Baseball expanded both the ALCS and NLCS in 1985, from a best-of-five to a best-of-seven series. ... 1972 - Cincinnati Reds. 1971 - Pittsburgh Pirates. 1970 - Cincinnati Reds. 1969 - New York Mets.

The History of NLCS Winners Since Its Inception. For the first century of the National League's existence, the team with the best regular-season record advanced directly to the World Series, with ...