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Splitting up Sox/Yanks in AL East?

jdip9jdip9 Posts: 1,894 ✭✭✭
No way this can happen, right?

Could ending baseball's best rivalry really be the best thing for Major League Baseball? In light of the realignment plan posited last week, some are wondering why it needs to be so complicated to increase competition in MLB. One idea: move either the New York Yankees or the Boston Red Sox to the American League Central Division. Doing so would increase the chances of both teams making the playoffs and also provide the chance for a team like Tampa Bay to not get stuck behind two behemoths every season.

Bud has done a LOT of stupid things in his tenure, but this would rank right up there near the top.

I have an idea, Bud - how about trying to restore some sort of competitive balance to the game, so you don't have to keep resorting to gimmicks to keep interest alive.

Comments

  • perkdogperkdog Posts: 30,659 ✭✭✭✭✭
    What a stupid idea image
  • grote15grote15 Posts: 29,696 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Maybe they should create a special division with all the low payroll teams in it, so all the cheap owners will have a chance, LOL..

    Maybe the Mets could win that division, then? Or at least play, as Wilpon once said, "meaningful games in September." image


    Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
  • stevekstevek Posts: 29,035 ✭✭✭✭✭
    The chances of that happening are 0
  • Butt Selig is the worst commissioner ever. I'm still trying to figure out why in the last 'realignment'
    the Brewers needed to move to the NL to create a division with 6 teams, while leaving an AL
    division with only 4 teams.
    If he does this, baseball will truly suck. Not to mention the huge ratings that come from the
    Sox/Yanks games will be reduced from 19 (?) times per year, to only 6. Ratings = $$$.
  • I wonder how good ol' Bud Selig's thought process goes. Maybe something along the lines of."Hey, here's the most intense rivalry in all of sports. It goes back nearly 100 years, and countless books, movies etc...have been based on it. It is the foundation of the sport I'm in charge of. So I know...let's 'fix' it."


    Bet Bud loved New Coke as well.
  • MCMLVToppsMCMLVTopps Posts: 4,841 ✭✭✭✭✭
    How about Bud just goes away?
  • perkdogperkdog Posts: 30,659 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>How about Bud just goes away? >>




    image
  • KK Posts: 1,364 ✭✭✭
    image
    "What's that you say?"

    image
    "I'm an idiot?"

    image
    "I'll have you know that I'm doing what's best for the game of baseball."

    image
    "I don't get why you think that splitting up the Red Sox and Yankees to promote competition isn't a great idea?"

    image
    "I'm acting on behalf of the fans."

    image
    "You bring up a good point about them being the best rivalry in all of sports."

    image
    "I guess I better think this one through a little more carefully."

    image
    "I've decided that my way is best and that's final... I just pray I don't get impeached for this"

    image
  • MCMLVToppsMCMLVTopps Posts: 4,841 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Well done K.
  • Bosox1976Bosox1976 Posts: 8,551 ✭✭✭✭✭
    image What a dingleberry.
    Mike
    Bosox1976
  • DboneesqDboneesq Posts: 18,219 ✭✭
    K ... GREAT captions!!!!!
    STAY HEALTHY!

    Doug

    Liquidating my collection for the 3rd and final time. Time for others to enjoy what I have enjoyed over the last several decades. Money could be put to better use.
  • KK Posts: 1,364 ✭✭✭
    I personally think Bud has run his natural course.

    I think it's time to get a fresh face for the game. Someone young with big aspirations...

    Theo Epstein comes to mind, but I really don't want to lose him in Boston.
  • KK Posts: 1,364 ✭✭✭
    BTW if you don't get the last pic (my personal favorite) PM me because I don't want to get the "Political Boot" from CU...
  • BoopottsBoopotts Posts: 6,784 ✭✭


    << <i>Butt Selig is the worst commissioner ever. I'm still trying to figure out why in the last 'realignment'
    the Brewers needed to move to the NL to create a division with 6 teams, while leaving an AL
    division with only 4 teams.
    >>



    Because you can't have an odd number of teams in each league.
  • I hate to break it to you guys, but the world doesn't revolve around the Yankees and Red Sox. Bud is trying to cater to all of baseball and it's fans, not just the fans of the Yankees and Red Sox. In fact, if you are a fan of either of these teams, you should welcome a decision like this. Your teams will still have a rivalry each year during the regular season and a better chance of a rivalry in the post season.





  • << <i>I hate to break it to you guys, but the world doesn't revolve around the Yankees and Red Sox. Bud is trying to cater to all of baseball and it's fans, not just the fans of the Yankees and Red Sox. In fact, if you are a fan of either of these teams, you should welcome a decision like this. Your teams will still have a rivalry each year during the regular season and a better chance of a rivalry in the post season. >>




    Bud, is that you?





    K, that was some funny sh*t man, good stuff.
  • MCMLVToppsMCMLVTopps Posts: 4,841 ✭✭✭✭✭
    MPeter...

    I hate to break it to you guys, but the world doesn't revolve around the Yankees and Red Sox. Bud is trying to cater to all of baseball and it's fans, not just the fans of the Yankees and Red Sox. In fact, if you are a fan of either of these teams, you should welcome a decision like this. Your teams will still have a rivalry each year during the regular season and a better chance of a rivalry in the post season.

    Pathetic!
  • MCMLVToppsMCMLVTopps Posts: 4,841 ✭✭✭✭✭
    K...

