24 replies to this topic

[The Napkin]

NESN link
Major League Baseball may soon have the same number of teams in each league, as the Houston Astros could be making a move to the AL as soon as 2013.

[OttoC]

Oh,boy. Then there will be inter-league play throughout the season. No thanks.

[soxhop411]

NESN link
Major League Baseball may soon have the same number of teams in each league, as the Houston Astros could be making a move to the AL as soon as 2013.

No its GOING to happen in 2013, the Astro's move to the AL is linked to the sale of the team to the new owner...

which means yes Interleague year round

Astros Likely To Join American League In 2013
By Ben Nicholson-Smith [November 14 at 3:12pm CST]

Prospective Astros owner Jim Crane has agreed to move the team to the American League in 2013, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter). Crane still needs the approval of baseball's other owners. He would get a discount of approximately $50MM to switch leagues, according to Heyman. Bob Nightengale of USA Today says compensation will be in the $80MM range (Twitter link).

The move would even out the two leagues at 15 teams each and create six divisions of five teams, assuming Houston joins the four-team American League West. The shift is tied to the upcoming collective bargaining agreement, which may include identical schedules for teams within the same division and boost inter-league play considerably. As MLBTR's Tim Dierkes explained in his GM Meetings preview, owners are expected to approve the sale of the Astros from Drayton McLane to Crane this week.

Edited by soxhop411, 14 November 2011 - 06:20 PM.

[CaptainLaddie]

I have to imagine if teams are suddenly playing 50-60 interleague games a year that the value of a DH-only DH (Ortiz, eg) would go down.

[PortageeExpress]

I have to imagine if teams are suddenly playing 50-60 interleague games a year that the value of a DH-only DH (Ortiz, eg) would go down.

I haven't seen anyone speculating that there will be more interleague games. They'll just have to spread them out over the course of the season, rather than clustering them.

If Houston's move to the AL was combined with an end to divisions and a balanced intraleague schedule, I'd be happier.

[zenter]

I have to imagine if teams are suddenly playing 50-60 interleague games a year that the value of a DH-only DH (Ortiz, eg) would go down.

I haven't seen anyone speculating that there will be more interleague games. They'll just have to spread them out over the course of the season, rather than clustering them.

We've had a lot of arguments about this, and I believe it is possible - with extremely careful and as-balanced-as-possible scheduling - to minimize to 12 ILP games per team with 15-team leagues. At least, in theory.

[MoGator71]

We've had a lot of arguments about this, and I believe it is possible - with extremely careful and as-balanced-as-possible scheduling - to minimize to 12 ILP games per team with 15-team leagues. At least, in theory.

Yes, and I assume (hope?) that's the plan. Scheduling is going to be tricky though, and MLB seems to suck at scheduling as it is. But if this means a more balanced schedule and the end or at least less of those stupid 2-game series that would be nice.

[Rasputin]

That's the way it should have been since Day 1.

[Infield Infidel]

We've had a lot of arguments about this, and I believe it is possible - with extremely careful and as-balanced-as-possible scheduling - to minimize to 12 ILP games per team with 15-team leagues. At least, in theory.

If you do 12 (4teamsX3games), with 5 team divisions, then the teams wouldn't play the same IL schedule. Each team would miss one of the teams in the other side. So if the AL East played the NL East, NYY would play ATL, NYM, FL MIA, WAS, and Boston played ATL, MIA, WAS and PHI, you would have a justifiable uproar because Boston played the Phils and NYY didn't.

You also can't do 5x3, because then some teams would have 9home and 6 road.

If you want complete balance, then 5teams x 4 games, playing 4 teams in four-game series and 2home/2away with the fifth team (NYM/NYY playing a 4 game set in both parks would be easy and kinda cool). That would increase the number if IL games from 18 to 20, but it's completely balanced competitively because everyone would play the same teams the same number of times.

A little less balanced would be 4teams x 3games + 1team x 4games (2H/2A). That's one game off from complete balance, but much better than today which is 3 games off. Again, everyone would play the same teams, which is most important. It's also only 16 games, 2 fewer than today.

Edited by Infield Infidel, 14 November 2011 - 09:56 PM.

[YTF]

At least with this format, Inter League play should now be dispersed within the regular schedule and not within a certain time frame. Series will hopefully be scheduled in some sort of geographic way that is conducive to eliminating the need to play 9 consecutive games in NL parks while trying to juggle the DH situation and potentially have to sit one of your top 3 hitters during that time.

[glennhoffmania]

I haven't seen anyone speculating that there will be more interleague games. They'll just have to spread them out over the course of the season, rather than clustering them.

If Houston's move to the AL was combined with an end to divisions and a balanced intraleague schedule, I'd be happier.

From Soxhop's post:

which may include identical schedules for teams within the same division and boost inter-league play considerably

If they do this, they have to add the DH to the NL. Increasing IL and keeping the rules as is would be so incredibly stupid I don't think even Bud could be this incompetent.

[Rough Carrigan]

If you're an Astros fan, here's what will happen to your viewing times:

FORMERLY:
Cardinals -- started at 7:00 your time
Cubs -- 7:00
Pirates -- 6:00
Reds -- 6:00
Brewers -- 7:00

In 2013
Seattle -- 9:00
Oakland -- 9:00
Anaheim -- 9:00
Texas -- 7:00

It seems to me that the times they'll be dealing with from 2013 on are much less desirable.

[Bucknahs Bum Ankle]

Oops, nm.

