Single League Alignment

[Bulldog]

I would be for a more radical approach. Contraction of 2 teams plus going back to the old playoff system with complete geographical division.

West
LA Dodgers
San Diego Padres
San Fransisco Giants
Arizona Diamondbacks
Oakland A's
Seattle Mariners
LA Angels

Midwest
Houston Astros
Texas Rangers
St. Louis Cardinals
Kansas City Royals
Colorado Rockies
Chicago Cubs
Chicago White Sox

Central
Minnesota Twins
Cleveland Indians
Detroit Tigers
Cincinnati Reds
Atlanta Braves
Pittsburgh Pirates
Milwaukee Brewers

East
New York Yankees
New York Mets
Washington Nationals
Toronto Blue Jays
Baltimore Orioles
Boston Red Sox
Philadelphia Phillies

______________________

The geographic's seem to make more sense but I'm not sure the people in Florida would be to happy about this.

 

[obxyankeefan]

If something of this nature did happen, I think MLB would expand by 2 teams and then have four eight team divisions.

1
Boston
Baltimore
New York Mets
New York Yankees
Philadelphia
Pittsburgh
Washington
Toronto

2
Atlanta
Miami
Tampa Bay
Texas
Houston
Cincinnati
Cleveland
Norfolk/New Orleans/Puerto Rico/Charlotte

3
Chicago Cubs
Chicago White Sox
Milwaukee
Kansas City
St. Louis
Colorado
Minnesota
Detroit

4
San Diego
San Francisco
Los Angeles
Angels
Seattle
Las Vegas
Arizona
Oakland


The Top 2 in each division play a best of five

 

[Lord Scalious]

Honestly, I dislike having small Divisions, because it allows mediocre teams into the playoffs because they play in a weak Division.. While some better teams playing in tougher Divisions get left out.

So Id much rather prefer a Simple East/West or a 3 Division East/Central/West.

In a 3 Divsion Format. I would go as such

East
Atlanta Braves
Boston Red Sox
Baltimore Orioles
Florida Marlins
New York Yankees
New York Mets
Philadelphia Phillies
Pittsburgh Pirates
Tampa Bay Rays
Washington Nationals

Central
Chicago Cubs
Chicago White Sox
Cincinnati Reds
Cleveland Indians
Detroit Tigers
Kansas City Royals
Milwaukee Brewers
Minnesota Twins
St. Louis Cardinals
Toronto Blue Jays

West
Arizona D'Backs
Colorado Rockies
Houston Astros
LA Angels
LA Dodgers
Oakland Athletics
San Diego Padres
San Francisco Giants
Seattle Mariners
Texas Rangers

Nothing interesting here...other than Switching Toronto and Pittsburgh

Give Each Division Winner the top 3 Seeds and the Next 5 Best Records get Wild Cards. Regardless of Division

 

[Driaz]

This topic came up in the SF/SD GDT, but I thought it would be a better discussion here...

I made up an alignment assuming MLB were to abolish the AL and NL and go uniform on the DH (I prefer no DH, but that is an argument for a different thread).

I like this alignment, except for 2 items.

1) The West does not have a large market team. Would this be a deal-killer?

2) The Mets and Phils are not in a division together. I am not sure how to fix this issue.

California
SF
Oak
SD
LAA
LAD

West
Arz
Col
Mil
Min
Sea

Plains
ChW
ChC
KC
StL
Cin

North
Cle
Det
Pit
Tor
Phi

East
Bal
Bos
DC
NYM
NYY

SE
Atl
Hou
Tex
Mia
TB

Thoughts?

As a Dback fan I would hate that alignment.......closest division opponent is a 12 hour drive to Denver?

Even for the players (and fans that fly), even the flights to play your divisional opponents are all 3+ hours except for a "short" 2 hour flight to Denver......

Fuck that!

 

[calsnowskier]

As a Dback fan I would hate that alignment.......closest division opponent is a 12 hour drive to Denver?

Even for the players (and fans that fly), even the flights to play your divisional opponents are all 3+ hours except for a "short" 2 hour flight to Denver......

Fuck that!

Like I said, I did not like my West division. I thought of breaking up the Cal division, but no way can you break up the Giants and Dogs, and I am not sure how else to work that. If we were to move to 5 divisions of 6, and move the DBs to the Cal division (or renamed West), that may work, but then Seattle has a worse problem.

The western teams would be fucked in a situation like this regardless. The cities are simply too spread out.

 

[calsnowskier]

Honestly, I dislike having small Divisions, because it allows mediocre teams into the playoffs because they play in a weak Division.. While some better teams playing in tougher Divisions get left out.

So Id much rather prefer a Simple East/West or a 3 Division East/Central/West.

In a 3 Divsion Format. I would go as such

East
Atlanta Braves
Boston Red Sox
Baltimore Orioles
Florida Marlins
New York Yankees
New York Mets
Philadelphia Phillies
Pittsburgh Pirates
Tampa Bay Rays
Washington Nationals

Central
Chicago Cubs
Chicago White Sox
Cincinnati Reds
Cleveland Indians
Detroit Tigers
Kansas City Royals
Milwaukee Brewers
Minnesota Twins
St. Louis Cardinals
Toronto Blue Jays

West
Arizona D'Backs
Colorado Rockies
Houston Astros
LA Angels
LA Dodgers
Oakland Athletics
San Diego Padres
San Francisco Giants
Seattle Mariners
Texas Rangers

Nothing interesting here...other than Switching Toronto and Pittsburgh

Give Each Division Winner the top 3 Seeds and the Next 5 Best Records get Wild Cards. Regardless of Division

I agree that lessor teams MAY get in with smaller divisions, but the races that smaller divisions create are GREAT for baseball. I was not a fan of the Wild Card when it first came around, but I have learned to like it. it adds layers to the regular season that were not there before.

