Reallignment and NO DH for both leagues?

Question

I think the MLB should make their divisions by region like then NBA does for example, the North East division would have blujays, red sox, yanks, mets, phils. That would be way better. Any thoughts

Answer 1

The biggest problem with this idea would be getting the Players' Union to approve of removing the DH. However, I'm all for removing the DH from professional baseball, including international competitions. So, let's look at this.

Obviously, you would have the Eastern Conference/League and the Western Conference/League. The big problem is where do you put Milwaukee and the two Chicago teams. You have 13 teams west of the 88th meridian and 14 teams east of it, not counting those two teams. I would suggest throwing the 2 Chicago teams into the West and throwing Milwaukee into the East, even if they don't have a natural rival in the East.

Now, by your earlier statement, I would assume that you want 3 5-team divisions in each conference/league. That should be fairly simple. Look at my example:

Western - Pacific: L.A. Angels, L.A. Dodgers, Oakland, San Francisco, Seattle.

Western - Southwest: Arizona, Colorado, Houston, San Diego, Texas.

Western - Midwest: Chi. Cubs, Chi. White Sox, Kansas City, Minnesota, St. Louis.

Eastern - Central: Cincinnati, Cleveland, Detroit, Milwaukee, Pittsburgh.

Eastern - Southeast: Atlanta, Baltimore, Florida, Tampa Bay, Washington.

Eastern - Northeast: Boston, N.Y. Mets, N.Y. Yankees, Philadelphia, Toronto.

A few problems come with this realignment though. The biggest one is seperating San Diego from the other California teams. However, I don't see a better way to align those western teams because throwing Seattle into the Midwest or Southeast would make no sense.

Another problem is how weak the Southeast division is, though I'm sure that can be fixed over time, just look at the NHL's Southeast division, home to the two most recent Stanley Cup champions.

On the other end, Toronto would be at a huge disadvantage, being in the same division as four of the biggest markets in baseball.

But, I'm sure it could be worked out with time.

Answer 2

I'm a traditionalist and I would not want to see baseball realign. I've read that Selig would like to do this having an Eastern Conference and a Western Conference and he said that if this happened, he'd like to eliminate the DH.

I hate the DH. Teach your damn pitchers to hit and put them up at bat so they think twice about head hunting. Having a pitcher hit adds more thinking to baseball. Does getting rid of the DH support my 'traditionalist' tendancies? I don't know. The AL has had the DH for about 35 years. At what point does the DH become part of the tradition?

I live in Nova Scotia and even though I am a Yankees' fan, I like watching all of the teams. Being on the east coast, it seems like I rarely get to see the west coast teams play. If they re-allign, I worry that I'll never get to see certain teams play.

I also hate seeing the umpires confer and reverse a call. Why can't they just blow a call and take the abuse? That's what baseball should be about. Ok, even though it helped Boston beat the Yankees I didn't mind them ruling that Arod shouldn't have slapped the ball out of the first baseman's hand because he looked like a girlie man doing it. Now, if he shouldered the guy, severly injured him and the ball came loose, that play would stand because that's what we want to see in baseball.

To me, baseball is about thinking, athleticism, taking matters into your own hands, and either cursing those who fall in your wake or sooking about someone doing it to you - then going drinking after the game with the enemy to talk about how great baseball is. (-:

Answer 3

I do think they need a realignment, because currently the AL has become the money league due to Steinbrenner & the Red Sox spending gajillions of dollars on rosters. The NL has nothing like these two and so the Yanks and Sox have managed to drive AL salaries through the sky while the N.L. sits on their hands a lot.

I would trade the Yankees and Sox for the Mets and Braves, so that the NL would have to spend money or sink. While this would probably prove disastrous for my beloved Cardinals (Okay Mr. DeWitt, I get that you don't want to pay a premium for players, but you're probably not ever gonna get a deal like you got for Pujols again, no matter how much wrangling Walt Jocketty's genius mind does), it would be better for the game.

And get rid of the DH. That extra hitter eliminates the need for small ball, which was what the game was founded on anyway, we don't need a lineup of 9 Ryan Howards people.

Answer 4

the eastern division western division and the central division... those are by region basically... i mean you could narrow it down more but there are two leagues so 1 team from the eastern part of the country that can go to either the american or national league. they could make it more like north eastern and not just eastern but they wont and i dont believe its necessary... that could make it very different contending with new teams but i dont know. and for the dh rule i think its fine the way it is... its a little thing that seperates the american league from the national... if they didnt have a DH it would be very different... i think scores would be lower because DH's are made to hit... pitchers are not so meaning less hits less runs less excitement and it makes it easier for pitchers because they would have a/another easy out in the lineup...

Answer 5

Am sure Pres Obama is working on this proposal right now in St.Louis. Nothing like saving jobs and prolonging careers at the loss of strategy and not playing the game the way it was originally designed. Forcing pitchers to bat and be replaced for pinch hitters toward the end of close games is what makes baseball interesting. Adopting the DH in the AL is what started this travesty. Baseball is boring if all you have are 9 hitters and no thinking involved to win close games. It's already bad enough that starting pitchers rarely pitch a complete game.

Answer 6

I don't see that ever happening. The tradition in the American/National League is never going to go away. Why would you want it to? I got aggravated when they made Central divisions. I didn't like the change. I agree with the DH though, though that's likely not to change either. I've always thought each player on the field should take his turn at bat. It only hurts the pitchers that start in the AL, and then switchto the NL later in his career.

Answer 7

I dont think they should reallign like the NBA because there is to much tradition and it would take the excitement out of interleague play. No DH for both leagues however would be a great idea. the DH is one of the dumbest things in sports.

Answer 8

Leave the divisions alone, they are for the most part by region and if you go screwing around with them you'll lose some traditional rivalries. Pitchers should not have to bat, they are pitchers isn't that enough to do? DH rule stays and maybe if the NL adopted it they'd win more games.

Answer 9

Its a nice thought, but I dont think baseball wants two NY teams in the same league, the same would go for the Chicago teams (cubs and Chisox) and LA. (angels and dodgers). I do support the idea of no DH though.

I am a National League guy and I hate the DH rule.

Answer 10

I think the way the leagues are divided right now is fine by me. I do hate the DH though. The NL pitchers have to tough it up, while the AL pitchers get to have someone bat for them. That's ridiculous. Of course they're going to do better.