    Lovin the pics and captions, THANKS for the grins!!!
  • TheVonTheVon Posts: 2,725
    Certainly the world doesn't revolve around the Yankees and the Red Sox, but it's one of the few regular season matchups that gets any kind of TV ratings. It might only be Red Sox and Yankee fans watching, but at least someone is watching. If you put them in different divisions you will definitely diminish the rivalry. Part of what makes the rivalry great now is that both teams know they have to beat the other team to win their division. Put them in different divisions and both teams will just have to beat up on the other teams to make it. Plus, with both teams in one division it seems to give other teams (outside of the AL East) a better chance at making the playoffs.
  • jdip9jdip9 Posts: 1,894 ✭✭✭
    Because you can't have an odd number of teams in each league

    Concievably you could. Hear me out.

    I'll start off by saying that Interleague baseball in its current form, like a lot of other money-driven decisions that MLB has made, is unfair and creates competitive imbalance. I hate it. The Mets have to the play the Yankees 6 times each year, while the other NL teams who the Mets are competing in the Wild Card with don't play the Yanks at all. That's not fair. But Bud doesn't care because it generates revenue. Whatever.

    Bud keeps telling us how great interleague baseball is, how it brings fans to the parks, blah, blah, blah...if it's so F'N great, why not have more of it? Just move Milwaukee (or Houston) to AL West, which creates 6 divisions of 5. The schedule breaks down like this:

    Play ALL the teams in the other league for a 3 games series, alternating home parks each year: 45 games
    Play the other two divisions in your league in two 3-game series home and away: 60 games
    Play the 4 teams in your division either 14 or 15 times (rotating the 15th game among the 4 teams each year)

    This way you can play interleague all year long. Fans can see the opposite leagues stars every 6 years (as opposed to every 12 years - currently there's a chance you'd never have certain stars visit your home ballpark depending on how the schedule falls).

    Again, I hate interleague play, but if MLB is going to do it, at least do it in a fair way.
  • BoopottsBoopotts Posts: 6,784 ✭✭


    << <i>Because you can't have an odd number of teams in each league

    Concievably you could. Hear me out.

    I'll start off by saying that Interleague baseball in its current form, like a lot of other money-driven decisions that MLB has made, is unfair and creates competitive imbalance. I hate it. The Mets have to the play the Yankees 6 times each year, while the other NL teams who the Mets are competing in the Wild Card with don't play the Yanks at all. That's not fair. But Bud doesn't care because it generates revenue. Whatever.

    Bud keeps telling us how great interleague baseball is, how it brings fans to the parks, blah, blah, blah...if it's so F'N great, why not have more of it? Just move Milwaukee (or Houston) to AL West, which creates 6 divisions of 5. The schedule breaks down like this:

    Play ALL the teams in the other league for a 3 games series, alternating home parks each year: 45 games
    Play the other two divisions in your league in two 3-game series home and away: 60 games
    Play the 4 teams in your division either 14 or 15 times (rotating the 15th game among the 4 teams each year)

    This way you can play interleague all year long. Fans can see the opposite leagues stars every 6 years (as opposed to every 12 years - currently there's a chance you'd never have certain stars visit your home ballpark depending on how the schedule falls).

    Again, I hate interleague play, but if MLB is going to do it, at least do it in a fair way. >>



    That would work, but it would basically ruin the point (if there is one) of interleague play, which is to give those 6 or 8 teams that have legitimate geographical rivalries with teams from the opposing league a chance to meet. The ONLY thing redeeming about interleague play are series' such as NY-NY, LA-Ana, Chi-Chi, etc. If you get rid of those, and replace them with an endless series of KC-Fla matchups, you might as well scrap the entire idea.
  • jdip9jdip9 Posts: 1,894 ✭✭✭
    That would work, but it would basically ruin the point (if there is one) of interleague play, which is to give those 6 or 8 teams that have legitimate geographical rivalries with teams from the opposing league a chance to meet. The ONLY thing redeeming about interleague play are series' such as NY-NY, LA-Ana, Chi-Chi, etc. If you get rid of those, and replace them with an endless series of KC-Fla matchups, you might as well scrap the entire idea.

    I'd only be getting rid of 1 of those 2 series between geographical rivals. I think fans in KC would much rather get a chance to see Hanley Ramirez come to town, than to watch ANOTHER series with the Tigers. The unbalanced schedule sucks, plain and simple. I don't need to see the Sox play the Orioles or Blue Jays or even the Yankees 18 times a year. It's boring. I remember one season, the Sox played AL East teams for 3 straight weeks, and I was ready to shoot myself.

    The unbalanced schedule was another misinformed decision by Bud to create "divisional rivalries", like they have in the NFL. It just doesn't work in baseball. I look forward to a series with the Twins much more than a series with the Blue Jays.
  • ConnecticoinConnecticoin Posts: 12,868 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>I hate to break it to you guys, but the world doesn't revolve around the Yankees and Red Sox. Bud is trying to cater to all of baseball and it's fans, not just the fans of the Yankees and Red Sox. In fact, if you are a fan of either of these teams, you should welcome a decision like this. Your teams will still have a rivalry each year during the regular season and a better chance of a rivalry in the post season. >>



    I hate to break it to you, but the BASEBALL world DOES revolve around the Yankees and Red Sox.
  • RoarIn84RoarIn84 Posts: 859 ✭✭
    hmmmmm..... the 2 most EASTERN coastal teams, and one moves to the CENTRAL? that makes geographical sense..... really, i think baseball is enjoying a strong rebound of popularity and fans are already attending. screw the yanks, screw the sox and whatever extra profits you might gain from revamping yet again..... let's just play ball. and i like interleague play, but forget the common rivalries. keep it fair and don't make me feel like a sucker for your profits.... east plays west, C vs C and such.... yes, and bring Milwaukee back to the AL!!! and while we are at it, ditch the DH!!
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