Baseball Realignment

[TallTitan34]

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/rosenthal-realignment-proposal-022510

Ken Rosenthal has a few different ideas for baseball realignment in this FOX sports article. 

It looks like he is trying to get the Red Sox and Yankees in different divisions so they make the playoffs every year.

[Cooby Snacks]

I only looked at the map.  Looks like the Brewers will be moving into Lake Michigan.  A stadium-boat in this economy?

[ChicosBailBonds]

If they want to fix it, put in a firm salary cap.  Problem is, the Yankees and others (players, mostly) don't want that so it will continue in this direction.

Competitive balance should not be about moving teams from one division to another.  Set a standard cap across all teams and you will get competitive balance in a few years.  Also tighten up the draft, the way teams go after international players without a draft is ridiculous.

[marq101]

I only looked at the map.  Looks like the Brewers will be moving into Lake Michigan.  A stadium-boat in this economy?

Parking is going to be hell.

On another note the Cubs moved to Gary, Indiana.

[MUpugnacity]

Parking is going to be hell.

On another note the Cubs moved to Gary, Indiana.

They probably just figured it was time for a change since the last century didn't go so well.

[jfmu]

If they want to fix it, put in a firm salary cap.  Problem is, the Yankees and others (players, mostly) don't want that so it will continue in this direction.

Competitive balance should not be about moving teams from one division to another.  Set a standard cap across all teams and you will get competitive balance in a few years.  Also tighten up the draft, the way teams go after international players without a draft is ridiculous.

A salary floor would be much more beneficial than a cap for the MLB

[🏀]

A salary floor would be much more beneficial than a cap for the MLB

+1

The only realignment necessary is move the Astros to the AL West.

[GOMU1104]

The owners have proposed a salary floor on several occasions, with the MLBPA rejecting it every time.

[TallTitan34]

The only realignment necessary is move the Astros to the AL West.

It would make sense because, the NL Central has 6 teams while the AL West has 4.  However, each league needs an even number of teams, otherwise there would always be a team not playing for an entire series.  That's why the Brewers came over to the NL.  

You could always have the majority of series not begin and end on the same days but apparently that's too hard for the schedule makers.

[Chili]

It would make sense because, the NL Central has 6 teams while the AL West has 4.  However, each league needs an even number of teams, otherwise there would always be a team not playing.  That's why the Brewers came over to the NL.  You could always have the majority of series not begin and end on the same days but that's too hard for the schedule makers.

exactly. 2 teams would always be playing interleague games.

[MUfan12]

Move the Astros, and contract the Cubs and Twins.

[TallTitan34]

Just curious.  In your AL days, who did Brewers fans dislike more?  The Twins or the Sox?

[Chili]

Just curious.  In your AL days, who did Brewers fans dislike more?  The Twins or the Sox?

White Sox.

[GGGG]

Just curious.  In your AL days, who did Brewers fans dislike more?  The Twins or the Sox?

Neither really.  Different division.  When the Brewers were really good in the late 70s / early 80s, we were generally fighting it out with the Orioles, Yankees and Red Sox.  Those were the games that meant the most.

[GOMU1104]

Just curious.  In your AL days, who did Brewers fans dislike more?  The Twins or the Sox?

Neither really.  Different division.  When the Brewers were really good in the late 70s / early 80s, we were generally fighting it out with the Orioles, Yankees and Red Sox.  Those were the games that meant the most.

Disagree.

Did you ever go to a Brewers/White Sox game at County Stadium in the 90s?  Those were brutal.

[GGGG]

Disagree.

Did you ever go to a Brewers/White Sox game at County Stadium in the 90s?  Those were brutal.

Yeah, but that was mostly because of that bozo Terry Bevington.  Both teams pretty much sucked...I wouldn't call it much of a rivalry.

[Chili]

Yeah, but that was mostly because of that bozo Terry Bevington.  Both teams pretty much sucked...I wouldn't call it much of a rivalry.

I learned a lot of 4 letter words at Brewers vs. Sox games in the mid to late 80s. There were always fights in the bleachers.

[marq101]

Disagree.

Did you ever go to a Brewers/White Sox game at County Stadium in the 90s?  Those were brutal.

I was never at a game against the White Sox at County but I've been told on 94 you would see dozens of Illinois drivers pulled over.  Good stuff.

[ChicosBailBonds]

A salary floor would be much more beneficial than a cap for the MLB

To get a salary floor you have to protect the small market clubs and put a ceiling.  Otherwise all you've done is drive up player salaries where the less talented players are still playing for the Royals but making more money.


It won't work, you have to have both.

[Hards Alumni]

To get a salary floor you have to protect the small market clubs and put a ceiling.  Otherwise all you've done is drive up player salaries where the less talented players are still playing for the Royals but making more money.


It won't work, you have to have both.

I would have thought you'd be a bigger fan of the free market, Chicos. 

[GOMU1104]

To get a salary floor you have to protect the small market clubs and put a ceiling.  Otherwise all you've done is drive up player salaries where the less talented players are still playing for the Royals but making more money.


It won't work, you have to have both.

The proposed floor was around $35-$40 million the couple of times the Owners proposed it to the MLBPA.  It really wasnt that excessive...around the level of the lowest payrolls in baseball.

Again...It was the Owners that proposed it.  MLBPA is fundamentally opposed to any mechanism that controls salaries, even if it is a floor that could potentially increase salaries.

[ChicosBailBonds]

I would have thought you'd be a bigger fan of the free market, Chicos. 

Oh I am, normally....just not with sports which is a different animal. My bigger concern is with their carbon footprint.   I just hope they can get that under control because any second now we're all going to be underwater.   

[ChicosBailBonds]

The proposed floor was around $35-$40 million the couple of times the Owners proposed it to the MLBPA.  It really wasnt that excessive...around the level of the lowest payrolls in baseball.

Again...It was the Owners that proposed it.  MLBPA is fundamentally opposed to any mechanism that controls salaries, even if it is a floor that could potentially increase salaries.

]I know they did, but the problem is it doesn't address the competitive aspect of baseball.  The best players will gravitate to those with the most money.  And let's just say in my two years working in the MLB, well the owners weren't exactly someone that people came away impressed with.  Not like the NFL owners, that's for sure. 

[bma725]

Just curious.  In your AL days, who did Brewers fans dislike more?  The Twins or the Sox?

Of the two, Sox, but neither was really given much thought for most of their AL days.

Remember, the Brewers were only in the same division as the Sox and Twin when they were in the AL West in 1970-71 and then in the AL Central from 1994-1997.  Other than that, we were an AL East team, and the hatred for the Yankees and Orioles surpassed everyone else.

The Sox rivalry was brief, but intense.  The Twins were never really seen as a rival.