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I used one of three free Forbes articles to see it. Apparently Manly Manfred's idea is to expand to 8 four-team divisions "to cut down on travel" and get rid of the current "everybody plays everyone" crap, which I hardly object to.
But since he wants to put SIXTEEN teams in the playoffs (yes, four-team divsions where the two top teams make the post-season), he'd be ditching classic rivalries in order to have his micro-divisions, whereas four eight-team divisions in a classic league-based format would work much better. But manly Manfred needs his playoff bloat and doesn't want to admit how stupid it would look to have FOURTH-place teams making the post-season, hence the micro-leagues.
Alleged expansion front runners are Salt Lake City (really?) and Nashville, btw. Crikes.
If you have to go to 4-team divisions, why not stay within standard historic alignments? You can still cut down on travel by emphasizing in-division play
NL East: Mets, Phils, Pirates, Nats
NL South: Braves, Fish, Reds, Nashville
NL North: Brewers, Cubs, Cards, Rox
NL West: Giants, Dodgers, Padres, Snakes
AL East: Yankees, Red Sox, Blue Jays, Orioles
AL North: Tigers, 'dians, White Sox, Twins
AL South: Rays, Royals, Texas, Other Texas
AL West: Seattle, Utah, Vegas, Anaheim
You play each team in your division the proper 18 games (54 total)
You play two of the other three divisions in league 6 games apiece (24+24, 48 games total), and the fourth division (yearly rotation) 12 games each (48 more games)
This brings us to 150 games. I'd rather just give the final 12 games to spread around the league, but we're never getting rid of this inter-league ****, so just play one 3-game set with each team in the corresponding division in the other league. Yes, this means they Yankees and Mets only play in Queens in odd-numbered years and in the Bronx in the even-numbered ones, but who gaf? Yes, this means the Mets never play the Twins or the Angels again…but who gaf?
Better to keep Cards-Cubs and Dodgers-Giants alive than this butchery. JMO.
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