Expansion Could Trigger Realignment, Longer Postseason

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Popeye_Card
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Re: Expansion Could Trigger Realignment, Longer Postseason

Post by Popeye_Card »

I think you try to keep traditional AL and NL teams in their historic leagues, with maybe a couple minor tweaks. Above all else, I hate messing up that tradition. And the stupid DH.

AL East:
NYY
Boston
Baltimore
Toronto
Tampa Bay
Cleveland
Detroit
Montreal

AL West:
Minnesota
KC
ChiSox
Texas
Seattle
Anaheim
Oakland
Portland

NL East:
NYM
Philly
Pitt
Atlanta
Florida
Cinci
Washington
Mil

NL West:
Cards
Cubs
Houston
Colorado
LA
AZ
SF
SD

That basically splits up eastern time zone vs. the rest, kinda like the NHL does. Sure it is a bit more travel, but the extra off days make up for it.

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MrCrowesGarden
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Re: Expansion Could Trigger Realignment, Longer Postseason

Post by MrCrowesGarden »

Unfortunately, I think that is why it wouldn't happen.

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JoeMcKim
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Re: Expansion Could Trigger Realignment, Longer Postseason

Post by JoeMcKim »

That basically splits up eastern time zone vs. the rest, kinda like the NHL does. Sure it is a bit more travel, but the extra off days make up for it.
Popeye_Card wrote:I think you try to keep traditional AL and NL teams in their historic leagues, with maybe a couple minor tweaks. Above all else, I hate messing up that tradition. And the stupid DH.
I absolutely hate that division for the Cardinals where you have a natural rivalry with the Cubs then the rest of the teams are no where close by. Houston would be the next closest team and thats a 12 hour drive away. I would much rather be in a division with both Chicago teams, Milwaukee and KC. I don't want to be in a division with a bunch of west coast teams where we're playing a ton of 9PM games.

The DH is coming to all of baseball eventually we all know this, fighting it js basically a futile endeavor. And might be best just to get rid of the AL and NL and instead just have MLB teams. That way you can literally seed the playoffs to where the best record team plays the wild card team with the worst record.
Last edited by JoeMcKim on October 16 17, 7:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Transmogrified Tiger
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Re: Expansion Could Trigger Realignment, Longer Postseason

Post by Transmogrified Tiger »

yeah, the whole point of that proposal is going to a shorter schedule that makes up the revenue in travel cost savings. It'd be a pretty big change, but that's okay. Teams have changed cities, leagues, the mound has been different heights, the DH got invented, about 120 years ago if it rained they just called everything hit to the OF a ground rule double. It'd be fine.

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Popeye_Card
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Re: Expansion Could Trigger Realignment, Longer Postseason

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Well it is not OK with me. The DH sucks, and MLB has always operated as two independent leagues. That has meaning to me.

One of the biggest draws of baseball over other sports is tradition. You keep eroding that, and you lose your edge. But whatever--win the battles, lose the war.

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Re: Expansion Could Trigger Realignment, Longer Postseason

Post by CardsofSTL »

I am okay with the idea of expansion/realignment but it should be done carefully. For one; if you are going to re-align; why keep the wild cards at all? Make it an even number of divisions. But of course then you won't be able to keep second division teams in the hunt.

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Re: Expansion Could Trigger Realignment, Longer Postseason

Post by JoeMcKim »

Popeye_Card wrote:Well it is not OK with me. The DH sucks, and MLB has always operated as two independent leagues. That has meaning to me.

One of the biggest draws of baseball over other sports is tradition. You keep eroding that, and you lose your edge. But whatever--win the battles, lose the war.
The American League and National League haven't operated as two separate leagues since they got rid of AL and NL umpires and now just have MLB umpires.

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Re: Expansion Could Trigger Realignment, Longer Postseason

Post by JoeMcKim »

https://www.betlabssports.com/blog/a-lo ... alignment/

Here is what another person proposed for realignment which is more of a compromise as far as keeping tradition in line more. But would be a lot more complicated in how you would expand the playoffs without making it last any longer. Not sure how you expand the playoffs without making it last longer under this proposal since with 8 divisions you would essentially have to add a round since 8 teams that would bet to skip the WC round would cause you to have to do 8 teams playing in the WC round which means literally half of baseball would make the playoffs.

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Popeye_Card
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Re: Expansion Could Trigger Realignment, Longer Postseason

Post by Popeye_Card »

JoeMcKim wrote:
Popeye_Card wrote:Well it is not OK with me. The DH sucks, and MLB has always operated as two independent leagues. That has meaning to me.

One of the biggest draws of baseball over other sports is tradition. You keep eroding that, and you lose your edge. But whatever--win the battles, lose the war.
The American League and National League haven't operated as two separate leagues since they got rid of AL and NL umpires and now just have MLB umpires.
They still hand out major awards for each league. There are league leaders in all stat categories in each league. MLB is the only major sport which still does this.

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ghostrunner
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Re: Expansion Could Trigger Realignment, Longer Postseason

Post by ghostrunner »

So is reducing the number of games likely off the table due to contractual arrangements? Player records? I'd be ok with going back to 154 games.

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