oth sides want expanded playoffs, most of what is discussed is pretty clumsy.
I wasted some time this morning with the idea "What if the MLB adopted a two league / four division model similar to the NFL?"
The good news about this idea: Eight divisions is a good number to create an expanded playoff system that includes three & seven game series with all division champions (no wild cards). This makes a lot of sense
The less good news: MLB has two fewer teams than the NFL - so two divisions will have only three teams.
Assuming that the MLB adopts the DH in the NL (which I hate, but I think is going to happen), we can move teams around without being in different rules sets / forced restructuring of lineup (that isn't happening anyway). But I'm going to set some rules
The rules:
1) Move as few teams as possible, but it's okay to move between leagues
2) League balance - not all big or powerful in one league vs the other. 15 teams in each league - each league must has one three team division
3) The regional names aren't a joke (except when following the NFL). Get regional teams closer together as possible (enabling car/train travel)
4) Except in strict geographic or market size determined groupings. Try to get same city teams (NYC, LA, SF/O) in different leagues which enables (rare but fun) subway series and doesn't have a good/bad team in one town as much - it's a tradition.
There are some regional "givens" - if you are going to have a team in Atlanta and division called "Southern" ... duh. and Florida is South of Atlanta. And some regional opinions: It's okay for Cincinatti, St. Louis, & Kansas City to be called "Southern".
Align as closely as possible with the NFL
- this is obvious and somebody is going to like it - I think it's stupid
American League |
|
National League |
|
East |
|
East |
|
Boston |
AL East |
NY (Mets) |
NL East |
Miami |
NL East |
Philadelphia |
NL East |
New York (Y) |
AL East |
Texas |
AL West |
Toronto |
AL East |
Washington |
NL East |
West |
|
West |
|
Colorado |
NL West |
Los Angeles (D) |
NL West |
Kansas City |
AL Central |
San Francisco |
NL West |
Oakland |
AL West |
Seattle |
AL West |
San Diego |
NL West |
St Louis |
NL Central |
North |
|
North |
|
Baltimore |
AL East |
Chicago (WS) |
AL Central |
Cincinatti |
NL Central |
Detroit |
AL Central |
Cleveland |
AL Central |
Milwaulkee |
NL Central |
Pittsburgh |
NL Central |
Minnesota |
AL Central |
South |
|
South |
|
Chicago (C) |
NL Central |
Arizona |
NL West |
Houston |
AL West |
Atlanta |
NL East |
Los Angeles (A) |
AL West |
Tampa Bay |
AL East |
Maintain rivalries
this is obviously subjective and if you think you can do better - go for it in the comments. Phillies fans may like this model as it puts the Phillies in a three team division
American League |
|
National League |
|
East |
|
East |
|
Baltimore |
AL East |
NY (Mets) |
NL East |
Boston |
AL East |
Philadelphia |
NL East |
New York (Y) |
AL East |
Washington |
NL East |
Toronto |
AL East |
West |
|
West |
|
Arizona |
NL West |
Los Angeles (A) |
AL West |
Los Angeles (D) |
NL West |
Oakland |
AL West |
San Diego |
NL West |
Seattle |
AL West |
San Francisco |
NL West |
North |
|
North |
|
Chicago (WS) |
AL Central |
Chicago (C) |
NL Central |
Cleveland |
AL Central |
Colorado |
NL West |
Detroit |
AL Central |
Milwaulkee |
NL Central |
Minnesota |
AL Central |
Pittsburgh |
NL Central |
South |
|
South |
|
Houston |
AL West |
Atlanta |
NL East |
Kansas City |
AL Central |
Cincinatti |
NL Central |
Tampa Bay |
AL East |
Miami |
NL East |
Texas |
AL West |
St Louis |
NL Central |
Geographic
obviously creates cross town rivalries of teams in the same cities, etc..
