Radical Realignment

[Handsome Wes]

So, the baseball equivalent to hemorrhoids, Rob Manfred, was on television talking baseball expansion and about how it was going to lead to radical realignment.

By that, we mean ditching the century-old standard of American and National League and shifting to the NBA-style Eastern vs. Western Conference. Your Eastern Conference / Atlantic Division would look something like "Yankees, Red Sox, Mets, Phillies".

The theory is that it would cut down on travel, which was necessary because of the idiotic decision to mandate that every team play every team each year (I fail to see how it would actually cut down on travel, because the divisions are already aligned locally; you would still have, for example, the Mariners and Mets playing each other once a year).

I can't explain how much I hate this, but no one really cares what I think (and I also hate that no one really cares what I think).

In any event, I think if baseball were to expand to 32 teams (inevitable, even though the game has trouble finding 30 owners), the situation could be resolved just by the Rays and Rockies swapping leagues.*
*I am assuming that the Rays will stay in Tampa, the A's are moving to Las Vegas, and that expansion teams will go to Nashville and Salt Lake City.

AL East: Boston, New York, Baltimore, Toronto
AL Central: Detroit, Chicago, Minnesota, Cleveland
AL South: Houston, Kansas City, Colorado, Texas
AL West: Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Seattle

NL East: New York, Philadelphia, Washington, Pittsburgh
NL Central: Cincinnati, Milwaukee, Chicago, St. Louis
NL South: Atlanta, Tampa, Miami, Nashville
NL West: Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Diego, San Francisco

Division winners+ two wild cards make the playoffs.

(before anyone says there should be a relegation system, please know that that is an even dumber solution and also one that has zero chance of happening)

But whatever, like i said, no one really cares what i have to say, but i just wanted to vent somewhere

[JRX]

You're not thinking as dumb as Manfred. They'll put Yankees/Mets in same division same with Cubs/White Sox etc

[Bosoxfan5990]

Talent is so watered down and there are teams that can barely draw, but sure, expansion.

[Scottish Punk]

Getting rid of National and American league would be monumentally stupid for baseball. I just can't see it happening. I can see a solution like yours being much more likely and a lot less disruptive. This could be to float balloon a really terrible idea out there and it get it talked about so that the less bad idea seems like a big win.

Is MLB going to try to wrap the expansion talks in before the next Collective Bargaining? Or is this going to be a negotiating tactic of proposing and conceding it during the inevitable lock out?

[Bosoxfan5990]

Originally Posted by Scottish Punk

Getting rid of National and American league would be monumentally stupid for baseball. I just can't see it happening. I can see a solution like yours being much more likely and a lot less disruptive. This could be to float balloon a really terrible idea out there and it get it talked about so that the less bad idea seems like a big win.

Is MLB going to try to wrap the expansion talks in before the next Collective Bargaining? Or is this going to be a negotiating tactic of proposing and conceding it during the inevitable lock out?

There's no difference in leagues at this point. Once they added the universal DH, all tradition went out the window.

[JRX]

Here's my why don't you just shut the sport down breakdown. Again you can do minor reshuffling, but this is the nonsense they've wanted for awhile.

Bos, Tor, NYY, NYM
PHI, WAS, BAL, PITT
TB, MIA, ATL, Nashville
MIN, MIL, CLE, DET
CIN, STL, CHC, CHW
LAD, LAA, SD, SF
COL, SEA, LV, Expansion
ARI, TEX, HOU, KC

[JRX]

You have to keep in mind, the owners are incredibly cheap. If they can send the players on busses instead of planes, they will.

[oldgoldy97]

Shouldn’t ManFred reorganize alphabetically? Seems like that’s up his alley.

[anusinha]

Angels will never see the playoffs again

[Handsome Wes]

Originally Posted by Scottish Punk

Getting rid of National and American league would be monumentally stupid for baseball. I just can't see it happening. I can see a solution like yours being much more likely and a lot less disruptive. This could be to float balloon a really terrible idea out there and it get it talked about so that the less bad idea seems like a big win.

Is MLB going to try to wrap the expansion talks in before the next Collective Bargaining? Or is this going to be a negotiating tactic of proposing and conceding it during the inevitable lock out?

My chaos theory is that the league is going to use expansion as a way to replenish their coffers after whatever force majeure happens next (collusion penalties, lower payouts from television contracts, extended lockout, whatever). Expansion fees will bring in at least a billion bucks, so they'll probably go for it at some point.

I think that 32 teams should be the upper limit, though. As we've seen from literally every other sport - especially college football -- that adding teams willy-nilly does not always make for a better product in the long run.

[SaveMeTheGum]

However they realign, they should make sure no games are played in northern, non-dome parks before the end of April.

[BostonNut]

Originally Posted by Bosoxfan5990

There's no difference in leagues at this point. Once they added the universal DH, all tradition went out the window.

Ultimate Boomer take.

[Mister2Bits]

Edit: Nevermind

[hxcmilkshake]

I dont even see what the problem is he's trying to solve. Travel? Really? Unless you're expanding 4 or 5 teams at once you don't have to realign anything.

