In baseball, a
AAA-level
minor league covering much of the U.S. Eastern Seaboard. Has existed in one form or another since the
1890s, taking on much of its present form and level as the first
tier below the
major leagues in the early
1920s. The
international character of the league originally came from the long-surviving
Montreal Royals franchise (eventually superseded by the
National League's
Montreal Expos), but briefly included the
Havana Sugar Kings in the
1950s, and now is represented by the
Ottawa Lynx.
Currently contains 14 teams organized in three divisions, the North, South, and West. The playoff format qualifies the three division winners plus a wild card team (the team with the best record among divisional second place finishers); playoffs follow and lead to the league championship, symbolized by the Governors' Cup, after which the Triple-A World Series is played in Las Vegas between the PCL and IL champions.
Divisions and teams:
IL South:
IL West: