Possible Re-Alignment of AL & NL?

[JimF]

This sounds like a good idea to me, I would rather have Detroit in the AL East than Tampa Bay:

Diamondbacks believe move to AL might be inevitable
Feb. 23, 2000
SportsLine wire reports

TUCSON, Ariz. -- The Arizona Diamondbacks began full-squad workouts on Wednesday with the growing realization that this could well be their last season in the National League.

The defending NL West champions will have to be dragged kicking and screaming to the American League, but they know they have no choice if that's what the other owners decide to do.

When Arizona was added to the NL and Tampa Bay joined the American League as expansion teams for the 1998 season, baseball included clauses that allows the teams to be moved to other leagues and divisions after 2000.

"It was a last-minute addition and I didn't like it but we had no choice," Diamondbacks owner Jerry Colangelo said. "I wasn't happy at the time and I'm not any happier today."

Commissioner Bud Selig wants some realignment for 2001, with the emphasis on getting Texas out of the AL West, where the Rangers have to deal with a two-hour time zone difference with the other clubs in the division: Seattle, Oakland and California.

The plan mentioned most often by owners has Arizona moving to the AL West, Texas to the AL Central, Detroit to the AL East and Tampa Bay to the NL East.


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JimF@Bronx-Bombers.com

Ansky39's Neighbor's Best Friend's 9th Cousin, Twice Removed.

[clipper]

I think a lot depends on the future of interleague play. If it might go away, each league must have an even number of teams. On the other hand, if baseball is convinced that it's here to stay, then they should realign into two leagues of 15 teams (each with three divisions of 5 teams).

This arrangement would force the scheduling of at least one (and often three) interleage series at all times throughout the season (even opening day), but I don't see that as a huge drawback. I'm not a big fan of interleague play in the first place, but I particularly don't like the way it's scheduled into two blocks in the season.

In that scenario, I'd suggest that each team play their four division rivals 13 times each (alternating the 7th home game by year), with a larger portion of these series scheduled for after Labor Day.

Each of the 10 teams in the other divisions would be played 9 times (three 3 game series per year, alternating the year of the additional homestands).

Each team would have a "natural rival" in the other league, against whom they would play six games (two three game sets, not too close together in the season).

They would play an additional three game series against each of two other teams in the other league. These opponents could be determined by rotation or by standings positions, or at random.

This gives a total of 154 games, which I think is plenty. If there's a desire to retain the 162 game schedule, you could easily do that by adding a third interleage opponent (3 games) playing a seventh game against the "natural rival" and moving to 14 games in the division.

With an additional interleague series, it would be possible to designate a "secondary rival" in the other league, perhaps playing that team every year, alternating venue.

The natural rivals would be as follows:

- East
Yankees / Mets
Orioles / Phillies
D-Rays / Marlins
Blue Jays / Expos
Red Sox / Braves

- Central
Indians / Reds
White Sox / Cubs
Royals / Cardinals
Twins / Brewers
Tigers / Pirates

- West
Athletics / Giants
Angels / Dodgers
Rangers / Astros
Mariners / Rockies
Diamondbacks / Padres

This requires moving the Astros to the NL West, and switching the Snakes to the AL. As I see it the only "reaches" as far as natural rivalries are Boston-Atlanta, Detroit-Pittsburgh, and Seattle-Colorado, and none of those are that bad. Allowing for a "secondary rivalry" could enable series like RedSox-Mets, Yankees-Phillies, Indians-Pirates, WhiteSox-Brewers, Snakes-Rockies, etc. I'm sure it could be scheduled where certain teams used these "second rivals" while others rotated through the remaining teams.


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"Does Coggins look like Bonds?" - Bill White 1975

[Yanks-Past and Present]

I think this would cause too much confusion. It could also possibly ruin the Rangers chances of making it to the postseason. Being in the Tribe's division (as much as I hate them), could prevent the Rangers from making it.

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We're the Yanks and we're on the top,

We sweep out the opposition with a broom and mop,

Give the bat to Bernie, he ain't shy,

Every single year we get a by,

Jeter divin on the dirt, makin the double play,

Mets fans, close your eyes, 'cause today is a Yankee day!

[clipper]

One interesting wrinkle of the plan that is currently being floated is that the NL would split into four divisions, with no wild card. These would be:

- New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Montreal
- Atlanta, Tampa Bay, Florida, St. Louis
- Cincinnati, Chicago, Milwaukee, Houston
- San Francisco, Colorado, Los Angeles, San Diego.

Interesting that they would split up the Cards & Cubs. I don't like very many aspects of this proposal, but I would think at minimum they would want to switch the Cards and the Astros in this proposal.

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"Does Coggins look like Bonds?" - Bill White 1975

[smr15]

...I saw in this morning's paper that the Cards are already kicking - they're of the opinion that it makes no sense to separate them from the Cubs, their historical rivals...

That would be akin to re-aligning the AL East and not having the Sox and Yanks in the same division.

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"When I was a little boy, I wanted to be a baseball player and join the circus. With the Yankees, I've accomplished both." - Graig Nettles

[mish1019]

Yanks-P&P =-

i thought the same thing about Texas. out of all the teams involved, i think texas would make out the worst if this were to happen

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Mish

[OklaYankeeFan]

I think the idea of one league having a wild card and the other not is ridiculous. That is bound to hurt attendance in the late summer/early fall at NL games. More teams would be "out of it" earlier. I think the wild card has added a very unteresting twist to the playoffs and the NL would be foolish to abandon it.

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[Butnud]

As long as Rocker doesn't come to the Yanks, or Mets.
As long as the Braves don't come to the AL-East.
As long as the DH role isn't taken away I don't care.
They can witch whoever they want and I won't care, except for the above reasons then I don't really care...

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Today. I consider myself the luckiest man on the face the Earth. -Lou Gehrig-