow has been threatened by new technologies and programming strategies that free the viewer from the old television model . VCRs , DVDs , DVRs ( such as TiVo ) , Video-on-Demand , and online video sources all allow the viewer to construct their own flow . They are no longer limited to a choice of three or four networks , as they were in the 1950s -- 1960s . Consequently , the concept of flow is under attack and may not survive beyond the broadcast era of television .

neg: Digital television in the United States See digital television for more technical details , or DTV transition in the United States for specific information related to the analog-to-digital switchover   In the United States , digital television broadcasts , or DTV , can be received via cable , via internet , via satellite , or via free over-the-air ( OTA ) digital terrestrial television - much like analog television broadcasts have been . Full-power analog television broadcasts , however , were required by U.S. federal law to cease by June 12 , 2009 . Low-power , Class A , and TV Translator stations are not currently required to cease analog broadcasts . Also by law , digital broadcasts - when transmitted as OTA signals - must conform to ATSC standards. ; it is unclear whether satellite operators are free to use their own proprietary standards ; and many standards exist for Internet television ( most are proprietary ) .

neg: Canal Sony (Latin America) Canal Sony ( `` Sony Channel '' , in both Spanish and Portuguese ; formerly called Sony Entertainment Television ) , is a general entertainment channel co-based in Perú , Chile , Venezuela , Brazil and Miami , Florida , United States . It airs in 26 countries in Latin America , and is owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment . In the region , it is distributed by HBO Latin America Group . It was the first pan-regional basic channel that offered programming in its original English language with subtitles and became an award-winning trend setting network .   Canal Sony began transmission in August 1995 , as a basic cable television channel . Its first launch in Mexico was on Televisa 's Cablevision cable TV system in March 1996 followed by its launch in Brazil that same Spring . Unlike most national television networks in Latin America , which air all imported shows dubbed in Spanish or Portuguese , Sony started airing its programming with subtitles which led to its role as a regional leader .   Canal Sony shows new or recent American comedy , drama and reality series such as Will & Grace , American Idol , 'Til Death , 30 Rock , Queer Eye for the Straight Guy , Falcon Beach , America 's Next Top Model , Scrubs , My Wife and Kids , Everybody Hates Chris , Medium , Ghost Whisperer , Saturday Night Live , Charmed , Whose Line Is It Anyway ? , Grey 's Anatomy , According to Jim , Desperate Housewives , That '70s Show , Ugly Betty , Big Day , Samantha Who ? and reruns or previous seasons of shows such as Seinfeld , Mad About You , Dawson 's Creek , Melrose Place , Beverly Hills , 90210 , Married ... with Children , The Nanny , My Wife and Kids and Frasier . Recently it has been broadcasting several hard comedy series , particularly from the UK such as Balls of Steel and Da Ali G Show .   The channel 's biggest production so far is : Latin American Idol . The first season included 20 countries , with auditions in Caracas , Venezuela , Bogotá , Colombia , Mexico City and finishing in Buenos Aires , Argentina , the host country . The show did not include Brazil , because the country already has their own version on terrestrial television . The winner of the first season was Mayre Martinez from Venezuela , winning , amongst other prizes , a record deal , a car and a record contract .   On June 12 , a redesign of the channel welcomed three new original productions by SET . Nada Que Ver was the first one , but it aired for a very short period of time , and was replaced with The IT Crowd due to unpopularity and criticism . Recently the first season of The IT Crowd finished and Nada Que Ver , returned to the programation of P.I ( Politically Incorrect , also named after the sound of a bleep in Spanish diction ) . FusionA2 ( Fused ) is a reality show in which two bands are brought together for two days to prepare and play a song together . And Ya es 1/2 Día en China ( It 's Noon in China ) A late night show in the format of NBC 's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno . The show is currently hosted by Luis Chataing .   Canal Sony regularly cooperates with popular brands , like Sony Ericsson , or Sony 's competitors , like Philips , to present new products in their mini-show `` Los Huevos de Oro '' ( The Golden Eggs ) , which is shown during commercial breaks . SET also shows music videos , as occasional time-fillers . Another popular feature the channel has been known for is Si Se Lo Perdió ( in Portuguese , Vale o Bis ) , which means `` In Case You Missed It '' , a block that would re-air any new episodes of prime time shows that aired during the week on Sundays , convenient for those that missed the original airings during the week .   Nada que Ver is not aired in Brazil and is not on air currently .   Ugly Betty was aired in Mexico , starting April 2008 .   Sony started airing movies in Tuesday 's prime time . Although the name of the slot refers to Hollywood-produced humor , the movies aired are all romantic comedies , such as Little Black Book , America 's Sweethearts , and My Best Friend 's Wedding . In December 2009 , this space was moved to Saturdays , until it was eventually dropped in 2010 , though a movie block will return to the Brazilian feed on Thursdays , starting in April 2011 , as Cine Sony . At the same time , this block returned to the other regional feeds in Spanish , but on Fridays , as EPH : Espacio Producido Hollywood ( `` Hollywood-Produced Space '' ) .   The channel has aired original shows , such as Mexico 's Next Top Model and Brazil 's Next Top Model ( Both based in America 's Next Top Model , which airs on the channel ) . Other original Latin-American series that premiered on the channel are Los Simuladores and Los Caballeros las prefieren Brutas .   In 2011 , the Sony Pictures channels in Brazil gained greater independence from the Spanish-language feeds , and as part of that , it was announced that CSI : Crime Scene Investigation would return to Canal Sony in Brazil , while in the rest of the region , that show remains on sister channel AXN . In October 2011 , CSI : Miami would make such channel switch in Brazil . CSI : NY remains seen on AXN in the entire region .