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[rfgilles]

Originally Posted by Scottish Punk

Getting rid of National and American league would be monumentally stupid for baseball. I just can't see it happening. I can see a solution like yours being much more likely and a lot less disruptive. This could be to float balloon a really terrible idea out there and it get it talked about so that the less bad idea seems like a big win.

Is MLB going to try to wrap the expansion talks in before the next Collective Bargaining? Or is this going to be a negotiating tactic of proposing and conceding it during the inevitable lock out?

There really is no difference between AL and NL, fans would adjust fine to a realignment. Mets and Yankees battling for a playoff spot would be appealing from my perspective.

[Bosoxfan5990]

Originally Posted by BostonNut

Ultimate Boomer take.

Ok Boomer.

[mfw13]

My preference would be to keep 30 teams, and realign into three divisions with in-season promotion and relegation.

Here's how it would work:

- three divisions of 10 teams each

- season divided into three "rounds" of 54 games each, during which each team plays the other nine teams in their division six times (3 home/3 away).

- at the end of round 1, the top four teams in divisions B & C are promoted, and the bottom four teams in divisions A & B are relegated

- at the end of round 2, the top three teams in teams in divisions B & C are promoted, and the bottom three teams in divisions A & B are relegated

- at the end of round 3 (i.e. after 162 total games have been played), you have the playoffs. The top four teams in division A play for the World Series title. The bottom two teams in division A play the top two teams in division B for promotion/relegation. The bottom two teams in division B play the top two teams in division C for promotion/relegation.

Logistically, it works perfectly, and it would create a lot more high-stakes games to keep the regular season interesting.

[finfangfan]

Originally Posted by JRX

Here's my why don't you just shut the sport down breakdown. Again you can do minor reshuffling, but this is the nonsense they've wanted for awhile.

Bos, Tor, NYY, NYM
PHI, WAS, BAL, PITT
TB, MIA, ATL, Nashville
MIN, MIL, CLE, DET
CIN, STL, CHC, CHW
LAD, LAA, SD, SF
COL, SEA, LV, Expansion
ARI, TEX, HOU, KC

I’m an Orioles fan and I wouldn’t mind seeing them in the same division as PHI, PIT, and WSH. Phillies games have always been packed at Camden Yards when they happen. WSH should also draw wall, and I think of PIT as the NL BAL, so they would fit in well too.

[JMStang]

If it gets the Rangers out of a division with West Coast teams I’m ok with it. West coast divisional raid trips suck when you’re in the central time zone.


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[JRX]

Originally Posted by JMStang

If it gets the Rangers out of a division with West Coast teams I’m ok with it. West coast divisional raid trips suck when you’re in the central time zone.


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Probably comes down to where the expansion teams go.

[hxcmilkshake]

Im sure he will push for expanded playoffs too so you'll have as much excitement at the end of the regular season that the NBA and NHL have.

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[base set]

Someone make sure Bob Costas is sitting near professional medical personnel when he gets news of this idea.

[JRX]

Originally Posted by hxcmilkshake

Im sure he will push for expanded playoffs too so you'll have as much excitement at the end of the regular season that the NBA and NHL have.

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They'll likely copy the nfl, 8 div winners with likely 8 wild cards. I know the nfl still gives 2 byes, but they'll get rid of that eventually.

[mfw13]

If baseball expands to 32 teams, four 8-team divisions will be far better than eight 4-team divisions.

For example, the West could be SEA, SF, LAD, ANA, ARZ, LV, COL, SD.

[jduds]

Originally Posted by Handsome Wes

So, the baseball equivalent to hemorrhoids, Rob Manfred, was on television talking baseball expansion and about how it was going to lead to radical realignment.

By that, we mean ditching the century-old standard of American and National League and shifting to the NBA-style Eastern vs. Western Conference. Your Eastern Conference / Atlantic Division would look something like "Yankees, Red Sox, Mets, Phillies".

The theory is that it would cut down on travel, which was necessary because of the idiotic decision to mandate that every team play every team each year (I fail to see how it would actually cut down on travel, because the divisions are already aligned locally; you would still have, for example, the Mariners and Mets playing each other once a year).

I can't explain how much I hate this, but no one really cares what I think (and I also hate that no one really cares what I think).

In any event, I think if baseball were to expand to 32 teams (inevitable, even though the game has trouble finding 30 owners), the situation could be resolved just by the Rays and Rockies swapping leagues.*
*I am assuming that the Rays will stay in Tampa, the A's are moving to Las Vegas, and that expansion teams will go to Nashville and Salt Lake City.

AL East: Boston, New York, Baltimore, Toronto
AL Central: Detroit, Chicago, Minnesota, Cleveland
AL South: Houston, Kansas City, Colorado, Texas
AL West: Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Seattle

NL East: New York, Philadelphia, Washington, Pittsburgh
NL Central: Cincinnati, Milwaukee, Chicago, St. Louis
NL South: Atlanta, Tampa, Miami, Nashville
NL West: Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Diego, San Francisco

Division winners+ two wild cards make the playoffs.

(before anyone says there should be a relegation system, please know that that is an even dumber solution and also one that has zero chance of happening)

But whatever, like i said, no one really cares what i have to say, but i just wanted to vent somewhere

As a Braves fan, I'll happily take the cream puff division as a fair tradeoff for losing some long-time rivals.