Baseball_Finnish_Championship_Series Knowpia

Baseball Finnish Championship Series
Sport	Baseball
Founded	1981
No. of teams	6
Country	Finland
Most recent; champion(s)	Espoo Expos
Most titles	Espoo Expos 19
Official website	www.baseball.fi

The Baseball Finnish Championship Series (Finnish: Baseballin SM-sarja) has been played in Finland since 1981. Currently the Championship consists of 6 teams, but has had as many as 7 (in 2007). The Championship winner represents Finland in the following year's CEB European Cup tournament.

History edit

The first year of the Finnish Championship Series was 1981, in which the championship was won by the Hawks from Helsinki. The Hawks merged with Helsingin Pallotoverit and the team won under the name Wranglers also in 1982. After the 1982 season the team changed its name to Puumat (Pumas) and has been one of the most successful clubs and the only club to remain from the 1980s; and still plays currently. Due to the recession, the 1992 season was not played, and the history of baseball can be divided between pre-1992 and post 1992.

The only team outside the Helsinki Metropolitan Area to win the Finnish Championship was Riihimäen Piraijat (Riihimäki Piranhas) in 1994.

League format edit

The season starts in early May, and is completed by the end of August or early September. Currently there are 4 teams in the top league. Each team in the Finnish Championship Series plays 15 games; teams play against each other 5 times. The top 2 teams meet in the Best-of-Five Championship Series.