neg: TV One (U.S. TV network) TV One ( stylized as TV ONΞ ) is an American digital cable and satellite television network that is owned by Urban One ( formerly Radio One until May 8 , 2017 ) , having acquired Comcast 's stake in the TV network in 2015 . Headquartered in Silver Spring , Maryland , TV One 's programming targets African American adults with a broad mix of original lifestyle and entertainment-oriented series , documentaries , movies , concert performances and reruns of sitcoms from the 1970s through the 2000s .   As of February 2015 , TV One is available to approximately 57 million pay television households ( 48.9 % of households with at least one television set ) in the United States .

neg: Cold Stones `` Cold Stones '' is the seventy-sixth episode of the HBO original series The Sopranos and the eleventh of the show 's sixth season . It was written by Diane Frolov , Andrew Schneider and David Chase , directed by Tim Van Patten and originally aired on May 21 , 2006 .

neg: The Sopranos (season 2) The second season of The Sopranos aired on HBO from January 16 to April 9 , 2000 . The second season was released on DVD in region 1 on November 6 , 2001 .   The story of the season focuses on Tony 's growing mistrust of one of his closest friends Big Pussy Bonpensiero , who is revealed to be an FBI informant . Dr. Melfi continues meeting with Tony despite her growing disgust of his actions and contemplates the nature of their relationship . Tony 's sister Janice also returns to New Jersey , and their collectively strained relationship with their mother Livia and each other continues . Meadow is accepted into college , but her personal life intersects with Tony 's crime life for the first time . Former boss Jackie Aprile 's brother Richie is released from prison and causes trouble for Tony and his business .

neg: Philip Morris Playhouse Philip Morris Playhouse is a 30-minute old-time radio dramatic anthology series .   The program '' -LSB- g -RSB- enerally ... featured straight and crime drama , '' radio historian John Dunning wrote . He noted that one of the directors was William Spier , who `` had directed Suspense in its salad days and brought to The Philip Morris Playhouse the same slick production '' that was used in Suspense .   Philip Morris Playhouse was broadcast on CBS June 30 , 1939 -- February 18 , 1944 , then returned to the air ( again on CBS ) November 5 , 1948 -- July 29 , 1949 . The 1948 edition replaced a giveaway show , Everybody Wins . Its third and final incarnation on radio was a bit more complicated , as explained on The Digital Deli Too website : The emerging popularity of between three and five other popular playhouse formats of the early 1950s persuaded Philip Morris to resurrect its Philip Morris Playhouse a third time as Phillip Morris Playhouse On Broadway , beginning with its initial CBS run on March 15 , 1951 . Emphasizing Broadway productions , the subsequent series ran over CBS for twenty-six installments , only to jump to NBC on September 11 , 1951 . The series ran on NBC for the remainder of 1951 , jumping back to CBS on January 13 , 1952 . CBS aired the remainder of the canon through September 2 , 1953 .   In 1951 , a trade publication reported that the program 's annual budget was $ 1 million .

neg: List of former NBC television affiliates The National Broadcasting Company ( NBC ) is an American broadcast television network that originated as a radio network in November 1926 , and expanded into television in April 1939 . Throughout its history , the network has had many owned-and-operated and affiliated stations .   This article is a table listing of former NBC stations , arranged alphabetically by state , and based on the station 's city of license as well as its Designated Market Area ; it is also accompanied by footnotes regarding the present network affiliation of the former NBC-affiliated station ( if the station remains operational ) and the current NBC affiliates in each of the listed markets , as well as any other notes including the reasons behind each station 's disaffiliation from the network . There are links to and articles on each of the stations , describing their histories , local programming and technical information , such as broadcast frequencies .   The station 's advertised channel number follows the call letters . In most cases , this is their virtual channel ( PSIP ) number , which may match the channel allocation that the station originally broadcast on during its prior affiliation with the network .


query: Babe Ruth was active in Major League Baseball from 1914-1935.