Edited by Bucknahs Bum Ankle, 15 November 2011 - 12:49 PM.

[bankshot1]

Houston do we have a problem?: Original thread on topic

http://sonsofsamhorn...have-a-problem/

[Orel Miraculous]

If you're an Astros fan, here's what will happen to your viewing times:

FORMERLY:
Cardinals -- started at 7:00 your time
Cubs -- 7:00
Pirates -- 6:00
Reds -- 6:00
Brewers -- 7:00

In 2013
Seattle -- 9:00
Oakland -- 9:00
Anaheim -- 9:00
Texas -- 7:00

It seems to me that the times they'll be dealing with from 2013 on are much less desirable.

True, but look at how much Texas has been getting screwed on game times. IIRC, part of the reason people advocated switching Houston specifically was to give the Rangers a division team in the same time zone. So while Houston's schedule gets worse, Texas's gets better. Maybe its not a complete wash, but it mitigates the downside a bit.

[YTF]

True, but look at how much Texas has been getting screwed on game times. IIRC, part of the reason people advocated switching Houston specifically was to give the Rangers a division team in the same time zone. So while Houston's schedule gets worse, Texas's gets better. Maybe its not a complete wash, but it mitigates the downside a bit.

I think I see what you're trying to say, but putting the Astro's in that division doesn't really lessen the games played with the other 3 AL west opponents. The Rangers played Seattle and The Angels 19 times each and the A's 20 times. Teams with 4 other teams in there divisions played each opponent 18-19 times. IF this arrangement sees similar scheduling the Rangers still play 18-19 games vs Seattle, Anaheim and Oakland. They are no less or more "screwed" than they previously were from that standpoint and they currently play the Astro's 6 times a year as per the Interleague "natural rivalry" anyway. So lets toss in another 12 games vs Houston. Those are games that would have previously been scheduled outside the division. Half of those will be at home, so nothing gained there as they will play 81 home games no matter who they are against. That leaves us down to roughly 6 possible better start times for the Rangers. It's reasonable to think that at least a couple of those (let's say 2 games) will come at the expense of games scheduled previously scheduled against Minnesota, Detroit or Kansas City who are in the same time zone as Texas. Best case scenario (pending the Interleague schedule) is that The Rangers play 4-6 more games in their time zone per season.

[Infield Infidel]

At least with this format, Inter League play should now be dispersed within the regular schedule and not within a certain time frame. Series will hopefully be scheduled in some sort of geographic way that is conducive to eliminating the need to play 9 consecutive games in NL parks while trying to juggle the DH situation and potentially have to sit one of your top 3 hitters during that time.

I didn't think about it before, but having IL all season should make for shorter trips during the season, and make travel less arduous. If one year the Sox are pit against the NL Central, it would be easy to have a 3 game set with the St.L on the way back from a west coast trip. They could also just stay in Chicago and play both the Cubs and White Sox on the same trip.

[the1andonly3003]

why not put the Brewers back in the AL? Why did it have to be the Astros?

[Orel Miraculous]

why not put the Brewers back in the AL? Why did it have to be the Astros?

It needs to be a western team and putting Houston in the AL West helps out the Rangers more than putting the Rockies or D-Backs would.

[Plympton91]

They should add two expansion teams to the AL -- Las Vegas and New Orleans or something -- do away with interleague play and add the DH the National League, go back to two Divisions with two wild card teams -- the two best teams not to win a Division, regardless of which Division -- and play a 5 game first round with games 1 and 2 and 4 and 5 at the home field of the Division winners.

You play 16 games each against your own Division -- 16 X 7 = 112 and 6 games each against the other division -- 6 X 8= 48 for a total of 160.

This would have the ancillary effect of creating about 200 six and seven figure jobs, combining the major league and AAA rosters as well as front offices.

[Orel Miraculous]

They should add two expansion teams to the AL -- Las Vegas and New Orleans or something -- do away with interleague play and add the DH the National League, go back to two Divisions with two wild card teams -- the two best teams not to win a Division, regardless of which Division -- and play a 5 game first round with games 1 and 2 and 4 and 5 at the home field of the Division winners.

You play 16 games each against your own Division -- 16 X 7 = 112 and 6 games each against the other division -- 6 X 8= 48 for a total of 160.

This would have the ancillary effect of creating about 200 six and seven figure jobs, combining the major league and AAA rosters as well as front offices.

That's a great idea. Baseball needs more small market teams. MLB's existing small market teams have had so much success and are faced with so few problems, why wouldn't you want to add more? Plus, as you said, this plan helps MLB achieve its goal of employing as many people as possible. As we all know, Rule 18.7 of the MLB constitution imposes an affirmative duty on the Commissioner to do whatever is in his power to combat a double-dip recession, regardless of whether or not his actions are good for the league as a whole. Sounds like a real win-win.

[Corsi]

Official.

Astros to the AL in 2013.

[sibpin]

It needs to be a western team and putting Houston in the AL West helps out the Rangers more than putting the Rockies or D-Backs would.

Right - the issue is that if you want each league to be 5/5/5, you need to move 1 Central team to the West and one NL team to the AL. Houston to the AL West solves both problems. You'd have to move Houston to the West either way if Colorado or Arizona went to the AL; KC would go to the West if Milwaukee returned to the AL Central.

[Bigpupp]

1. Astros win the World Series in 2012.
2. Astros manager is the NL All-Star game manager in 2013.
3. ????
4. Profit

[Infield Infidel]

Oh great, another hitter-friendly bandbox in the AL