MLB Realignment

[formerkywrestler]

A look at how realignment would possibly affect playoff races.

[EZ Living]

Three divisions of 5 teams is ideal. How they have gone with the National Central division with 6 teams for so long and 16 teams in the National league and 14 in the American league is totally beyond me. I guess with Bud retiring soon they can finally address this issue like it should be. The decision to go with an even number of teams in each league had to do with interleague play and they weren't sure that interleague play would continue beyond 1998. Well guess what 13 years later it's still here so figure something out with the scheduling.

[SvFan4life]

I don't see how competing against teams like the Red Sox, Yankees, and White Sox every year is fair to the smaller market AL teams.

 

Very true. If that is a proposed realignment then I would imagine more than 5 playoff spots, maybe 6 if they elminated divisions.

[SSC]

I don't see how competing against teams like the Red Sox, Yankees, and White Sox every year is fair to the smaller market AL teams.

 

It's not fair for anyone to compete against them if they continue to allow them to outspend everyone. However with 5 spots up for grabs and a balanced schedule I'm sure Toronto, Tampa and Baltimore would love no divisions. With that proposal all 5 teams could reach the playoffs the same year. As it stands only two can.

[LRCW]

This deserves it's own post. But here is Jim Bowden's crazy proposal. :lol:

 

 

What do you find comical about Bowden's plan? To be honest I think it makes more sense than any plan I've seen.

[Jim Schue]

What do you find comical about Bowden's plan? To be honest I think it makes more sense than any plan I've seen.

 

It's comical because it fails to account how to reduce the number of teams playing in the LCS to two. How does he get from six teams to two without forcing a team to wait a week or more and lose their edge?

 

Plus, it's just so completely radical that there's no way MLB would seriously consider it.

[LRCW]

It's comical because it fails to account how to reduce the number of teams playing in the LCS to two. How does he get from six teams to two without forcing a team to wait a week or more and lose their edge?

 

Plus, it's just so completely radical that there's no way MLB would seriously consider it.

 

 

The way the playoffs are played out would obviously need tweaked, but as far as just the realignment itself I think it is great. The playoffs system with the 15 teams in each league, and 5 teams making the playoffs also needs tweaked. You cant have teams sitting out a week or so waiting for the Wild Card playoffs to be played.

[SSC]

The way the playoffs are played out would obviously need tweaked, but as far as just the realignment itself I think it is great. The playoffs system with the 15 teams in each league, and 5 teams making the playoffs also needs tweaked. You cant have teams sitting out a week or so waiting for the Wild Card playoffs to be played.

 

Is there a concrete plan right now for the 5 team playoff? I read an article from St. Louis yesterday that talked aboout the DH and that all teams would have to have one if they went to two 15 team leagues. I guess it's coming if they do this.

[Jim Schue]

The way the playoffs are played out would obviously need tweaked, but as far as just the realignment itself I think it is great. The playoffs system with the 15 teams in each league, and 5 teams making the playoffs also needs tweaked. You cant have teams sitting out a week or so waiting for the Wild Card playoffs to be played.

 

Is there a concrete plan right now for the 5 team playoff? I read an article from St. Louis yesterday that talked aboout the DH and that all teams would have to have one if they went to two 15 team leagues. I guess it's coming if they do this.

 

As far as I know, there's none. The only decent way of doing a 5-team setup would be for the Wild Card series to be no more than a best-of-three. Plus, I would argue that they should play a DH for the first two games, then bring 'em back the next day for a third game if needed. All games at the home site of the WC team with the better record (H2H if they finish with the same record). That would eliminate the delay for the top seed.

 

As far as a major radical realignment like what Leatherpants proposes, I don't know. The traditionalist in me says no way. If they are going to do something like that, they should implement a scheduling scenario somewhat like what the NBA does, with X number of games against each team in the other league, X number against teams in your league, and the largest number against the teams in your own division.

 

Of course, this would require eliminating the designated hitter altogether, which opens up whole 'nuther can of worms with the MLBPA.

[SSC]

They would never eliminate the designated hitter. It's much more likely everyone would have it. I don't care which way they go I'd just love to see them all play by the same rules

[NEERFAN]

Is there a concrete plan right now for the 5 team playoff? I read an article from St. Louis yesterday that talked aboout the DH and that all teams would have to have one if they went to two 15 team leagues. I guess it's coming if they do this.

 

I'd think it would be almost impossible for them to eliminate the DH, the MLBPA wouldn't go for it. I would hate to see the DH become the norm.