Hey Go-Coogs/Rumpledshitstain

[Goober McTuber]

Are you looking forward to your move to the American League?

http://www.businessinsider.com/realignm ... tay-2011-6

[indyfrisco]

Personally, I would fucking hate this. I love having the Stros in the NL Central, because I can go see them in St. Louis, Cincy and Chicago. If that shit happens, I'll always kind of like them, but I'd probably move my allegiance to Cincy which is who most of my friends and family here follow. That, and Eric Davis was my forite player growing up.

[Dinsdale]

Remind me again how the leagues got out of balance?

That's right -- Selig wanted the team he owns in a more profitable division.

But Selig will "fix" it by tossing a different team out of said division.

How does he still have a job? How can anyone think that's OK?

[Goober McTuber]

Remind me again how the leagues got out of balance?

Beacause MLB added two teams (Rays and Diamondbacks) and didn't think it was workable to have an odd number of teams in each league. Tampa wanted to be in the American League. Milwaukee was an NL city for a lot of years. Lots of reasons to hate on Selig. Don't need to make up any new ones.

[Dinsdale]

Remind me again how the leagues got out of balance?

Beacause MLB added two teams (Rays and Diamondbacks) and didn't think it was workable to have an odd number of teams in each league. Tampa wanted to be in the American League. Milwaukee was an NL city for a lot of years. Lots of reasons to hate on Selig. Don't need to make up any new ones.

Nor enough :facepalms: in the world to respond to this with.

Selig moved HIS team to a MUCH more profitable division. FACT.

The Seattle Pilots/Milwaukee Brewers were an AL team. FACT.

Selig knew the two new expansion teams were coming when he made his personal cash-grab. FACT.

So, if 15 teams per league was non "workable" 13 years ago, why the 180 now?

Only one possible expaination -- Selig figured out how to make an extra buck for himself. If someone is getting the boot from the NL Central, why wouldn't it be the newest team? If a team needs to move from the NL to the AL to restore balance, why isn't it the one that switched in recent memory, rather than the team that's always been there?

You know how you can tell Selig is up to something devious and selfish? He speaks.

[Bizzarofelice]

Selig moved HIS team to a MUCH more profitable division.

after the royals declined the offer.

[War Wagon]

hmm, article I read today said they were going to do away with divisons, just 15 teams in each league with the top 3 making the playoffs and 4-5 playing for a wildcard.

Whatever, the leagues need to be balanced.

[Shoalzie]

Going to 15-team leagues and scrapping divisions and keeping the 4 teams going to playoffs is far better than the goofy 5 or 6 team playoff proposals that were being thrown around. The idea of a balanced schedule would obviously come with the disolving of the divisions and at least one team in each league would to play an interleague series while the others are playing with in the league. I'd rather see that then the forced league-wide interleague play on a week or for a week at a time. Short of the league going up to 32 teams and having an even number in each league, interleague play would be a necessary evil. There won't be any teams that can cry about having to play on both coasts because both leagues have teams spanning the Pacific to the Eastern time zone. I don't know if there is a magic schedule to allow every team each league to play each other an equal number but it would make sense for everyone to play around the same number of games. Maybe you rotate an extra home series between each team every other year. I think it could work.

[Bizzarofelice]

that would greatly help the Jays and teams stuck in divisions with powerhouse franchises.


might hafta go dh in national league

[Goober McTuber]

Remind me again how the leagues got out of balance?

Beacause MLB added two teams (Rays and Diamondbacks) and didn't think it was workable to have an odd number of teams in each league. Tampa wanted to be in the American League. Milwaukee was an NL city for a lot of years. Lots of reasons to hate on Selig. Don't need to make up any new ones.

Selig moved HIS team to a MUCH more profitable division. FACT.

The Seattle Pilots/Milwaukee Brewers were an AL team. FACT.

Selig knew the two new expansion teams were coming when he made his personal cash-grab. FACT.

Tampa was given a choice and they chose to go into the AL. That left Arizona and an existing AL team moving to the NL. The Brewers asked their fans which league they'd prefer and they overwhelmingly chose the NL. But Milwaukee wasn't offered first choice to move.

