Which realignment would be most plausible?

[PrivateO]

In ChaosLex's poll for if posters would want realignment, 56% would be for it, while 44% would be against it. This thread is part 2. (Mods, if this needs to be moved to MLB section, or combined with a thread, please do so.)

So let's say it happens. You are on Selig's committee, and you have been tasked to make a new format of leagues. (the above are possibilities)

You may either keep the same amount of teams or expand to 32. Which would you do? Which works best for Major League Baseball? Pros? Cons?

(If you have other ideas not listed, write them)

Poll to follow..

[LookinUp]

I move one team from the NL Central back to the AL, realign with 6 five-team divisions and always have at least one interleague series, but possibly many more. In this sense, I'd adopt the model of every other sports league where the teams play both conferences over the course of the year and have a balanced schedule.

[Why_Knott?]

To me, it would feel cheap if we were to win after a realignment taking us away from the AL East. I guess I'm against realignment all together, but I am for going away from the unbalanced schedule.

Basically, I would want the divisions to stay the same, but a more balanced schedule.

[lordbrook]

No realignment looks good to me. I want to beat the MFY's and Sox fair and square. After we've had a decade of kicking the bejeesus out of them I would be open for realignment or schedule changes. Before that we're just looking like whiners IMO.

[crowmst3k!]

Two divisions in each league, east and west with two division winners and two wildcards that are determined by the second and third best records, regardless of division (same number of playoff teams, same number of series as always).

The schedules are balanced, with the members of each division having one extra intra-division "home" and "away" game with each divisional team, to promote some sense of rivalry and to keep the national networks happy, as they will hunger for the ratings that rivalries produce.

Under this structure, inter-league is eliminated (unless it was to be held for one weekend each season with close proximity AL/NL clubs purely as an exhibition).

This would: help to:

1. debase the current divisional alignments in which teams play an overwhelming amount of their games against three or four other divisional opponents.

2. Make other owners have to play the "beasts of the east" (or other similar high-payroll teams) more, which may start a league-wide movement for some form of salary control.

3. Attract pitchers to smaller market teams. Teams like the Orioles would not have to rely entirely on drafting pitchers, as pitchers would not have to worry about facing the Yanks/Sux so many times a year.

[GotNitro]

Two divisions in each league, east and west with two division winners and two wildcards that are determined by the second and third best records, regardless of division (same number of playoff teams, same number of series as always).

The schedules are balanced, with the members of each division having one extra intra-division "home" and "away" game with each divisional team, to promote some sense of rivalry and to keep the national networks happy, as they will hunger for the ratings that rivalries produce.

Under this structure, inter-league is eliminated (unless it was to be held for one weekend each season with close proximity AL/NL clubs purely as an exhibition).

This would: help to:

1. debase the current divisional alignments in which teams play an overwhelming amount of their games against three or four other divisional opponents.

2. Make other owners have to play the "beasts of the east" (or other similar high-payroll teams) more, which may start a league-wide movement for some form of salary control.

3. Attract pitchers to smaller market teams. Teams like the Orioles would not have to rely entirely on drafting pitchers, as pitchers would not have to worry about facing the Yanks/Sux so many times a year.

I like this one! :clap3:

[lordbrook]

Two divisions in each league, east and west with two division winners and two wildcards that are determined by the second and third best records, regardless of division (same number of playoff teams, same number of series as always).

The schedules are balanced, with the members of each division having one extra intra-division "home" and "away" game with each divisional team, to promote some sense of rivalry and to keep the national networks happy, as they will hunger for the ratings that rivalries produce.

Under this structure, inter-league is eliminated (unless it was to be held for one weekend each season with close proximity AL/NL clubs purely as an exhibition).

This would: help to:

1. debase the current divisional alignments in which teams play an overwhelming amount of their games against three or four other divisional opponents.

2. Make other owners have to play the "beasts of the east" (or other similar high-payroll teams) more, which may start a league-wide movement for some form of salary control.

3. Attract pitchers to smaller market teams. Teams like the Orioles would not have to rely entirely on drafting pitchers, as pitchers would not have to worry about facing the Yanks/Sux so many times a year.

I still don't think this accomplishes anything. We still have the MFY's buying every bit of talent they can. Even if we had to face them less in the regular season we'd still face them in the playoffs and we'd have to beat their mercenaries then. To quote Sting in Dune "Why prolong the inevitable?"

[crowmst3k!]

I still don't think this accomplishes anything. We still have the MFY's buying every bit of talent they can. Even if we had to face them less in the regular season we'd still face them in the playoffs and we'd have to beat their mercenaries then. To quote Sting in Dune "Why prolong the inevitable?"

Yes, but in this paradigm, it's not just the problem of Tampa, Toronto, Baltimore. With the rest of the league facing them more, and wild cards not being divisionally bound, it's everyone's problem. I'll be willing to bet that there would be more cries of disgust from the owners over the extreme disparity between the Yankees payroll and the rest of the league.

Instead of conveniently tucking the payroll problem away where it's mostly the problem of the three have-nots in the east, it becomes a league-wide issue which would be more likely addressed.

[connja]

it's really very simple....balance the schedule across the league. You can't have teams fighting for the same wildcard spots and playing completely different schedules.

[El Gordo]

There is a common expression, "plausible, but not possible". They are all plausible; floating divisions is most possible.:scratchchinhmm:

[PrivateO]

I was just playing around with this map and seeing different ways to divide the leagues.

NORTHEAST LEAGUE:

Red Sox, Yankees, Mets, Phillies, Orioles, Nationals, Pirates, Blue Jays, Tigers, Indians, Reds, White Sox, Cubs, Brewers

SOUTH/WESTERN LEAGUE:

Mariners, Giants, Athletics, Dodgers, Angels, Padres, Diamondbacks, Rockies, Royals, Twins, Cardinals, Astros, Rangers, Braves, Marlins, Rays

Pros: Promotes geographical rivalries, balanced schedule

Cons: Disparity "big-money" teams in Northeast League, DH decision

(I wouldn't make divisions, but it wouldn't be too challenging)

NORTHEAST:

North Division- DET, TOR, NYY, BOS

MidAtlantic Division- NYM, BAL, WAS, PIT, PHI

Midwest Division- MIL, CHC, CHW, CIN, CLE

SOUTH/WESTERN:

California Division- SF, OAK, LAD, LAA, SD

Dixie Division- TEX, HOU, FLA, TB, ATL

TBD Division- SEA, COL, KC, STL, MIN

[ShaneDawg85]

Next to keeping it as is, the only plausible one that I think anyone would go to is returning it to it's previous format, prior to 1995. Either one big league, or two divisions per league.

[JTrea81]

Move the Yankees to the NL East and the Mets to the AL East.

Problem solved.

[orayole]

To me, it would feel cheap if we were to win after a realignment taking us away from the AL East. I guess I'm against realignment all together, but I am for going away from the unbalanced schedule.

Basically, I would want the divisions to stay the same, but a more balanced schedule.

If you have a balanced schedule, what is the point of even having divisions?

[tilgaham]

I for one am in favor of floating realignment. It works for the premier league and MIAA sports