Divison Rearrangement: For or Against?

[HPC]

Heard some talk going around that there is thought of rearranging divisions.

Specifically, the AL East.

The arguement is that with Boston and New York, there is a monopoly on that division (all inclusive: not the 2008 season, but for the last decade) and that the standings wont change for a while because they have the most money to spend (or at least spend the most money)

I dont remember exactly what the projected arrangements were, but they involved moving either Boston or NY elsewhere (more than likely boston)

Personally, I love that division and the competition it brings.

 

[trademhigh]

They can't switch up the AL East. The Yankees Red Sox rivalry is probably the biggest in sports history. A season where the Yankees don't face the Red Sox 19 or so times is a bad one.

 

[200lbhockeyplayer]

Before any division realignment, take both teams out of Florida and put them anywhere else.

Separating Boston and New York makes no sense and will serve no positive purpose to anyone.

 

[pigskincardboard]

I'm all for rearranging divisions, but the AL East is dandy.

How about we rearrange the divisions that have either 4 or 6 teams.

 

[sportscardtheory]

The only move I favor is moving the Houston Astros from the NL Central to the AL West and having inter-league play dispersed throughout the season like the NFL.

 

[Huffamaniac]

I can see moving the Nationals to the AL East and the Rays to the NL East. This way the Orioles and the Nationals could become a rival, and The Rays could be a natural rival to the Marlins and Braves

You have to keep the Red Sox and the yankees in the Al East

 

[19braves77]

To the people that want to relocate the Florida teams, where can you move them ? Study groups for MLb expansion say the only two economies that could substain a MLB team are Portland and Las Vegas. That would cause some major division and travel problems.

During the Winter Baseball Meetings, there were rumors going around that MLb was ready to announce type of realignment.

Here is my suggestion:

AL Something

Yankees
Red Sox
Mets
Nationals
Orioles

Al Something 2

Twins
Pirates
Indians
Reds
Tigers

AL Something 3

Dodgers
Angels
A's
Giants
Mariners

Nl Something : 1

Blue Jays
Phillies
Braves
Marlins
Rays

NL Something: 2

Cubs
Cardinals
White Sox
Brewers
Royals

NL Something :3

D-backs
Rockies
Astros
Rangers
Padres

 

[BowmanChromeAddict]

I can see moving the Nationals to the AL East and the Rays to the NL East. This way the Orioles and the Nationals could become a rival, and The Rays could be a natural rival to the Marlins and Braves

You have to keep the Red Sox and the yankees in the Al East

Under that logic should the Mets and Yankees both be in the same division too? This is why they do interleague play the way they do it so that natural/locational rival games always make the schedule despite rotating the divisional play. (ie. Phillies play Yankees despite playing the AL West last year)

 

[brouthercard]

Power always changes in all sports -it's cyclical. Believe it or not, the Yankees AND Red Sox used to be pretty crappy.

They've brought up this argument in the NBA, the NFL, ad naseaum because people are so short-sighted.

Go take some ritalin or something, and keep things the way they are (as I slip my 8track tape into the player.......)

 

[HPC]

The only potential problems from that list stem from Houston/Texas and LAA/Dodgers

It would be wiser to keep one of each team in a different division and league

The rest looks good to me

I have never understood why teams who are close to one-another are not in the same division

 

[trevordchi]

The only move I favor is moving the Houston Astros from the NL Central to the AL West and having inter-league play dispersed throughout the season like the NFL.

No offense but this is a terrible idea. Putting a team in the central time zone in the west division is a bad move. The road games wouldn't start until 9pm local time. Sounds awful to me.

 

[mredsox89]

No way you can put the Mets, Yankees, and Redsox in the same division. The goal is to separate the talent and spending. In that scenario, you have 3 of the biggest spenders in the same division. If you think the media focuses on the AL east a lot now, if you have these three teams in there it would be even more. Separate the spenders.

I don't think realignment is really necessary. It should mostly be based on time zones and that is pretty much what it is like now. No way anyone would ever go for separating the Yanks and Sox as playing 19 times is a gold mine for everyone.

