first division

Let me pause to explain “second division” to those for whom the term has little or no significance. For the first half of the twentieth century the classic, constant number of baseball teams in a league was eight. Not six, not ten, not twelve, not fourteen. Eight. […] Even if a club failed to win the pennant, it was important to finish second, third or fourth—that is, in the upper half or first division of the league. […] “First division” came to mean something admirable, “second division” was denigrating.