MLB Expansion/Realignment Proposal

MBarrett · 10-17-2017, 12:36 PM

http://www.baseballamerica.com/colum...son/?amphtml=1

I think it would make more sense to expand to Charlotte instead of Portland and then keep Minnesota in the West.

Thoughts?

Déjà Bru · 10-17-2017, 12:45 PM

I like the 32-team alignments which would solve some problems, I believe. No more than that, though. I don't get the reason for wanting a reduction in the season to 156 games, however. Just to round out schedules? Come on, that's not a good reason for a fundamental change to the game like that.

The postseason setup in the proposal seems like a way to boost revenue, in part to make up for the loss of six games, but to me it already seems like a snoozer. There would be four eight-team divisions and the four division winners would go but also eight other teams with the best records playing four wild-card games? That does not sound very good.

MBarrett · 10-17-2017, 01:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Déjà Bru

There would be four eight-team divisions and the four division winners would go but also eight other teams with the best records playing four wild-card games? That does not sound very good.

They'd be going from 10 teams now to 12 in this scenario. Not a huge jump, and still no more than any of the other Big 4 leagues. Keeps more teams in the race for longer, which is good for everyone.

Westheim · 10-17-2017, 01:53 PM

I vote 'Nay' - too radical changes for me to ever come to terms with it.

ThatSeventiesGuy · 10-18-2017, 04:42 PM

In the immortal words of "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, "Give me a OH HELL NO!"

140 years of baseball tradition thrown down the drain. No. Just no. You want some REAL realignment? Hold my beer.

Two leagues, four 8-team divisions:

AMERICAN LEAGUE:

East:

Baltimore
Boston
Charlotte/Montreal/Whatever
New York
Tampa Bay
Toronto
Detroit
Cleveland

West:

Chicago
Los Angeles
Kansas City
Minnesota
Milwaukee
Oakland
Seattle
Texas

NATIONAL LEAGUE

East:

Chicago
Cincinnati
Washington
New York
Philadelphia
Pittsburgh
Miami
Atlanta

West

Los Angeles
St. Louis
San Diego
San Francisco
Colorado
Arizona
Houston
Vegas/Portland/Whatever

The only thing possibly problematic here is the Cardinals in the NL West. You could maybe stick Atlanta, Miami, or even Cincinnati in there instead if you had to, though. Milwaukee and Houston are back where they belong. Division winners and, even though I'd rather not, since I know they'll do it anyway, two wild cards from each league.

Way better than anything Bud 2.0 and his corporate pals will dream up, though, I'm willing to wager.

Orioles1966 · 10-18-2017, 05:27 PM

I would add San Antonio and Montreal.

Leave the set up as it is except add San Antonio to the AL West;Montreal to the AL East and move Tampa Bay to the NL East.

Cobra Mgr · 10-18-2017, 06:09 PM

I doubt this would happen. Cause you'd have to address the DH. MLBPA wants to keep it. And I'm sure there are plenty of NL higher ups that want to keep it out. Which conference would keep the bats out of the P's hands?

dsvitak · 10-22-2017, 11:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MBarrett

http://www.baseballamerica.com/colum...son/?amphtml=1

I think it would make more sense to expand to Charlotte instead of Portland and then keep Minnesota in the West.

Thoughts?

There are 2.6 million people in the Charlotte GMSA, vs 2.4 in the Portland GMSA.

The Portland area has a higher median income, and would probably be better suited financially than Charlotte. Plus, if you live in Oregon, it is a four or five hour drive to Seattle, and more than that to San Francisco.

Heck...both cities are developing fast...lose the worst current city in MLB, *cough*Tampa*cough* and put both of these guys in.

psd · 10-24-2017, 11:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ThatSeventiesGuy

140 years of baseball tradition thrown down the drain. No. Just no. You want some REAL realignment? Hold my beer.

There have been MANY changes in 140 years. At one time there were only 2 conferences. For 60 years there were only 16 teams. The AL & NL were actually separate legal entities until 2000. I could go on. So what 140 year "tradition" EXACTLY are you talking about?

David Watts · 10-25-2017, 09:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by psd

There have been MANY changes in 140 years. At one time there were only 2 conferences. For 60 years there were only 16 teams. The AL & NL were actually separate legal entities until 2000. I could go on. So what 140 year "tradition" EXACTLY are you talking about?

The Big Ten? The ACC?

psd · 10-25-2017, 10:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David Watts

The Big Ten? The ACC?

In what years was there a "Big Ten" or "ACC" in MLB????

David Watts · 10-25-2017, 10:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by psd

In what years was there a "Big Ten" or "ACC" in MLB????

In what years were there conferences in Major League Baseball? I agree that there have been lots of changes through the years, but the one constant has been the two league setup. I think that's what SeventiesGuy is referring to when he brings up tradition being thrown down the drain.

Le Grande Orange · 10-25-2017, 11:23 AM

My standard comment: 8-team divisions are too big. 4-team divisions are too small. 6-team divisions are just right. (Disclaimer: I grew up with the 12-team, two 6-team division NL, so that just feels the most right to me.)

kenyan_cheena · 10-25-2017, 05:04 PM

P. Rico!

(Obligatory)

TonyJ · 10-25-2017, 05:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kenyan_cheena

P. Rico!

(Obligatory)

Dangit, I just came in here to post just that!

psd · 10-25-2017, 07:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David Watts

In what years were there conferences in Major League Baseball? I agree that there have been lots of changes through the years, but the one constant has been the two league setup. I think that's what SeventiesGuy is referring to when he brings up tradition being thrown down the drain.