 

[19braves77]

No way you can put the Mets, Yankees, and Redsox in the same division. The goal is to separate the talent and spending. In that scenario, you have 3 of the biggest spenders in the same division. If you think the media focuses on the AL east a lot now, if you have these three teams in there it would be even more. Separate the spenders.

Well, the only teams that make sense are the Mets and Tigers. Blue Jays, Orioles, Phillies, and Nationals are also big spenders or the have the money to be spenders.

 

[rymflaherty]

If the logic behind realigning is spliting up the Yankees and Red Sox than that is one of the dumbest ideas I have ever heard.

I mean Tampa Bay won the division just a couple years ago. And with the Wild Card, it allows a team to remain in the hunt even if the Yankees win 110 games.

Seems like a nonsensical conclusion to deal with competitive balance issues that they don't want to address. If they only want a quick solution I think contracting a few teams would be a better solution.
There's no reason to believe a team like Toronto is magically going to run differently because you remove either the Yankees or Red Sox. If anything the other AL East teams would have less money when they lose the money from the huge crowds the Yankees/Red Sox bring in.

 

[sportscardtheory]

The only move I favor is moving the Houston Astros from the NL Central to the AL West and having inter-league play dispersed throughout the season like the NFL.

No offense but this is a terrible idea. Putting a team in the central time zone in the west division is a bad move. The road games wouldn't start until 9pm local time. Sounds awful to me.

Since when do all teams that play each other have to be based in the same time zone.

 

[rymflaherty]

Sorry to post again right away - but just found more info on this. They actually referred to it as "floating" divisions, so teams would be allowed to switch divisions yearly based on location, payroll, and whether they plan on contending.

The ex. was the Rays would be able to move to the central, claiming they are contenders and want to get out of the East, while then the Royals could move to the East claiming they are rebuilding and obtain additional revenue playing in the AL East. WTF??? lol I kid you not that was just the example given to explain it on ESPN.

I admit that does make things a bit interesting - but in more of a fantasy/simulation way. Does not seem very practical, and I'm not sure how it helps the game. Especially the low income teams already in trouble having to basically admit defeat before the season starts (such as the Royals in the above ex.).....that's supposed to help them make money? Just seems a bit radical and like I said before, just a band-aid to deal with much larger issues.

 

[andyduke86]

They should eliminate division play all together and just have the AL and NL. The top team gets into the playoffs then the next three are the Wild Cards. Division play is an inherently unfair system since it allows mediocre teams from garbage divisions to get in over better teams in the strong divisions.

 

[mredsox89]

IMO you don't want to have more than 2 of the top 10 spenders in a division if possible. Now I know they fluctuate and at times it isn't going to work out. But you know some teams are going to spend and continue doing it long term.
** Stand for the consistent top spenders

EST Time Zone Teams (14)
Yankees**
Mets**
Detroit**
Boston**
Philadelphia**
Atlanta
Cleveland
Toronto
Baltimore
Tampa
Washington
Pittsburgh
Marlins
Cincinnati

CST Zone Teams (8)
Cubs**
White Sox**
Houston
Cardinals
Brewers
Rangers
Royals
Twins

"West Coast" (8)
Angels**
Dodgers**
Mariners
Giants
D-backs
A's
Padres
Rockies

So based on my quick looking at payrolls, a rough answer. Keep the Sox/Yanks, and Mets/Phillies in the same divisions, split the Angels and Dodgers (already done), split the Cubs/White Sox (already done).

The divisions are fine the way they are. Any realignment would most likely cause teams to play a significant amount of their road games in a different time zone, something that people with the TV rights certainly don't want to happen

sportscardtheory: That is what the divisions are based upon as much as possible. Time zones are the things that justify the divisions

 

[matty07]

Detroit and Toronto are as close as it can get and they are in a different division. I think it would be cool to change it up. Of course I'm a Jays and a very big change or you make it a balance schedule.

 

[sportscardtheory]

sportscardtheory: That is what the divisions are based upon as much as possible. Time zones are the things that justify the divisions

That seems kind of needless to me. Just as an example, if the Yankees can have a series against the Angels in California, why couldn't the Astros and Rangers be in the same Division and play each other just the same.