Arizona Diamondbacks

**History** edit - On March 9, 1995, Phoenix was awarded an expansion franchise to begin play for the 1998 season. A $130 million franchise fee was paid to Major League Baseball (MLB). On January 16, 1997, owners of existing MLB teams voted to put the Diamondbacks in the National League. The Diamondbacks' first major league game was played against the Colorado Rockies on March 31, 1998, at Bank One Ballpark. The ballpark was renamed Chase Field in 2005, as a result of Bank One's merger with JPMorgan Chase. Since their debut, the Diamondbacks have won two Wild Card Series, five NL West division titles, two NL pennants, and the 2001 World Series. They were the fastest expansion franchise in baseball history to win a World Series after defeating the Yankees in Game 7 during the 2001 postseason. After beating the Philadelphia Phillies 4–2 in Game 7 of the 2023 NLCS at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, the Diamondbacks returned to the World Series for the first time since 2001 – against the Texas Rangers on October 27, 2023. They lost the series 4–1, with the clinching Game 5 loss at home in Arizona on November 1, 2023. ^ "Baseball owners to study swapping teams". The Macon Telegraph. Associated Press. January 17, 1997. p. 7. Retrieved June 11, 2025. - ^ Dotson, Kevin (October 25, 2023). "Arizona Diamondbacks headed to the World Series after beating Phillies for the National League pennant". CNN. Archived from the original on October 26, 2023. Retrieved October 26, 2023.