Realigning MLB

[Pronk48]

Me and a friend were discussing the current division format of MLB compared to that of the NFL. The NFL a few years back switched to a more region specific alignment that kept traditional rivalries alive. The went from West/Central/East to West/North/East/South. So we decided to come up with a realignment of MLB. Now we know this will never happen if baseball wanted to keep it's four-team two-round format going and still have keep a rivalry like Yankees-Red Sox in the same division AND have them play in the ALCS.

AL East

New York Yankees
Boston Red Sox
Baltimore Orioles
Toronto Blue Jays

AL North

Cleveland Indians
Detriot Tigers
Minnesota Twins
Chicago White Sox

AL South

Tampa Bay Devil Rays
Texas Rangers
Kansas City Royals

Wow, what a crappy division that would be.

AL West

Los Angeles Angels
Seattle Mariners
Oakland Athletics

NL East

Philladelphia Phillies
New York Mets
Atlanta Braves
Washington Nationals

NL North

Chicago Cubs
Milwaukee Brewers
Cincinatti Reds
Pittsburgh Pirates

NL South

Florida Marlins
St. Louis Cardinals
Houston Astros
Arizona Diamondbacks

NL West

San Diego Padres
Colorado Rockies
Los Angeles Dodgers
San Fransisco Giants

[DirtyKash]

Four divisions? You would lose all the excitement that comes from the wild card!!!

No, seriously, this is how MLB should be aligned:

NL East
Philadelphia
Pittsburgh
Toronto
Tampa Bay
Florida

NL Central
Chicago Cubs
Chicago White Sox
St. Louis
Kansas City
Atlanta

NL West
Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Angels
San Francisco
San Diego
Oakland


AL East
New York Yankees
New York Mets
Boston
Washington
Baltimore

AL Central
Cleveland
Cincinnati
Detroit
Minnesota
Milwaukee

AL West
Houston
Texas
Seattle
Arizona


Perfect alignment. Among my changes:

- GEOGRAPHICAL RIVALS ARE IN THE SAME DIVISION: this is now the case with

1. Philadelphia/Pittsburgh
2. Tampa Bay/Florida
3. Chicago Cubs/Chicago White Sox
4. St. Louis/Kansas City
5. Los Angeles Dodgers/Los Angeles Angels
6. San Francisco/Oakland
7. New York Yankees/New York Mets
8. Washington/Baltimore
9. Cleveland/Cincinnati
10. Minnesota/Milwaukee
11. Houston/Texas


- EXISTING RIVALRIES REMAIN: Boston/Yankees, Cubs/Cardinals, Dodgers/Giants, Padres/Giants, Padres/Dodgers remain fierce division rivals as before.


Certain NL teams would become AL teams and certain AL teams would become NL teams. To fix that problem, just eliminate the DH (which would kill 16 jobs, but whatever) and the problem is solved. All pitchers must hit.


Seriously. I should be MLB commissioner.

[DirtyKash]

By the way, Pronk48, you can't have divisions with three teams. That's just brutal. Either you need to expand the league by two teams (dear god no), or just stick with three divisions (preferred solution).

[browntown653]

Move the Astros to the AL West. It's that simple.

[DirtyKash]

Or the simpler, more sadistic solution is to contract the following teams:

- Washington
- Tampa Bay
- Kansas City
- Florida
- Minnesota
- Milwaukee

and go with a 24 team league (4 divisions, 6 teams per division).

[Slyder]

Or the simpler, more sadistic solution is to contract the following teams:

- Washington
- Tampa Bay
- Kansas City
- Florida
- Minnesota
- Milwaukee

and go with a 24 team league (4 divisions, 6 teams per division).

Na the wild card has brought more to baseball. 6 divisions by 4 teams each and setup the playoffs like Football (or just add 1 more Wild Card Team) and reward those with the best record so every one of 162 games matters in some form.

[Slyder]

AL East
New York Yankees
New York Mets
Boston
Washington
Baltimore

Oh great year round vomit fest of ESPN covering 3 teams and saying screw the rest of them. Otherwise nice work.

[Lance324]

Going to 4 divisions and adding more Wildcards would just put more teams in the playoffs that don't belong. If any realignment were to take place I would rather see them go back to 2 divisions in each league. Playoffs would consist of 2 division winners and 2 wild cards. In other words 3 teams from the same division could potentially make the playoffs if they had the best record. I'm all for getting teams out of the playoffs that don't belong.

