The Baseball Finnish Championship Series (‘Baseballin SM-sarja’ in Finnish) has been played in Finland since 1981: currently the Championship consists of 5 teams (Espoo Expos, Helsinki Mets, Helsinki Puumat, Lahti Pirates, Tampere Tigers), the season starts in early May, and is completed by the end of August (or early September). The Championship winner represents Finland in the following year’s CEB European Cup tournament. The first edition of the Finnish Championship Series was in 1981, won by the Helsinki Hawks. The 1992 season was not played, due to the recession: the history of Finnish baseball can be divided between pre-1992 and post 1992. The only teams outside the Helsinki Metropolitan Area to ever win the Finnish Championship are Riihimäen Piraijat (Riihimäki Piranhas) in 1994, and Tampere Tigers (2021). Most successful teams are the Espoo Expos (17 titles) and the Helsinki Puumat (9 titles, also as Hawks/Wranglers). Read more: Baseball.fi