American League |
|
National League |
|
East |
|
East |
|
Boston |
AL East |
Baltimore |
AL East |
New York (Y) |
AL East |
Philadelphia |
NL East |
NY (Mets) |
NL East |
Washington |
NL East |
Toronto |
AL East |
West |
|
West |
|
Arizona |
NL West |
Colorado |
NL West |
Los Angeles (A) |
AL West |
Oakland |
AL West |
Los Angeles (D) |
NL West |
San Francisco |
NL West |
San Diego |
NL West |
Seattle |
AL West |
North |
|
North |
|
Chicago (C) |
NL Central |
Cleveland |
AL Central |
Chicago (WS) |
AL Central |
Detroit |
AL Central |
Milwaulkee |
NL Central |
Pittsburgh |
NL Central |
Minnesota |
AL Central |
South |
|
South |
|
Houston |
AL West |
Atlanta |
NL East |
Kansas City |
AL Central |
Cincinatti |
NL Central |
St Louis |
NL Central |
Miami |
NL East |
Texas |
AL West |
Tampa Bay |
AL East |
Market size
the idea here was to give smaller sized markets a chance by putting them in the same division with other smaller sized teams
American League |
|
National League |
|
East |
Pop (Ms) |
East |
Pop (Ms) |
Toronto |
5.93 |
New York (Y) |
20.1 |
Boston |
4.94 |
NY (Mets) |
20.1 |
Baltimore |
2.84 |
Philadelphia |
6.25 |
West |
|
Washington |
6 |
Los Angeles (A) |
18.71 |
West |
|
Los Angeles (D) |
18.71 |
Oakland |
4.69 |
Arizona |
4.95 |
Seattle |
4.02 |
San Francisco |
4.69 |
San Diego |
3.29 |
North |
|
Colorado |
2.96 |
Chicago (C) |
9.46 |
North |
|
Chicago (WS) |
9.46 |
Pittsburgh |
2.37 |
Detroit |
4.39 |
Cleveland |
2.04 |
Minnesota |
3.69 |
Milwaulkee |
1.57 |
South |
|
South |
|
Tampa Bay |
3.14 |
Texas |
7.64 |
St Louis |
2.82 |
Houston |
7.12 |
Cincinatti |
2.23 |
Miami |
6.14 |
Kansas City |
2.17 |
Atlanta |
6.09 |
Power Rankings
I'm not a big fan of this idea as power is temporal and changes - but I took the 12 year W/L record & two year run differential as those were handy stats I had around by team - I'm sure the reader can suggest a better measure, etc.. Beyond a dozen years I don't see anything as very relevant for current day performance. Powerful teams with powerful teams, less powerful teams with less powerful teams given the regional assignments, etc..
American League |
|
National League |
|
East |
< is better |
East |
< is better |
New York (Y) |
4 |
Washington |
8 |
Toronto |
5 |
Philadelphia |
9 |
Boston |
5 |
NY (Mets) |
9 |
West |
|
Baltimore |
14 |
Los Angeles (A) |
|
West |
|
Seattle |
9 |
Los Angeles (D) |
2 |
Colorado |
11 |
San Francisco |
4 |
Arizona |
13 |
Oakland A |
5 |
North |
|
San Diego |
9 |
Milwaukee |
6 |
North |
|
Cleveland |
6 |
Pittsburgh |
10 |
Chicago (WS) |
7 |
Detroit |
11 |
Chicago (C) |
9 |
Minnesota |
12 |
South |
|
South |
|
Cincinatti |
8 |
Tampa Bay |
3 |
Texas |
11 |
Atlanta |
4 |
Kansas City |
13 |
St. Louis |
5 |
Miami |
13 |
Houston |
6 |
My recommendation:
sort of like the "maintain rivalries" with some geographic corrections
American League |
|
National League |
|
East |
|
East |
|
Boston |
AL East |
Baltimore |
AL East |
New York (Y) |
AL East |
NY (Mets) |
NL East |
Toronto |
AL East |
Philadelphia |
NL East |
West |
|
Washington |
NL East |
Colorado |
NL West |
West |
|
Los Angeles (A) |
AL West |
Arizona |
NL West |
Oakland |
AL West |
Los Angeles (D) |
NL West |
Seattle |
AL West |
San Diego |
NL West |
North |
|
San Francisco |
NL West |
Chicago (WS) |
AL Central |
North |
|
Cleveland |
AL Central |
Chicago (C) |
NL Central |
Detroit |
AL Central |
Cincinatti |
NL Central |
Minnesota |
AL Central |
Milwaulkee |
NL Central |
South |
|
Pittsburgh |
NL Central |
Houston |
AL West |
South |
|
Kansas City |
AL Central |
Atlanta |
NL East |
St Louis |
NL Central |
Miami |
NL East |
Texas |
AL West |
Tampa Bay |
AL East |
Comments very welcome - sorry if I gave up on trying to make the formatting look better (it's much better than the first cut)