Realigning MLB like the NBA

This is just me typing stuff out, so don't think I'm a nut. I like the idea of a National and American League.

I just had a wild hair about the possibility of baseball realigning completely by geography.

EASTERN LEAGUE

NORTHEAST DIVISION
Boston Red Sox
New York Mets
New York Yankees
Philadelphia Phillies
Toronto Blue Jays

ATLANTIC DIVISION
Atlanta Braves
Baltimore Orioles
Florida Marlins
Tampa Bay Rays
Washington Nationals

CENTRAL DIVISION
Cincinnati Reds
Cleveland Indians
Detroit Tigers
Milwaukee Brewers
Pittsburgh Pirates

WESTERN LEAGUE

MIDWEST DIVISION
Chicago Cubs
Chicago White Sox
Kansas City Royals
Minnesota Twins
St. Louis Cardinals

MOUNTAIN DIVISION
Arizona Diamondbacks
Colorado Rockies
Houston Astros
Seattle Mariners
Texas Rangers

PACIFIC DIVISION
Los Angeles Angels
Los Angeles Dodgers
Oakland Athletics
San Diego Padres
San Francisco Giants

Now, it isn't perfect ... but it isn't that bad. The hiccups were in the team that would be in the Central Division with the Reds, Indians, Pirates and Tigers. The next closest would be one of the Chicago teams and I didn't want to split them up. Next option was Milwaukee, which I wanted to keep with the Chicagos but they made more sense then anything else. I can't take the Cardinals away from the Cubs ... or the Royals away from the Cardinals ... leaving the Twins or Brewers. It's the Brewers!

The other issue was the teams between Kansas City and California. Since there are five Cali teams, it was easy to throw them together. So the other five teams ... which spread from Houston to Seattle ... are stuck with each other. It's a larger geographic area than I like, but it works in real life with the Rangers and Mariners in the same division.

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• Mizzy21390 said September 30, 2009

  It always did bother me, with the whole AL and NL stuff and how cities like LA, NY, and Chi were split up... If only it was like the NBA... it would have made more sense...

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• HouseofDread said September 30, 2009

  I don't think you're a nut because I too would like to see MLB realign geographically. But let me do you one better. Instead of having six 5-team divisions, I think they should change to three 10-team divisions. Look at your Northeast Division. There are 3 (or even 4, if the Mets can get their act back together) teams that are likely to win 90+ games every year. Are you OK with having two teams finishing with more than 90 wins miss the playoffs because they didn't finish 1st or 2nd in their division while two or three winners of other divisions with less than 90 wins get into the playoffs? If so, fine. But I'm not OK with it. It's not fair.
  I'd like to take your Northeast and Atlantic divisions and make them the Eastern Division. Add your Midwest Division to your Central Division and call it the Central Division. And have your Pacific and Mountain divisions become the Western Division. Have the three division winners plus five wild card teams get the playoff spots. That way if the Yankees and Red Sox both win over 100 games, the Phillies, Mets, and Rays can still get into the playoffs even if they finish lower than 2nd place, if they win enough games.
  I would have each team play one 3-game series against the 20 teams not in their own division for a total of 60 games, and then play the remaining 102 games against teams within their own division (11 or 12 games against each divisional opponent). That way fans in every MLB city will be able to see all the other teams every 2 years instead of the way they schedule interleague games now (I mean, I can't even remember the last time the Yankees played a series here in Milwaukee). I think having three 10-team divisions assures that all of the good teams make the playoffs and greatly reduces the chances of having a sub-.500 team win a division. How about it? Do you think I'm a nut?

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  • Mizzy21390 replied October 01, 2009

    I actually like your ideaas... And no I don't think you're a nut.