"Floating" Realignment: Another attempt by Selig to destroy the game

[missionhockey21]

Year to year alignment changes? Seriously? We have sim leagues that have issues because some feel that realignment happens too often. That isn't even real, and the possibility of realignment isn't every season either. Way to go Bud.

When baseball commissioner Bud Selig named a 14-person "special committee for on-field matters" four months ago, he promised that all topics would be in play and "there are no sacred cows." The committee already has made good on Selig's promise by discussing a radical form of "floating" realignment in which teams would not be fixed to a division, but free to change divisions from year-to-year based on geography, payroll and their plans to contend or not.

...

One example of floating realignment, according to one insider, would work this way: Cleveland, which is rebuilding with a reduced payroll, could opt to leave the AL Central to play in the AL East. The Indians would benefit from an unbalanced schedule that would give them a total of 18 lucrative home dates against the Yankees and Red Sox instead of their current eight. A small or mid-market contender, such as Tampa Bay or Baltimore, could move to the AL Central to get a better crack at postseason play instead of continually fighting against the mega-payrolls of New York and Boston.

Divisions still would loosely follow geographic lines; no team would join a division more than two time zones outside its own, largely to protect local television rights (i.e., start times of games) and travel costs.
Floating realignment also could mean changing the number of teams in a division, teams changing leagues and interleague games throughout the season, according to several sources familiar with the committee's discussions.

Bud Selig, MLB committee considering radical floating realignment - Tom Verducci - SI.com

[DirtyKash]

Selig is retiring in 2012, so I thought the days of him screwing up Major League Baseball were over ... WRONG! He has to get a few more screwups in before he leaves. Oy dios mio.





How it's going to unfold

AL East: Boston, New York, Kansas City
AL Central: Toronto, Baltimore, Tampa Bay, Cleveland, Detroit, Minnesota, Chicago

Royals know that they can't make the playoffs so they switch to the East to get more home games against Boston and New York and drive up home attendance. Toronto, Baltimore and Tampa switch to the Central in order to avoid Boston and New York and get a chance at the playoffs.

[henks]

That is ****ing retarded. What an idiot.

[HollywoodLeo]

This is one of those times I hope the traditionalists get there way and resist change.

[redsrbetter]

For me there is a much simpler change. Tell the owners to stop crying. If they truly wanted their franchise to contend, then they would spend accordingly. If they are in the AL East, well you obviously have the bar set for yourself. You must spend to contend. Or, you play it like Tampa Bay and lose for a decade, then find yourself at the top after keeping your drafted talent.

What ever happened to the culture of media and ownership who stated that small market teams can contend. The owners argued that they don't have to spend to keep up. Now this?

[HollywoodLeo]

For me there is a much simpler change. Tell the owners to stop crying. If they truly wanted their franchise to contend, then they would spend accordingly. If they are in the AL East, well you obviously have the bar set for yourself. You must spend to contend. Or, you play it like Tampa Bay and lose for a decade, then find yourself at the top after keeping your drafted talent.

What ever happened to the culture of media and ownership who stated that small market teams can contend. The owners argued that they don't have to spend to keep up. Now this?

I can't fully agree with this. Not every team has the income to spend spend spend however much it'd take to win, especially if they're in the same division as the Yankees and Red Sox.

Yeah, small markets can contend but they have a bigger uphill battle to fight in order to do so which isn't entirely fair. Just because it can be done doesn't necessarily mean the playing field is even.

That being said, this asinine proposal is not the way to fix that.

Two words: Salary cap.

[redsrbetter]

Perhaps I am wrong here, and I very well could be. But I am pretty sure every single owner has enough money to put into their product in order to make it better and still turn serious profits.

I know if I were an owner, I would be looking at making money off my investment. So I don't fault any owner for doint that. But don't you think the Steinbrenners make a ton of money off the Yankees? Do you guys think they make even more than anyone else? I have no proof, but I truly believe they do. They buy the best they can get, market the heck out of it, and score tremendously from it.

All I am saying is that if the owners learned from the larger markets and actually saw that they could make even bigger profits, they could create a winning atmosphere for their team. It all starts from the top.

[HollywoodLeo]

The problem is two-fold

1, sports fans, for the most part, are loyalists. The Royals can market their team all they like Yankee fans will always be Yankee fans.

2, New York City is simply a lot bigger than Kansas City.

[redsrbetter]

If David Glass decided to spend money on his product, he would turn more of a profit than he is now. No doubt, there will be more Yankee fans for a long time, but lets say David Glass went Steinbrenner like and bought a ton of free agents and made their team a contender in the central right away. Kauffman Stadium would be packed. Fans want to see superstars and a team that can contend.

Only true baseball fans and those who overlove their city will show up to a Royals game these days. But that all could change if Mr. Glass would take the chance at spending and gaining profits from it.

[Trendy Bastard]

I've always been for a salary cap, as well as a minimum. Much better idea than this. But you have to wonder if the MLBPA would allow it.

[redsrbetter]

I am all for a salary cap as well, but we know the MLBPA won't allow it. Guaranteed.

[Foster]

Salary Caps can be good.

This idea on the other hand.

[DirtyKash]

Salary floor as well. You got to have a salary floor.

[Foster]

Very true.
From now on, when I refer to salary cap, and salary floor in MLB, I shall call it the "Salary Structure". Let it be known.

[General]

This realignment sounds like a party.