pos: Babe Ruth George Herman `` Babe '' Ruth Jr. ( February 6 , 1895 -- August 16 , 1948 ) was an American professional baseball player whose career in Major League Baseball ( MLB ) spanned 22 seasons , from 1914 through 1935 . Nicknamed `` The Bambino '' and `` The Sultan of Swat '' , he began his MLB career as a stellar left-handed pitcher for the Boston Red Sox , but achieved his greatest fame as a slugging outfielder for the New York Yankees . Ruth established many MLB batting ( and some pitching ) records , including career home runs ( 714 ) , runs batted in ( RBIs ) ( 2,213 ) , bases on balls ( 2,062 ) , slugging percentage ( .6897 ) , and on-base plus slugging ( OPS ) ( 1.164 ) ; the latter two still stand today . Ruth is regarded as one of the greatest sports heroes in American culture and is considered by many to be the greatest baseball player of all time . In , Ruth was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame as one of its `` first five '' inaugural members .   At age seven , Ruth was sent to St. Mary 's Industrial School for Boys , a reformatory where he learned life lessons and baseball skills from Brother Matthias Boutlier of the Christian Brothers , the school 's disciplinarian and a capable baseball player . In 1914 , Ruth was signed to play minor-league baseball for the Baltimore Orioles but was soon sold to the Red Sox . By 1916 , he had built a reputation as an outstanding pitcher who sometimes hit long home runs , a feat unusual for any player in the pre-1920 dead-ball era . Although Ruth twice won 23 games in a season as a pitcher and was a member of three World Series championship teams with Boston , he wanted to play every day and was allowed to convert to an outfielder . With regular playing time , he broke the MLB single-season home run record in 1919 .   After that season , Red Sox owner Harry Frazee sold Ruth to the Yankees amid controversy . The trade fueled Boston 's subsequent 86 year championship drought and popularized the `` Curse of the Bambino '' superstition . In his 15 years with New York , Ruth helped the Yankees win seven American League ( AL ) championships and four World Series championships . His big swing led to escalating home run totals that not only drew fans to the ballpark and boosted the sport 's popularity but also helped usher in the live-ball era of baseball , in which it evolved from a low-scoring game of strategy to a sport where the home run was a major factor . As part of the Yankees ' vaunted `` Murderer 's Row '' lineup of 1927 , Ruth hit 60 home runs , extending his MLB single-season record . He retired in 1935 after a short stint with the Boston Braves . During his career , Ruth led the AL in home runs during a season twelve times .   Ruth 's legendary power and charismatic personality made him a larger-than-life figure in the Roaring Twenties . During his career , he was the target of intense press and public attention for his baseball exploits and off-field penchants for drinking and womanizing . His often reckless lifestyle was tempered by his willingness to do good by visiting children at hospitals and orphanages . After his retirement as a player , he was denied a managerial job in baseball , most likely due to poor behavior during parts of his playing career . In his final years , Ruth made many public appearances , especially in support of American efforts in World War II . In 1946 , he became ill with cancer , and died two years later .

neg: 1926 St. Louis Cardinals season The 1926 St. Louis Cardinals season was the team 's 45th season in St. Louis , Missouri and their 35th in the National League . The Cardinals went 89 -- 65 during the season and finished first in the National League , winning their first National League pennant . In the World Series , they defeated the New York Yankees in 7 games , ending it by throwing out Babe Ruth at second base in the ninth-inning of Game 7 to preserve a 3 -- 2 victory . This was Rogers Hornsby 's only full season as manager for the team .   Catcher Bob O'Farrell won the MVP Award this year , batting .293 , with 7 home runs and 68 RBIs . Led by RBI champion Jim Bottomley , the offense scored the most runs in the NL .

neg: Ruth Lessing Ruth Elizabeth Lessing -LSB- Tex -RSB- ( August 15 , 1925 -- October 26 , 2000 ) was a female catcher who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League . Listed at , 128 lb. , she batted and threw right-handed .   Ruth Lessing has been considered as one of the best defensive catchers in All-American Girls Professional Baseball League history . Respected for her solid skills behind home plate , including a strong and accurate arm , Lessing also was renowned for her fiery and competitive spirit . She played over 100 games during four straight seasons , was selected to the All-Star Team three consecutive years , and set several all-time , single-season records before suffering a career-ending shoulder injury that forced her to retire prematurely . Known for her fiery demeanor , she was once fined $ 100 for punching an umpire after he made a call she disapproved . In response , a collection taken up by fanatics netted more than $ 2000 . She paid the fine and gave the rest of the money to charity . Lessing said she was not proud of what she had done and wrote the umpire a letter of apology . Both later became close friends .   A native of San Antonio , Texas , Lessing was a standout athlete at Jefferson High School . She was spotted in the early 1940s by a scout from the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League . Then in 1944 , at the age of 18 , she graduated and immediately joined the Minneapolis Millerettes , an expansion AAGPBL team managed by former big leaguer Bubber Jonnard . In her rookie season Lessing shared catching duties with Pepper Paire .   In 1944 Lessing hit a .177 batting average in 57 games for Minneapolis , scoring 13 runs while driving in 27 more . She posted a single-season , career-high with 22 stolen bases , and ten of her 35 hits were doubles . Playing their home games at Nicollet Park , the Millerettes could not compete with the local Minneapolis Millers . In addition , Minneapolis was far from the other five cities in the league , forcing the Millerettes spent most of the season on the road . As a result , the team finished last in both halves of the season with a compiled 45 -- 72 record , being replaced in 1945 by the Fort Wayne Daisies .   Lessing became a regular with Fort Wayne in 1945 , appearing in 110 games and setting an all-time single season record for a catcher with a .982 fielding average . She also hit .123 with 32 runs and 21 RBI , while the Daisies , with Bill Wambsganss at the helm , had a strong season debut , going 62 -- 47 and finishing four and a half games behind first-place Rockford Peaches . During the playoffs , Fort Wayne disposed of the Racine Belles in the first round , three to one games , but struggled to Rockford in the final round , four-to-one .   In 1946 Lessing joined the Grand Rapids Chicks , playing for them for the rest of her career . As a member of the Chicks , she solidified her position as one of the best backstops around . In her first year with the team , she led all catchers with 141 assists , which also is an all-time record . Besides this , Lessing improved her offensive numbers with a .215 average , 43 runs and 35 RBI , and was selected to the All-Star Team . Managed by Johnny Rawlings , Grand Rapids finished 71 -- 41 and advanced to the playoffs , only to be beaten by Rockford in the first round , three-to-two .   Lessing became one of two hundred players to attend the first AAGPBL spring training outside the United States , which was held in 1947 in Cuba at the Gran Stadium de La Habana . With deliveries changing from underhand ( or , underarm ; compare pitching in softball ) to sidearm in that season , the work of Lessing behind the plate was an instrumental part of the success for the pitching staff . She caught splendidly , giving her pitchers confidence and stability by calling the game and instigating defensive plays on the field . Lessing also contributed with her bat , hitting .205 with 24 runs and 42 RBI in 111 games , while earning a second selection to the All-Star Team . The Chicks went 65 -- 47 and made the playoffs for the second consecutive year . In the first round , the team defeated the South Bend Blue Sox in five games , and won the Championship Title behind Mildred Earp , who pitched a 1 -- 0 shutout against the Belles in decisive Game 7 .   In 1948 Lessing set another all-time record , appearing in 125 games behind the plate in the regular season . She also posted career-numbers in hits ( 86 ) , runs ( 43 ) and RBI ( 36 ) , while hitting a .206 average and making her third and last All-Star Team , helping the Chicks win the Eastern Section with a 77 -- 47 record . In the postseason , Grand Rapids defeated South Bend in five games but was swept by Fort Wayne in three games during the second round . Unfortunately , just 44 games into the 1949 season , Lessing suffered a career-ending shoulder injury . At the time , she was hitting .233 ( 28-for-120 ) with nine runs and nine RBI .   Once her playing days were gone , Lessing returned to San Antonio , where she took a job at the Kelly Air Force Base . In 1991 , she served as a technical adviser for filmmaker Penny Marshall during the shooting of her film A League of Their Own , which brought many of the real players began to earn a rebirth of celebrity with the first season of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League . Lessing , like many AAGPBL players , were relatively unknown until the Marshall 's film was exhibited for the first time . After that , the AAGPBL Players Association reunions became formal annual events in 1998 .   Ruth Lessing died of cancer in her homeland of San Antonio at the age of 75 . In 2006 , she was awarded a posthumous induction into the Texas Baseball Hall of Fame . She is also part of the AAGPBL permanent display at the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum at Cooperstown , New York , opened in , which is dedicated to the entire league rather than any individual player .

