Major League Baseball is discussion the possibility of a realignment plan that is making fans a bit uptight and, while it’s exciting to try different things to freshen up business, I have my own thoughts on this…that's why you read us right?
Of course, leave it to BYB die-hards Carlos and Charles to get to me early in emails and hitting me on the Twitter. “What do you think of the realignment?” and “I hope BYB will have an opinion on this.” Well, to answer your questions, I have mixed feeling about it, but first, let me explain the realignment plan:
Major League Baseball is considering changing the current 16 teams from the National League, 14 in the American league and split it to 15 each. In this realignment plan, the leagues would not split into divisions, the top 3 teams would make the playoffs. Then, the 4th and 5th place clubs would go into a Wild Card hopper and play for 1 spot. Selig is suggesting that the post season expansion could start next year.
OK, Stop right there. I have many thoughts so get me rant:
- Right off the bat, it seems like this is a very similar alignment to the “old days”, minus the Wild Card of course. While I am a creature of habit, and grew up in the Division era, I love the Divisions plan. Yet, as a traditionalist and a fanatic of baseball as a whole, this works too because it brings us back to the way it used to be in a weird way.
- At the same time, pitchers in the American League still won’t hit and the Designated Hitter will still be in place in that league. But it makes me wonder, is the end of the Designated Hitter next? I hope not, I’ve always liked the DH and clearly, as a Yankee fan, I’ve grown accustom to having that big bat in the lineup.
- How long is the season going to be? Look, I would have baseball year round if I could, but it’s just not logical. Players would break down rapidly and we’d dilute the brand for sure. And that’s my point; is too much baseball too much? Is the post-season going to be lnger? If it is, which it appears that it could be (I hope I’m understanding this right), is November forever the new October? Could we start baseball mid-March so we’re not playing literally 1 week before Thanksgiving? Again, I love baseball, but I am a traditionalist as well, What exactly are we doing here?
(In Photo: Hunter Pence/Getty)
While change could be good, too much change, in my opinion, isn’t. Right now, the Astros are the team that is under consideration to move leagues. It makes sense, they and the Rangers would compete in what would be billed a big rivalry and probably drum up some big business in Texas as well as for MLB. But, do we need this?
The players and owners will be the ones who ultimately decide on this and it will be a part of their new labor contract in December when the current deal expires, according to Buster Olney from ESPN. Buster also brings up a big point about interleague play: “A drawback to the realignment plan could be a schedule that necessitates at least one interleague game on a mostly daily basis. Interleague play started in 1997 and over the years some teams have said they thought the NL vs. AL matchups created schedule imbalances.”
Look, I get it, this is a money thing. This is a “freshen up Major League Baseball thing” but in the end, I feel as though if MLB is willing to make these types of plans to advance the game and perhaps make it more competitive, maybe even more traditional, then add this to your list… think about the kids too.
I have 4 boys and all of them like sports in some capacity. 2 of them watch and play baseball all season long but have never seen an entire Word Series game from beginning to end. Why? Because it's on too damn late. Think about that for a moment. Kids watch baseball all season, but by the World Series, they can't even enjoy a full Fall Classic because it ends at midnight.
Hey MLB, if you are so sure that this realignment plan is good for baseball, I have a suggestion that would also be good for baseball, but it won’t benefit the suits, it will benefit the kids…the “true” fans. Make a few World Series games in the afternoon on a Saturday where an 8 year old can watch the biggest game of the year with his dad instead of hearing about it the next day. Suck it up and don’t try and make bank on 2 or even 3 World Series games so the kids can enjoy it too. I know it’s business, but do me a favor, give back alittle too huh? 
Doing a good deed makes you feel good about yourself too you know, and that’s not a money thing, that’s a life thing. You hearing me Bud?
Personally, and I, too, am a traditionalist like you, oddly, it would take us back to the pre-division era but having grown up in that, I just think it has worked well up until now, so far.
ReplyDeleteGood point about the DH.
If they want to put the Astros in the AL West I am fine with that (not to digress but Minute Maid Park is the oddest baseball stadium, for lack of a better characterization, that I have ever seen, LOL).
Another WC team brings up the length of schedule you cited, playing into November, etc.
Lastly, and Bob Costas has been bring this up for years, as well, it would be nice to have some day games during the World Series (in terms of your kids plan) or at least a mid-afternoon 4pm-ish start!!!!
Firstly, another great article from the team at BYB
ReplyDeleteI love my Yankees and I love my Baseball but if there is one thing that I don't mind changing, it is the DH. The thing I like the most about watching NL games is the strategy around using pinch hitters late in the game. I know that it might push a few players in the AL into early retirement but I never really understood why it was introduced initially.