 

[bone3421]

This topic came up in the SF/SD GDT, but I thought it would be a better discussion here...

I made up an alignment assuming MLB were to abolish the AL and NL and go uniform on the DH (I prefer no DH, but that is an argument for a different thread).

I like this alignment, except for 2 items.

1) The West does not have a large market team. Would this be a deal-killer?

2) The Mets and Phils are not in a division together. I am not sure how to fix this issue.

California
SF
Oak
SD
SEA
LAD

West
Arz
Col
Mil
Min
Laa

Plains
ChW
ChC
KC
StL
Cin

North
Cle
Det
Pit
Tor
DC

East
Bal
Bos
Phi
NYM
NYY

SE
Atl
Hou
Tex
Mia
TB

Thoughts?

or just put the angels in west and seattle in "pacific".........

how about this to fix your problem

 

[tabascojet]

atl in a division without mets and phils is just bullshit. unless you want to go OLD school and put us with giants and dodgers. in that case FUck LA!!

 

[romeo212000]

All I know is Texas doesn't need to be in a division that sees them in the pacific time zone for every road trip.

 

[Driaz]

Like I said, I did not like my West division. I thought of breaking up the Cal division, but no way can you break up the Giants and Dogs, and I am not sure how else to work that. If we were to move to 5 divisions of 6, and move the DBs to the Cal division (or renamed West), that may work, but then Seattle has a worse problem.

The western teams would be fucked in a situation like this regardless. The cities are simply too spread out.

Yeah, I thought about it also and no way could you break up California between northern and southern......

And I agree there will not be any alignment that is ideal for the western teams because we are so spread out.....

 

[Driaz]

All I know is Texas doesn't need to be in a division that sees them in the pacific time zone for every road trip.

Hey, you got Houston now!

You guys are also in a bad spot because there is no other team very close to you.....it's the fact of life out west were land is plenty......

 

[Silas]

I'd contract back to the original 16 teams......8 in the NL........8 in the AL.......drop the ridiculous DH and return baseball to the game it is meant to be.

By the way.........LA is the second largest market in the game.

 

[romeo212000]

I'd contract back to the original 16 teams......8 in the NL........8 in the AL.......drop the ridiculous DH and return baseball to the game it is meant to be.

By the way.........LA is the second largest market in the game.

I'm glad I don't have to watch my team give away an out every 9 batters. Then again, our pitching staff numbers would look a lot better.

 

[calsnowskier]

I'm glad I don't have to watch my team give away an out every 9 batters. Then again, our pitching staff numbers would look a lot better.

And what s the point of the 11th or 12th pitcher in the pen without having to account for tat spot in the lineup? What is the point of the 12th or 13th guy on the bench?

Good sports involve tough decisions, not video game moments. The pitcher spot coming up in the 5th inning of a 1-1 game with 2 outs and 2 on poses a brilliant problem for the manager. These situations make the depth of the roster mean soooo much more to the game.

Why not just change baseball into a homer run contest? That is what the DH logically leads to.

 

[romeo212000]

And what s the point of the 11th or 12th pitcher in the pen without having to account for tat spot in the lineup? What is the point of the 12th or 13th guy on the bench?

Good sports involve tough decisions, not video game moments. The pitcher spot coming up in the 5th inning of a 1-1 game with 2 outs and 2 on poses a brilliant problem for the manager. These situations make the depth of the roster mean soooo much more to the game.

Why not just change baseball into a homer run contest? That is what the DH logically leads to.

Hello hyperbole.

 

[calsnowskier]

Hello hyperbole.

Only in the home run comment. But use of extrapolation is a valid exercise to determine the outcome of of an event.

 

[romeo212000]

Only in the home run comment. But use of extrapolation is a valid exercise to determine the outcome of of an event.

I think you underestimate how often managers in the AL concern themselves with pitching matchups. The bench an bullpen gets used more than you think.

 

[calsnowskier]

(Not to make this a Giants v Rangers thing)...

I saw how well Wash used the pen and bench 3 years ago. Wasn't impressed.

 

[romeo212000]

(Not to make this a Giants v Rangers thing)...

I saw how well Wash used the pen and bench 3 years ago. Wasn't impressed.

I'm certainly not touting wash as a good manager. He's fucking terrible. He's been grossly out classed in both WS. First by bouchy, then by LaRussa. I've wanted him gone for a while now.

 

[calsnowskier]

I'm certainly not touting wash as a good manager. He's fucking terrible. He's been grossly out classed in both WS. First by bouchy, then by LaRussa. I've wanted him gone for a while now.

To be fair, he was facing two of the best ever...

But that has been my feel from watching him in the limited amount that I have seen. I figured he must be an amazing organizational guy, or a great clubhouse guy. Because his in-game leaves a lot to be desired.