Bleeding Yankee Blue: IMAGINE THIS: THE YANKEES & METS IN THE SAME DIVISION

Wednesday, April 29, 2020

IMAGINE THIS: THE YANKEES & METS IN THE SAME DIVISION

Source: USA Today

I know. I read the headline and multiple accounts that led to me writing the headline. MLB is getting creative, which is what we hoped would happen. Recall our piece back on April 1, 2020: IT'S TIME FOR BASEBALL TO GET MORE CREATIVE. "With the pandemic ranging and 80% of Americans already under stay at home orders for at least the next month, it is time for baseball to get creative if they want to have a season," we reported. Here we are just about a month later and MLB is working on multiple scenarios and among them, a situation where the Yankees and Mets play in the same Division.

One of the more popular proposals MLB officials are considering is what is being referred to as the home park proposal. This enables teams in metropolitan areas such as the Yankees and Mets to play most of its games in their region with games starting no later than July 2, 2020.

Source: The New York Times

"The games would be played without fans, and split the entire league into three divisions according to geographical location — East, Central and West — with 10 teams each. Teams would only play other sides in their respective divisions until the start of the playoffs," reported The Daily News.

I would be on board with anything right now and this scenario seems like it would be good for the fans, good for the local businesses and good for the players and their families.

Source: Newsday

"The goal of the plan is to have reduced travel relative to a typical season and allow players to play without isolating themselves, unlike previous proposals centered in Arizona, Florida and Texas," reported the News. MLB is also eagerly watching "the Korea Baseball Organization (which is in spring training and is set to begin the regular season May 5) and the NBA about how to handle issues such as testing and clubhouse crowds," reported the New York Post.

So the boys from the Queens and the bombers in the Bronx could take the subway series to a whole other level as Division rivals. Now that could get things fired up really quickly and make things interesting given the moves each of these teams made in the off season.

Source: NY Post, Paul J. Bereswill

"The realignment structure would place the Yankees and Mets in the same division with familiar rivals such as the Red Sox and Phillies, along with the Rays and Marlins, who are over 1,000 miles away in Florida, and the Blue Jays, who play in a different country," the News.

This is a plan I could be down with and a step in the right direction. After things gets started, and MLB gets used to this new normal, slowly fans can come back. But having baseball in any capacity would be a welcome guest to the quarantine we are all under at this time. So brighter days are ahead and the Yankees and Mets could play for the pennant. Wow. Just wow. In these crazy times, that would be the ice cream with the cherry on top.