Running 2011 Baseball Thread, Vol. I: Dedicated to spnited

Well since a 15-15 alignment means adding a team to the AL West the teams that can be moved without causing a complete travel disaster for someone is extremely limited.

If you moved Milwaukee back to the AL as suggested, if would mean them or an AL Central team (White Sox?) would have to be in the AL West. That would be insanity.

 

Even though Kansas City was the team that was offered to switch leagues years ago, which it turned down.

With the Astros moving to the AL West, at least Texas will now have a divisional partner in the same time zone. Can't imagine it's fun being a Rangers fan with a good number of your games starting at 9 p.m. local time.

 

Would like to know how much ESPN & Fox pushed the balanced league thing. Now that you have to play interleague games all year that means more opportunities for the Mets and Yankees to play each other.

 

I think they'd be more interested in the five playoff teams/no divisions format that was being pushed. That way the Sox and Yankees don't have to be in direct contention for a spot and there's that much more chance for both of them -- the Sox would have made it this year, for instance.

 

Oh, just cut to the chase and have a playoff for all the other teams, who will then play the winner of a Yankees-Red Sox best of nine series in the World Series.

 

If you want the best teams in the playoffs this is the way it should be.

 

They're moving over a brutal dogshit team that is not going to contend for several years. It's a snack for the better league.

 

Houston makes the most sense to me if you're committed to having someone move. They're going to suck for a while, which will make for a nice Texas rivalry with the Rangers when they finally are good. Also, Enron seems like it would make for a good DH park, since it generally plays as a hitter's park. (Or, at least it always used to.)

 

McCarver's back in the booth. Was that planned, or has he been rushed in off the bench to replace Francona?

 

Planned. Francona was always only going to do the first two games.

 

McCarver had a heart procedure, missing the first two games.

 

Getting the best teams into the playoffs is a major driving influence in how you should build the playoffs, but it's not the only influence. The wild card(s?) does plenty to make sure no team gets too screwed by a stacked division.