neg: William J. Slocum William J. Slocum ( 1884 -- May 6 , 1943 ) was an American sports writer who spent more than twenty years covering baseball in New York newspapers .   Slocum started his sports writing career in 1917 . Among other things he was a ghostwriter for Babe Ruth . He was one of the organizers of the New York chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America . The BBWAA Chapter honored Slocum in 1930 by naming an award after him , which is presented annually to a person judged to have given long and meritorious service to baseball .

neg: 1956 Major League Baseball season The 1956 Major League Baseball season was contested from April to October 1956 , featuring eight teams in the National League and eight teams in the American League . The 1956 World Series was a rematch of the previous year 's series between the New York Yankees and the Brooklyn Dodgers . The series is notable for Yankees pitcher Don Larsen 's perfect game in Game 5 .

neg: Babe Birrer Werner Joseph Birrer ( July 4 , 1928 -- November 19 , 2013 ) was an American pitcher in Major League Baseball . Listed at 6 ' 0 '' , 195 lb. , Birrer batted and threw right handed . He was born in Buffalo , New York . Graduated from Kensington High School in Buffalo , New York ( 1947 ) . Signed by Detroit Tigers Scout `` Cy '' Williams , not the ball player in 1947 .   Birrer pitched for the Detroit Tigers , Baltimore Orioles and Los Angeles Dodgers in all or parts of three seasons spanning 1955 -- 1958 . He posted a combined record of 4 -- 3 and a 4.36 earned run average ( ERA ) in 56 pitching appearances , including three starts , one complete game and four saves , giving up 39 runs ( 37 earned ) on 129 hits and 29 base on balls , while striking out 28 in 119 innings of work .   His career highlight came on July 19 , 1955 , at Briggs Stadium , when he belted two three-run home runs off George Zuverink and Art Schallock , while pitching four scoreless innings in a 12 -- 4 win over the Baltimore Orioles . In addition , he became the only player in Major League history who played for more than a regular season to have all of his lifetime home runs and runs batted in in just one game .   Besides , Birrer had a long time career in the minor leagues between 1947 and 1966 , most prominently with the Buffalo Bisons of the International League . In an 18-year career , he compiled a 139 -- 145 record and a 4.01 ERA in 518 games . In 1957 , while pitching for Triple-A Los Angeles Angels , he hurled a no-hitter against his former team the Vancouver Mounties .   Birrer also gave five seasons of good service in the Venezuelan League , while pitching for four different teams , and starring in the Caribbean Series .   He went 30 -- 34 with a 2.87 ERA in 84 games , including 40 complete games , 114 walks , and 282 strikeouts in 566 innings . In addition , he posted the best ERA in the league during the 1959 -- 1960 ( 1.89 ) and 1960 -- 1961 ( 1.64 ) seasons .   Birrer then made the 1959 Caribbean Series All-Star team , after going 2 -- 0 with a 1.25 ERA and 18 strikeouts in 21 innings , including a 13-inning victory . He also set a Series record with his 13 innings pitched in a single game , which still remain intact .   Regrettably , Birrer was among a group of some 900 former big leaguers denied pensions and medical benefits , as a result of the failure of both Major League Baseball and the Players Association to retroactively amend the vesting requirement change that granted instant pension eligibility to ballplayers in 1980 . Prior to this date , major leaguers need to have four years of service credit to earn a pension and medical benefits . After 1980 , only one day of service credit for health insurance and 43 days of service credit for a pension is required for any player .   Thanks to the persistent advocacy of former pitchers David Clyde and Gary Neibauer , as well as sportswriter Doug Gladstone , both MLB and the MLBPA announced in 2011 that all these inactive , non-vested men like Birrer and all of whom played between 1947 and 1979 , would receive up to $ 10,000 per year .   Birrer spent the last years of his life at a nursing home in Clarence , New York , where he died in 2013 at the age of 85 .

