How's this for a new MLB League allignment?

Question

American League

East
New York Yankees
Boston Red Sox
Baltimore Orioles
Tampa Bay Devil Rays

Central
Toronto Blue Jays
Detroit Tigers
Cleveland Indians
Indianapolis Comets (expansion team)

Midwest
Chicago White Sox
Minnesota Twins
Louisville Sluggers (expansion team)
Kansas City Royals

West
Los Angeles Angels
Fremont Athletics (Moving to Fremont, CA in a few years)
Seattle Mariners
Texas Rangers

National League

East
New York Mets
Atlanta Braves
Washington Nationals
Florida Marlins

Central
Philadelphia Phillies
Pittsburgh Pirates
Cincinnati Reds
Milwaukee Brewers

Midwest
Chicago Cubs
Houston Astros
Colorado Rockies
St. Louis Cardinals

West
Los Angeles Dodgers
San Francisco Giants
San Diego Padres
Arizona Diamondbacks

Each team will play each division rival 24 times and opposite division rivals 6 times each. There will also be 18 interleague games.

Oh, I forgot to say that there would be no more wild-card. So, all teams in the playoffs would be divisional winners.

To Jefferson:
Yeah, I guess you're right about Tampa Bay. What would happen if they moved the D-Rays to Orlando?

To anyone who thinks this is a bad idea:
Why is it a bad idea? Just look at it. All the divisions are even and the scheduling will be perfectly even. 24 games vs. each division rival and 6 games vs. each opposite divisional team and 18 interleague games. I don't see anything wrong with this!

To Scott M:
Don't do anything else to the National League. They will be fine with my idea. But, you are right about the American League. Move Texas to the Midwest and expand with a team in Portland, Oregon. Leave the Astros in the NL Midwest.

To Peter North:
Umm....there will be 16 teams in each league if my idea goes through. Can't you count?

Answer 1

I like it. It's always nice to shake things up every decade. Sometimes, teams feast on weaker teams in their division allowing them to win their division every year. (Braves up until last year, Cardinals). I also like the no wildcard. Play good baseball for 162 games and the playoffs are your reward. Baseball, more than any other sport is streaky. So, you could have a team that dominated the whole year, then one that squeaks into the playoffs and then gets hot (Red Sox, Marlins).

As far as expansion though? Aint gonna happen no time soon.

Answer 2

Kind of looks like football. In general, I like it. However, Louisville does not have the population to support MLB nor does Indy. Both are too close to Cincinnati which is a small enough market that would be further shrunken by the presence of these two teams. What makes more sense is to put an expansion team in Portland, OR and another in Charlotte, NC. Portland has >2M in the metro area and made a real good pitch for the Expos when they were relocating. Charlotte is about 1.5M+ but growing at about 80K residents per year. I'd put Portland in the AL West, move Texas to the Midwest in place of Louisville, move Houston from the NL to the AL Midwest, move the Phillies back to the NL East, put Charlotte in the NL Central and move the Nationals from the East to the Central.

Answer 3

The LAST thing we need is expansion. Especially to a backwater like Louisville. I'm not sold on Indy either.

I would merge the two Florida teams and split the games between Miami and Tampa, and keep the team in the NL. I would then move the Milwuakee Brewers back to the AL Central. This would necessitate the move of the Pirates to the NL East and either the Royals into the AL West or the Indians into the AL East.

Answer 4

It wouldn't be bad but without a Wild Card certain teams would be robbed of playoff berths. I guess that's how it used to be and if anything it'd heat up division rivalries again, something the game has kind of missed since the introduction of the wild card. I've always liked 4 team divisions so I wouldn't be opposed to this. Just wonder if 2 wild cards in each league and a football-type setup would make the playoffs more exciting.

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Answer 5

So what makes you think baseball will add two expansion teams. Your Comet team would be a better fit in the midwest division instead of the central division. And your assuming alot with the A's going to Fremont Ca.

Answer 6

This is a terrible idea. Just a couple years ago, they were talking about contracting the Marlins and Twins. And if two expansion teams are going to go anywhere, they're going to go to Portland and Las Vegas, not Indianapolis and Louisville.

Secondly, WTF is Philly doing in the Central? That's just retarded. At least with the Pirates in the NL Central currently, they're somewhat close to the Mississippi.

The divisions are fine the way they are now. There aren't 15 teams in each league because that would mean that there will always be one interleague series going on, and that, like your proposed idea, is just retarded.

Answer 7

Dude, we have two teams in Florida that get about as many in attendance as a little league game in Nebraska. The D.C. move was an utter nightmare. The only reason anybody goes to a game in S.F. is because they think their cheatin' hero Barry might juice one. The last thing MLB needs is more expansion!! Yes there are cities like Portland, Memphis and Des Moines that would support a team more than D.C., Miami or Tampa so move those teams there.

Answer 8

I'd switch Louisville and Indy. I think that there'd be a bigger rivalry with Indy/Minny/Chicago.

Or, put the Louisville expansion team in Portland (or Vegas, out west somewhere) and move the Rangers to the Midwest and have the Las Portland team in the AL West

Answer 9

Interesting idea. Just two small suggestions: 1)A better name for your proposed Indy expansion team would be the Wheels, as a nod to the city's motor sports legacy; 2)the Louisville team should be called the Stallions in honor of Louisville's status as the home of the Kentucky Derby.

Answer 10

I like the idea of moving the Jays to the Central.

I don't like the Astros in the Midwest simply because they're so much further south than Chicago or St. Louis, but I guess there's no easy answer for that one.

Overall, it's a good alignment.