[Slyder]

Going to 4 divisions and adding more Wildcards would just put more teams in the playoffs that don't belong. If any realignment were to take place I would rather see them go back to 2 divisions in each league. Playoffs would consist of 2 division winners and 2 wild cards. In other words 3 teams from the same division could potentially make the playoffs if they had the best record. I'm all for getting teams out of the playoffs that don't belong.

Wild Card teams dont belong? I guess Florida better hand back their WS championships, Boston is still waiting on one cause they were WC, I could go on. You're saying that media wouldnt have been all over the race for the wild card with upstart Seattle and AL Champ Detroit battling for that 2nd WC spot? It would have been worth its weight in GOLD and you "reward" a team for having a great regular season. You go back to 2 division format and St Louis doesnt even sniff the playoffs last year, and you lose a lot of the momentum that has been developing that any team can win.

[browntown653]

Four divisions? You would lose all the excitement that comes from the wild card!!!

No, seriously, this is how MLB should be aligned:

NL East
Philadelphia
Pittsburgh
Toronto
Tampa Bay
Florida

NL Central
Chicago Cubs
Chicago White Sox
St. Louis
Kansas City
Atlanta

NL West
Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Angels
San Francisco
San Diego
Oakland


AL East
New York Yankees
New York Mets
Boston
Washington
Baltimore

AL Central
Cleveland
Cincinnati
Detroit
Minnesota
Milwaukee

AL West
Houston
Texas
Seattle
Arizona


Perfect alignment. Among my changes:

- GEOGRAPHICAL RIVALS ARE IN THE SAME DIVISION: this is now the case with

1. Philadelphia/Pittsburgh
2. Tampa Bay/Florida
3. Chicago Cubs/Chicago White Sox
4. St. Louis/Kansas City
5. Los Angeles Dodgers/Los Angeles Angels
6. San Francisco/Oakland
7. New York Yankees/New York Mets
8. Washington/Baltimore
9. Cleveland/Cincinnati
10. Minnesota/Milwaukee
11. Houston/Texas


- EXISTING RIVALRIES REMAIN: Boston/Yankees, Cubs/Cardinals, Dodgers/Giants, Padres/Giants, Padres/Dodgers remain fierce division rivals as before.


Certain NL teams would become AL teams and certain AL teams would become NL teams. To fix that problem, just eliminate the DH (which would kill 16 jobs, but whatever) and the problem is solved. All pitchers must hit.


Seriously. I should be MLB commissioner.

I guess Colorado is in their own division?

[DirtyKash]

I forgot to put those bastards. Damnit. Put them in the NL West with the other guys I guess.

[love_that_reefer]

I wish people would stop trying to make baseball like football. It can't happen nor should it. I hate football now because it has become a pussy sport. Too many rules and is way too slow. I don't want instant replay in baseball and I don't want another WC team. The NFL playoffs are brutal and so is the NBA's. Baseball playoffs going into November is also a bad idea. Things I am for, the Devil Rays and Marlins finding new homes.

[HollywoodLeo]

I have yet to see one argument against instant replay in baseball that makes any sense.

I want instant replay in baseball and it has nothing to do with "making it more like football" and everything to do with making the game more fair.

[777rak]

Me and a friend were discussing the current division format of MLB compared to that of the NFL. The NFL a few years back switched to a more region specific alignment that kept traditional rivalries alive. The went from West/Central/East to West/North/East/South. So we decided to come up with a realignment of MLB. Now we know this will never happen if baseball wanted to keep it's four-team two-round format going and still have keep a rivalry like Yankees-Red Sox in the same division AND have them play in the ALCS.

AL East

New York Yankees
Boston Red Sox
Baltimore Orioles
Toronto Blue Jays


lol wow I was just talking about this with my friend
AL North

Cleveland Indians
Detriot Tigers
Minnesota Twins
Chicago White Sox

AL South

Tampa Bay Devil Rays
Texas Rangers
Kansas City Royals

Wow, what a crappy division that would be.

AL West

Los Angeles Angels
Seattle Mariners
Oakland Athletics

NL East

Philladelphia Phillies
New York Mets
Atlanta Braves
Washington Nationals

NL North

Chicago Cubs
Milwaukee Brewers
Cincinatti Reds
Pittsburgh Pirates

NL South

Florida Marlins
St. Louis Cardinals
Houston Astros
Arizona Diamondbacks

NL West

San Diego Padres
Colorado Rockies
Los Angeles Dodgers
San Fransisco Giants

The only thing that I think it each division should have the same amount of teams. If MLB adds two more teams, they could do it like the NFL does. 4 teams for 4 divisions.

[Veovis]

I am for umpires being replaced by a system of computers and sensors.