neg: Lincoln Stars (baseball) The Lincoln Stars ( also known as the Lincoln Stars of New York or the New York Lincoln Stars ) were a Negro league baseball team that played in New York City from 1914 to 1917 . Their home stadium was the Lenox Oval , located at Lenox Avenue and 145th Street in Manhattan . Although they lasted less than four years , they were a good team that featured three players who would later be elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame -- Oscar Charleston , John Henry Lloyd , and Louis Santop .

neg: 1947 Major League Baseball season On April 15 , 1947 , was Opening Day of the 1947 Major League Baseball season . The New York Giants were at the Phillies , the Yankees were home in the Bronx against the Philadelphia A 's and the Brooklyn Dodgers were home to open against the Boston Braves at old Ebbets Field .  Jack Roosevelt Robinson was in the Dodgers lineup , playing first base . This began a new chapter in Major League Baseball , as it was the first time an African American had been allowed to play in the league . There were more than 26,000 fans at Ebbets Field that day .

neg: Eddie Morgan (baseball) Edwin Willis Morgan -LSB- Pepper -RSB- ( November 19 , 1914 -- June 27 , 1982 ) was a backup right fielder/first baseman who played in Major League Baseball ( MLB ) between 1936 and 1937 . Listed at , 160 lb , Morgan batted and threw left-handed . He was born in Brady Lake , Ohio .   Morgan reached the majors in 1936 with the St. Louis Cardinals , spending one year for them before moving to the Brooklyn Dodgers ( 1937 ) . On April 14 , 1936 , Morgan hit a pinch-hit home run in his first career at bat , but he saw little action after that , going 5 for 18 in eight appearances . At the end of the season , he was sent by St. Louis to Brooklyn in the same transaction that brought George Earnshaw to the Cardinals .   In parts of two seasons , Morgan hit .212 ( 14 for 66 ) with one home run and five runs batted in in 39 games , including eight runs scored and three doubles .   Morgan graduated from Lakewood ( Ohio ) High School in 1931 and is in the LHS Athletic Hall of Fame   Morgan died in Lakewood , Ohio at the age of 67 .

neg: Jimmy Outlaw James Paulus `` Jimmy '' Outlaw ( January 20 , 1913 -- April 9 , 2006 ) was an American professional baseball . He played all or part of 10 seasons in Major League Baseball ( MLB ) as an outfielder and third baseman for the Cincinnati Reds , Boston Bees , and Detroit Tigers .   Outlaw played college baseball for the Auburn Tigers and was signed in 1934 by the Cincinnati Reds . He played three years in the minor leagues , batting .351 for the Decatur Commodores and leading the Illinois -- Indiana -- Iowa League in hits in 1935 , and batting .330 as an all-star third baseman for the Nashville Volunteers in 1936 . He made his major league debut with the Cincinnati Reds in 1937 , but appeared in only 49 games before returning to the minor leagues . He played for the Syracuse Chiefs of the International League in 1937 and 1938 and compiled a .339 batting average in 1938 . He returned to the major leagues in 1939 with the Boston Bees , but returned to the International League , playing for the Buffalo Bisons from 1940 to 1943 .   In August 1943 , Outlaw was acquired by the Detroit Tigers where he played as an outfielder and third baseman until May 1949 . He was a starter in the outfield for the Tigers in his first full major league season in 1944 , appearing in 132 games . In 1945 , he began the season as the Tigers ' starting left fielder but moved to third base to make room for Hank Greenberg upon his return from military service in June 1945 . He played third base in all seven games of the Tigers ' 1945 World Series championship against the Chicago Cubs .   In 10 major league seasons , Outlaw compiled a .268 batting average with 184 RBIs , 257 runs , 79 doubles , 17 triples , 24 stolen bases , and a .333 on-base percentage . Outlaw made his home in Jackson , Alabama , where he died in 2006 at age 93 . He was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 1990 .