This realignment was widely considered to have great financial benefit to the club moving. However, to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest, Commissioner (then club owner) Bud Selig decided another team should have the first chance to switch leagues. The Kansas City Royals of the American League's Central Division were asked first, but they decided not to move over to the National League's Central Division.[4] The choice then fell to the Brewers, who, on November 6, 1997, elected to move to the National League's Central Division. At the same time, the Detroit Tigers agreed to move from the AL East to the AL Central (to replace Milwaukee).[4] The Tampa Bay Devil Rays joined the AL East and the Arizona Diamondbacks joined the NL West. Had the Brewers elected not to move to the National League, the Minnesota Twins would have been offered the opportunity next.

Interesting to note that since there was great financial benefit to the team moving to the NL, Kansas City immediately turned it down. A long history and tradition of stupid down there.

[Dinsdale]

Interesting to note that since there was great financial benefit to the team moving to the NL, Kansas City immediately turned it down. A long history and tradition of stupid down there.

On this, we'll certainly agree.

Matter of fact, we've been given a great example:

hmm, article I read today said they were going to do away with divisons, just 15 teams in each league with the top 3 making the playoffs and 4-5 playing for a wildcard.

Must have been someone from KC whowrote the article, who was just as unfamiliar with the term "wild card" as you are.

No divisions, 3 automatics, and a "wildcard"?


Funny stuff.

[War Wagon]

What?

Call it what you want, douche briquet, but the 4-5 seed would play each other for the right to make the playoffs and face the 1 seed.

If that's not a wildcard in your book, go fuck yourself.

[Dinsdale]

Uhm... without divisions, the "wild card" teams would be #2 through however-many that din't finish first in the league.

Kind of what "wild card" means.

[Kansas City Kid]

The Astros will be staying in the NL but move to the NL WEST. The Diamondbacks will move to the AL WEST.

The Royals fukked up by not moving to the NL CENTRAL when they had the chance and could be duking it out with the Cubs for last place right now.

[Terry in Crapchester]

The Astros will be staying in the NL but move to the NL WEST. The Diamondbacks will move to the AL WEST.

I understood moving the Astros to the AL West, what with creating a natural rival with Texas and what not, and acting as sort of travel partners for the Rangers wrt the West Coast teams in the division.

If they're going to do it this way, I think the Rockies, and not the Diamonbacks, should be the team to move to the AL West. Jmho, but I think they're a better fit for the American League.

[Kansas City Kid]

Agreed, the Rockies are better suited for the move. I just hope they don't do two 15 team divisions and have everyone make the playoffs like the NHL and NBA......

[Go Coogs']

The friendly rivalry with St. Louis would be missed, but other than that I could care less. Houston had a heated rivalry with the Cubs for a few years, but that time has passed. And the Lastros are no longer in the Giants division, so that rivalry is gone as well. Pull the trigger.

No doubt it would generate lots of new revenue for the team seeing the Yanks and BoSox pay a visit each year, so that would be cool I guess. Give the Astros a real rivalry with the Rangers and everyone walks away happy.

I've always hated a six team division when the AL has a division of four teams. Not fucking fair and balanced.

[indyfrisco]

If the Stros were to change divisions, I would want it to be to the AL west I guess simply because they'd be in a division where only one other team is willing to spend money (hence, the possibility of making the playoffs is better). Once Houston has an ounce of success, the H-Town bandwagon will fill up.

[ucantdoitdoggieSTyle2]

My truck done shocked the fire out of me, and my arm don't hurt no more.

[Go Coogs']

Agreed, the Rockies are better suited for the move. I just hope they don't do two 15 team divisions and have everyone make the playoffs like the NHL and NBA......

You've just mentioned two sports where the 8 team format actually generates more ratings and excitement, so your argument holds no water.

#8 Memphis defeated #1 San Antonio this season.

And we all know hockey is the best playoffs sport to watch.

I'm not saying baseball should go to 8 teams a league, but I wouldn't mind seeing it get stretched to 6 with first round byes for the two teams with the best records. Chop the season to 154 games and add the extra round of playoffs.

[Kansas City Kid]

I like a sport where the regular season actually means something, unlike the NHL and NBA.......if anything MLB should remove the wildcard.

[indyfrisco]

I like a sport where the regular season actually means something, unlike the NHL and NBA.......if anything MLB should remove the Royals.

fixed