The World Series is the annual championship series of North American-based Major League Baseball (MLB), played since 1903 between the American League (AL) and National League (NL) team champions. 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, which is one of the fall (autumn) months in North America, MLB also refers to it as the Fall Classic. The most recent World Series was won by the San Francisco Giants, who defeated the Detroit Tigers in a four-game sweep in 2012. In the AL, the New York Yankees have played in 40 World Series and won 27, the Oakland/Philadelphia Athletics have played in 14 and won 9, and the Boston Red Sox have played in 12 and won 7, including the first World Series. In the NL, the St. Louis Cardinals have appeared in 19 and won 11, the San Francisco/New York Giants have played in 19 World Series and won 7, and the Los Angeles/Brooklyn Dodgers have appeared in 18 and won 6.