neg: Branch Rickey Wesley Branch Rickey ( December 20 , 1881 -- December 9 , 1965 ) was a Major League Baseball ( MLB ) executive elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1967 . He was perhaps best known for breaking Major League Baseball 's color barrier by signing African American player Jackie Robinson , for drafting the first Hispanic superstar , Roberto Clemente , for creating the framework for the modern minor league farm system , for encouraging the Major Leagues to add new teams through his involvement in the proposed Continental League , and for introducing the batting helmet .   Rickey played in MLB for the St. Louis Browns and New York Highlanders from 1905 through 1907 . After struggling as a player , Rickey returned to college , where he learned about administration from Philip Bartelme . Returning to MLB in 1913 , Rickey embarked on a successful managing and executive career with the St. Louis Browns , the St. Louis Cardinals , Brooklyn Dodgers and Pittsburgh Pirates . The Cardinals elected him to their team Hall of Fame in 2014 .   Rickey also had a career in the sport of American football , as a player for the professional Shelby Blues and as a coach at Ohio Wesleyan University and Allegheny College . His many achievements and deep Christian faith earned him the nickname `` the Mahātmā . ''

neg: Eddie Miller (infielder) Edward Robert Miller ( November 26 , 1916 -- July 31 , 1997 ) was an American professional baseball player , a shortstop who played for 14 seasons in the National League between 1936 and 1950 . He was a talented fielder and a perennial All-Star during the 1940s .   Born in Pittsburgh , Miller made his Major League debut with the Cincinnati Reds in 1936 as a 19-year-old . He played in 41 games over 2 seasons with the Reds before being traded to the New York Yankees in 1938 in exchange for Willard Hershberger . Miller never played for the Yankees at the major league level and was subsequently traded to the Boston Bees less than a year later .   He became the starting shortstop while in Boston , and established himself as one of the National League 's best shortstops during his four seasons there . His first season with Boston was shortened when he fractured his ankle in a collision with Al Simmons . He recovered in 1940 to a career-best .276 for the Bees while leading all NL shortstops in fielding percentage and appearing in the MLB All-Star Game . While his batting average fell over the next two seasons with Boston , he led all shortstops in fielding percentage both years . He was an All-Star in 1941 and was named as a starter in the All-Star Game in 1942 . After the 1942 season , he was traded back to the Reds in exchange for Eddie Joost and Nate Andrews .   He spent five seasons as the Reds ' starting shortstop and earned four more selections to the All-Star Game while with the club . He continued to play solid defense while with Cincinnati , and he led all shortstops in fielding on two further occasions . His final year with the Reds was one of his better seasons as a hitter , as he led the league in doubles and was among the top 10 in home runs and runs batted in . He was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies for Johnny Wyrostek before the start of the 1948 season .   Miller served as the Phillies ' shortstop in 1948 but moved to second base in 1949 when he swapped positions with Granny Hamner . After two average seasons with Philadelphia , he was acquired by the St. Louis Cardinals for the 1950 season , his last in the majors .   Miller died in 1997 in Lake Worth , Florida .

neg: List of St. Louis Cardinals team records The St. Louis Cardinals , a professional baseball franchise based in St. Louis , Missouri , compete in the National League ( NL ) of Major League Baseball ( MLB ) . in 1892 . Before joining the NL , they were also a charter member of the American Association ( AA ) from 1882 to 1891 . Although St. Louis has been the Cardinals ' home city for the franchise 's entire existence , they were also known as the Brown Stockings , Browns , and Perfectos .   In 134 seasons , the franchise has won more than 10,000 regular season games and appeared in 27 postseasons while claiming 12 interleague championships , tying one other , and 23 league pennants . 11 of the interleague championships are World Series titles won under the modern format since 1903 ; the other championship and tie occurred in 1885 -- 1886 . 19 of the league pennants are NL pennants , and the other four are AA pennants . Their 11 World Series titles represent the most in the NL and are second in MLB only to the New York Yankees ' 27 .   Notable players have defined , in part , the Cardinals ' success and history . Stan Musial owns the most career batting records with 22 . Rogers Hornsby owns the most single-season records with 11 . Bob Gibson owns the most career pitching records with 18 . Silver King owns the most single-season pitching records with nine .

neg: Jay Porter J. W. `` Jay '' Porter ( born January 17 , 1933 , in Shawnee , Oklahoma ) is a former Major League Baseball player who played for the St. Louis Browns ( 1952 ) , Detroit Tigers ( 1955 -- 1957 ) , Cleveland Indians ( 1958 ) , Washington Senators ( 1959 ) , and St. Louis Cardinals ( 1959 ) . Porter played in 229 major league games , 91 as a catcher , 62 as an outfielder , 16 as a first baseman , and 3 at third base . He was a career .228 hitter who had his best season in 1957 when he hit .250 in 58 games for the Detroit Tigers .   Porter was signed as an 18-year-old `` bonus baby '' in 1951 . Bobby Mattick was scouting Porter , when he noticed another prospect , Frank Robinson . Mattick wound up signing both Porter and Robinson , `` with Porter signing for a much higher bonus . '' John Eisenberg , `` From 33rd Street to Camden Yards '' ( McGraw-Hill 2001 ) , p. 161 . Despite the early promise , Porter played in only 33 games for the St. Louis Browns in 1952 .   On December 4 , 1952 , Porter was traded by the Browns with Owen Friend and Bob Nieman to the Tigers for Virgil Trucks ( who threw two no-hitters in 1952 ) , Hal White , and Johnny Groth . Porter did not make it to the Tigers ' big league team until 1955 and played only 92 games for the Tigers from 1955 -- 1957 .   Though he never became a starter in Detroit , he was selected by Sports Illustrated in October 2006 as one of the `` 10 Greatest Characters in Detroit Tigers History '' , along with Mark Fidrych , Norm Cash , Boots Poffenberger , and Herbie Redmond .   Porter 's favorite meal was `` two dozen ( eggs ) over light '' , which he would eat all at once . This became a `` favorite meal '' when his teammates encouraged him to compete against the world 's champion for eating the most eggs in one sitting and Porter began his `` training . '' A date was set for the contest ; however , the current world champion failed to show .   On February 18 , 1958 , the Tigers traded Porter to the Cleveland Indians with Hal Woodeshick for Jim Hegan and Hank Aguirre . Porter learned of the trade while driving to Spring Training . Porter drove from his home in Oregon , down the West Coast , stopping in Tucson , Arizona to visit friends in the Indians training camp . When he was an hour outside Lakeland , Porter heard on the car radio that he had been traded to the Indians , made a U-turn and headed back to Arizona . Van Dusen , Ewald & Hawkins , `` The Detroit Tigers Encyclopedia ( Sports Publishing 2003 ) , p. 94 .   While playing for Cleveland , Porter had the task of catching for knuckleballer Hoyt Wilhelm . Porter was reportedly so baffled by Wilhelm 's knuckleball that he used a first baseman 's glove .   After his playing career , he served as a minor league manager in the Montreal Expos organization ( including a stint with the West Palm Beach Expos in 1970 ) . Porter also managed the Montreal Expos ' entry in the 1969 Florida Instructional League .   Porter is the youngest living former member of the St. Louis Browns .