Ok. If that's what he MEANT I took it wrong. I apologize. I thought he was saying that very little changes have been made in MLB throughout the years. My bad.

SO again, what do the Big Ten and the ACC have to do with MLB?

David Watts · 10-25-2017, 08:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by psd

Ok. If that's what he MEANT I took it wrong. I apologize. I thought he was saying that very little changes have been made in MLB throughout the years. My bad.

SO again, what do the Big Ten and the ACC have to do with MLB?

Just me trying to be cute in regards to you using conferences. Bad attempt at humor.

psd · 10-25-2017, 08:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David Watts

Just me trying to be cute in regards to you using conferences. Bad attempt at humor.

Fair enough. I meant there were no divisions. Just two, eight team leagues. I mistakenly said conferences. That's what I was talking about.

ThatSeventiesGuy · 10-25-2017, 10:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David Watts

In what years were there conferences in Major League Baseball? I agree that there have been lots of changes through the years, but the one constant has been the two league setup. I think that's what SeventiesGuy is referring to when he brings up tradition being thrown down the drain.

Exactly. It was bad enough when they started doing interleague play, got rid of the league presidents, and switched first the Brewers and then the Astros around. This is a bridge too far, in my opinion. I blame Dud Smellig and Bud 2.0.

10-17-2017, 12:36 PM	#1
MBarrett All Star Reserve Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Canada Posts: 627	MLB Expansion/Realignment Proposal http://www.baseballamerica.com/colum...son/?amphtml=1 I think it would make more sense to expand to Charlotte instead of Portland and then keep Minnesota in the West. Thoughts?

10-17-2017, 12:45 PM	#2
Déjà Bru Hall Of Famer Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Long Island Posts: 11,742	I like the 32-team alignments which would solve some problems, I believe. No more than that, though. I don't get the reason for wanting a reduction in the season to 156 games, however. Just to round out schedules? Come on, that's not a good reason for a fundamental change to the game like that. The postseason setup in the proposal seems like a way to boost revenue, in part to make up for the loss of six games, but to me it already seems like a snoozer. There would be four eight-team divisions and the four division winners would go but also eight other teams with the best records playing four wild-card games? That does not sound very good. __________________ - Bru Last edited by Déjà Bru; 10-17-2017 at 12:53 PM.

10-17-2017, 01:53 PM	#4
Westheim Hall Of Famer Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Germany Posts: 13,843	I vote 'Nay' - too radical changes for me to ever come to terms with it. __________________ Portland Raccoons, 92 years of excell-.... of baseball: Furballs here! 1983 * 1989 * 1991 * 1992 * 1993 * 1995 * 1996 * 2010 * 2017 * 2018 * 2019 * 2026 * 2028 * 2035 * 2037 * 2044 * 2045 * 2046 * 2047 * 2048 * 2051 * 2054 * 2055 * 2061 1 OSANAI : 2 POWELL : 7 NOMURA \| RAMOS : 8 REECE : 10 BROWN : 15 HALL : 27 FERNANDEZ : 28 CASAS : 31 CARMONA : 32 WEST : 39 TONER : 46 SAITO Resident Mets Cynic - The Mets from 1962 onwards, here.

10-18-2017, 04:42 PM	#5
ThatSeventiesGuy Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Midland, MI Posts: 3,426	In the immortal words of "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, "Give me a OH HELL NO!" 140 years of baseball tradition thrown down the drain. No. Just no. You want some REAL realignment? Hold my beer. Two leagues, four 8-team divisions: AMERICAN LEAGUE: East: Baltimore Boston Charlotte/Montreal/Whatever New York Tampa Bay Toronto Detroit Cleveland West: Chicago Los Angeles Kansas City Minnesota Milwaukee Oakland Seattle Texas NATIONAL LEAGUE East: Chicago Cincinnati Washington New York Philadelphia Pittsburgh Miami Atlanta West Los Angeles St. Louis San Diego San Francisco Colorado Arizona Houston Vegas/Portland/Whatever The only thing possibly problematic here is the Cardinals in the NL West. You could maybe stick Atlanta, Miami, or even Cincinnati in there instead if you had to, though. Milwaukee and Houston are back where they belong. Division winners and, even though I'd rather not, since I know they'll do it anyway, two wild cards from each league. Way better than anything Bud 2.0 and his corporate pals will dream up, though, I'm willing to wager. __________________ https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...00&postcount=1

10-18-2017, 06:09 PM	#7
Cobra Mgr Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: Parts unknown Posts: 8,894	I doubt this would happen. Cause you'd have to address the DH. MLBPA wants to keep it. And I'm sure there are plenty of NL higher ups that want to keep it out. Which conference would keep the bats out of the P's hands? __________________ If a man is guilty 4 what goes on inside of his mind, then let me get the electric chair 4 all my future crimes. - Prince Batdance June 7, 1958 - Apr 21, 2016 Don't fall for the spin

10-18-2017, 05:27 PM	#6
Orioles1966 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jun 2012 Posts: 2,869	I would add San Antonio and Montreal. Leave the set up as it is except add San Antonio to the AL West;Montreal to the AL East and move Tampa Bay to the NL East.

10-25-2017, 11:23 AM	#13
Le Grande Orange Hall Of Famer Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Up There Posts: 15,644	My standard comment: 8-team divisions are too big. 4-team divisions are too small. 6-team divisions are just right. (Disclaimer: I grew up with the 12-team, two 6-team division NL, so that just feels the most right to me.)

10-25-2017, 05:04 PM	#14
kenyan_cheena Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Sydney, NSW, Australia Posts: 9,037	P. Rico! (Obligatory)