neg: 1994–95 Major League Baseball strike The 1994 -- 95 Major League Baseball strike was the eighth work stoppage in baseball history , as well as the fourth in-season work stoppage in 22 years . The strike began on August 12 , 1994 , and resulted in the remainder of that season being cancelled , including the postseason and , for the first time since 1904 , the World Series . The strike was suspended on April 2 , 1995 , after 232 days , making it the longest such stoppage in MLB history , breaking the record set by the 1981 strike . 948 games were cancelled in all , and MLB became the first major professional sports league to lose an entire postseason due to labor struggles . Due to the strike , both the 1994 and 1995 seasons were not played to a complete 162 games ; the strike was called after most teams had played at least 113 games in 1994 and each team played 144 games in 1995 .

neg: Silver King (baseball) Silver King ( January 11 , 1868 -- May 21 , 1938 ) , born Charles Frederick Koenig in St. Louis , Missouri , was a Major League Baseball player from 1886 through 1897 .   In a 10-year career , spent primarily as a pitcher , King played for Jacksonville Illinois ( 1885 ) and St. Joseph Missouri in the Western League ( 1886 ) , the Kansas City Cowboys ( 1886 ) , St. Louis Browns ( 1887 ) , Chicago Pirates ( 1890 ) , Pittsburgh Pirates ( 1891 ) , New York Giants ( 1892 -- 93 ) , Cincinnati Reds ( 1893 ) , and Washington Senators ( 1896 -- 97 ) . The first part of King 's nickname was a reference to the color of his hair , while the latter part was a translation of his German surname .   King was an unusual pitcher for his time . Gripping the ball with unusually large hands , he delivered the ball without a windup . He also was one of the first pitchers in major league history to employ a sidearm delivery . The unconventional methods worked , as he went on to pitch 3,190 innings , winning 203 games with 1229 strikeouts and a 3.18 earned run average in 397 games . His strong fastball enabled him to become a notable strikeout artist ; he finished among the league 's top 10 in that category six times .   King 's best season came in 1888 , when he led the Browns to their fourth consecutive American Association championship . That year , King led the league with 585 innings pitched in 66 games , 45 wins , and a 1.64 ERA . In 1890 , he jumped to Chicago of the Players ' League and added another ERA title while winning 30 games . On June 21 , 1890 , King threw a no-hitter for Chicago , the only one in the league 's one-year history . ( King lost 1 -- 0 , and pitched only eight innings in the loss , so this game is not officially recognized by MLB as a no-hitter . )   After baseball , King returned to his native St. Louis . He died in 1938 , at age 70 , and was laid to rest at New St. Marcus Cemetery in St. Louis .

neg: Jacob Ruppert Jacob ( Jake ) Ruppert , Jr. ( August 5 , 1867 -- January 13 , 1939 ) was an American brewer , businessman , National Guard colonel and United States Congressman who served for four terms representing New York from 1899 to 1907 . He also owned the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball from 1915 until his death in 1939 .   Starting out in the family brewing business , Ruppert entered the United States National Guard in 1886 at the age of 19 , eventually reaching the rank of colonel . While he was the owner of the Yankees , he purchased the contract of Babe Ruth and built Yankee Stadium , reversing the franchise 's fortunes and establishing it as the premier club in the major leagues . Ruppert was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in July 2013 .

neg: New York Mutuals The Mutual Base Ball Club of New York was a leading American baseball club almost throughout its 20-year history . It was established during 1857 , the year of the first baseball convention , just too late to be a founding member of the National Association of Base Ball Players . It was a charter member of both the first professional league in 1871 and the National League in 1876 . Failing on the field and in the coffer , it declined to make its last western trip of the inaugural season . For the transgression it was expelled in December , and soon found itself defunct .   The Mutual club initially played its home games at Elysian Fields in Hoboken , with the New York Knickerbockers and many other Manhattan clubs , but moved to the enclosed Union Grounds in Brooklyn in 1868 .   The Mutuals chose open professionalism in 1869 -- 70 after NABBP liberalization . They joined the first professional league , the National Association of Professional Base Ball Players , for its 1871 to 1875 duration . In 1876 , the Chicago White Stockings initiated the National League and recruited its members from West to East , partly to wrest control of professional baseball from Eastern interests . The Mutuals were one of eight charter members , six of whom were from the National Association . Weak ( sixth place at 21 -- 35 ) and cash-poor , the club refused to complete its playing obligations in the West ; and was expelled .   On May 13 , 1876 , the Mutuals executed the first triple play in major-league history in a game against the Hartford Dark Blues .   Union Grounds proprietor William Cammeyer , often listed today as the Mutual club owner , signed the Hartford Dark Blues to play at his Union Grounds in 1877 . The team was effectively a one-year replacement for the defunct Mutuals , and was sometimes called `` Hartford of Brooklyn '' .

neg: Eastern League (1916) Not to be confused with the Eastern League ( 1884 ) , which functioned from 1884 until 1887 or the current Eastern League ( baseball )   The Eastern League of 1916 through the mid-season of 1932 was an American minor baseball league and the third of four circuits to use the Eastern League name since the 19th century . The successor to an early 20th-century edition of the New England League , it is not related to the current Eastern League , which formed in 1938 from the former New York -- Pennsylvania League , or the current International League , which was known as the Eastern League from 1892 through 1911 .   The Eastern League of 1916 -- 32 was a mid - to higher classification league , beginning in 1916 as a Class B circuit and upgraded to Class A in 1919 . Its president , Tim Murnane , a former sportswriter , and many of its original member clubs were inherited from the New England League , which ceased operation in 1915 . While most of its teams were centered in New England and upstate New York , in its later years the Eastern League admitted teams from Pennsylvania and Virginia . The league consisted of eight teams annually during its existence . The New Haven franchise , owned and operated by George Weiss from 1919 -- 29 , won four of its 17 championships -- though under multiple nicknames . Weiss would go on to a Baseball Hall of Fame career as a top executive with the New York Yankees .   This edition of the Eastern League collapsed during the nadir of the Great Depression on July 17 , 1932 .

neg: List of Kansas City Royals no-hitters The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball franchise based in Kansas City , Missouri . Formed in 1969 , they play in the American League Central division . Pitchers for the Royals have thrown 4 no-hitters in franchise history . A no-hitter is officially recognized by Major League Baseball only `` when a pitcher ( or pitchers ) retires each batter on the opposing team during the entire course of a game , which consists of at least nine innings '' . No-hitters of less than nine complete innings were previously recognized by the league as official ; however , several rule alterations in 1991 changed the rule to its current form . A no-hitter is rare enough that one team in Major League Baseball , the San Diego Padres , has never had a pitcher accomplish the feat . No perfect games , a special subcategory of no-hitter , have been thrown in Royals history . As defined by Major League Baseball , `` in a perfect game , no batter reaches any base during the course of the game . ''   The umpire is also an integral part of any no-hitter . The task of the umpire in a baseball game is to make any decision `` which involves judgment , such as , but not limited to , whether a batted ball is fair or foul , whether a pitch is a strike or a ball , or whether a runner is safe or out ... -LSB- the umpire 's judgment on such matters -RSB- is final . '' Part of the duties of the umpire making calls at home plate includes defining the strike zone , which `` is defined as that area over homeplate ( sic ) the upper limit of which is a horizontal line at the midpoint between the top of the shoulders and the top of the uniform pants , and the lower level is a line at the hollow beneath the kneecap . '' These calls define every baseball game and are therefore integral to the completion of any no-hitter .   The manager is another integral part of any no-hitter . The tasks of the manager include determining the starting rotation as well as batting order and defensive lineup every game .

neg: World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball ( MLB ) in North America , contested since 1903 between the American League ( AL ) champion team and the National League ( NL ) champion team . The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff , and the winning team is awarded the Commissioner 's Trophy . As the series is played in October ( and occasionally November ) , during the fall season in North America , it is often referred to as the Fall Classic .   Prior to 1969 , the team with the best regular season win-loss record in each league automatically advanced to the World Series ; since then each league has conducted a championship series ( ALCS and NLCS ) preceding the World Series to determine which teams will advance . As of 2016 , the World Series has been contested 112 times , with the AL winning 64 and the NL winning 48 .   The 2016 World Series took place between the Cleveland Indians and the Chicago Cubs . Seven games were played , with the Cubs victorious after game seven , played in Cleveland . The final score was 8 -- 7 ; the game went into extra innings after a tied score of 6 -- 6 . This was the third World Series won by the Cubs , as well as their first title since 1908 , a period of 108 years . With the Cubs ' record long title drought finally ended , the Indians ' championship dry spell of 68 years and counting -- the Indians last won the Series in 1948 -- is currently the longest-running Series title absence .   In the American League , the New York Yankees have played in 40 World Series and won 27 , the Philadelphia/Kansas City/Oakland Athletics have played in 14 and won 9 , and the Boston Red Sox have played in 12 and won 8 , including the first World Series . In the National League , the St. Louis Cardinals have appeared in 19 and won 11 , the New York/San Francisco Giants have played in 20 and won 8 , the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers have appeared in 18 and won 6 , and the Cincinnati Reds have appeared in 9 and won 5 .   As of 2016 , no team has won consecutive World Series championships since the New York Yankees in , , and -- the longest such drought in Major League Baseball history .