If You Had The Power to Reorganize Baseball

[Valadius]

If you had the ability to reorganize Major League Baseball, and move teams wherever you felt they should go, what would you do? Would you reorganize the divisions? Would you move teams clear across the country? Would you expand or contract? Alternatively, if you could reorganize the minor leagues, how would you do it?

[metirish]

I would have a salary cap for teams , at the minimum and maximum level . I don't care for IL play but do like the Mets versus yankees but still I would do away with IL play. The "traditional rival" is fine for soem teams but there is not enough to go around the rest of the leagues.

I don't care about the DH and anyway it helps me identify better with the NL version of baseball.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Salary cap wouldn't get past any union worth a scrap, would hurt the sport, and would hurt America.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

I would LOVE to see some sort of European-football-style relegation system. I couldn't begin to tell you how to get there from here.

As to the DH rule. The purists-- and a not-inconsiderable part of me-- say kill it. I say, give the manager something else to do. Let the AL use it amongst themselves, if they'd like. But if they want to use it when playing NL teams, they've got to spot a run to said NL team.

Also, if Florida can't be bothered to support a baseball team, Florida shouldn't have a baseball team*. Move that shizz to Portland, Tennessee, North Cacalacky, or to Connecticut/NJ.

*Full disclosure: Had I my druthers, and a giant laser, I'd probably perforate the US at the state border, and let FL float off into commonwealth-hood.

[TransMonk]

Not that any of this could ever happen due to labor disputes, revenue and fan revolt...but if I could magically arrange things the way I wanted to, it would go like this:

Contract 2 teams and move an NL team to the AL. This would solve a lot of problems I have with the game. It would thin the talent pool, help balance the schedules and give the ability to realign with even teams in each league. For the sake of this exercise, Washington and KC get axed and Arizona moves to the AL.

With these changes, the divisions would go from six to four:

NL East: Atlanta, Cincinnati, Florida, Milwaukee, NY Mets, Philly, Pittsburgh
NL West: Cubs, Colorado, Dodgers, Houston, San Diego, San Fran, St. Louis
AL East: Baltimore, Boston, Cleveland, Detroit, NY Yanks, Tampa, Toronto
NL West: Anaheim, Arizona, Minnesota, Oakland, Seattle, Texas, White Sox

Each team plays their division opponents 15 times per year, non-division intra league opponents 9 times per year and only 3 interleague series per team. For interleague, there would be one series vs. your "natural rival" (i.e. Mets/Yanks) and the other two teams played would be based on who mirrored your division standing at the end of the previous season (i.e. the 4th place NL East team would play a series vs. the 4th place AL East team and a series vs. the 4th place AL West team). Home field would alternate each year for division, league and interleague opponents.

I would expand the Wild Card to 2 teams per league based on best-record of non-division winners. Division winners would still get home field advantage over non-division winners followed by best record to determine home field. The team with the best record would get home field advantage in the World Series.

The All-Stars would be voted upon by players, coaches and managers rather than fans. It would be a true exhibition game and have no bearing on anything other than pride.

The WBC would be moved to November rather than March.

As much as I hate the DH, it would be impossible to remove at this point...more impossible than anything above. I don't hate not having a salary cap, so that would stay the same as well.

[Valadius]

I'd start with team location:

In terms of metropolitan-area population, nearly every team seems to be in a place that makes sense. The one team that, to my mind, seems out of place, is the Oakland A's. Compared to other parts of the country, the Bay Area has been growing at a substantially slower rate, and other metro areas have surpassed the Bay Area in terms of population. The San Francisco-Oakland Metro Area is ranked 13th in the US as of 2007 estimates. Add San Jose in, and it's still far behind the other two-team metro areas. It is increasingly difficult to justify the Bay Area having two teams. In a perfect world, I would move the Oakland A's to Sacramento.

Sacramento is already the AAA affiliate of the A's. Of all metropolitan areas without a major league team, it trails only Portland in population. It makes sense, and so it would be done.

Teams that need to watch out, population-wise:

Milwaukee Brewers - Milwaukee is the smallest market in Major League Baseball. It's ranked 39th in metropolitan areas, behind the following areas without a team: Portland, Sacramento, Orlando, San Antonio, Las Vegas, Columbus, Indianapolis, Charlotte, Norfolk, Austin, Providence, and Nashville. Even when considering Combined Statistical Areas - a larger census designation that pulls in more outlying small metro areas around a bigger hub city - it's ranked 26th, still the smallest market in the majors, behind many of the areas listed previously.

Kansas City Royals - Kansas City, by any measure, is the second-smallest market in the majors. It ranks 29th in metropolitan areas, behind Portland, Sacramento, Orlando, and San Antonio. In Combined Statistical Areas, it's 22nd, behind Orlando, Sacramento, and Charlotte, as well as Portland, which doesn't qualify for a CSA but still outranks Kansas City based on the size of its metro area.

I'm not sure if I'd be willing to move either of them yet, but they're the two that stand out. In terms of where I would put a team that needed a home, the most obvious place, in my mind, is Portland, as the largest metropolitan area without a major league team. After that, you're talking about Las Vegas and Charlotte, most likely. Orlando's surprised me in terms of just how big it is (over 2 million people), but I figure it ends up in Tampa Bay territory.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I'm surprised to learn that Valadius doesn't already have the power to reorganize baseball.

I've heard it said a lot recently that baseball has nowhere to expand to, and no markets to which they could relocate teams. I don't agree. As Val said, there's Portland and Charlotte. I'd think a team could possibly do well in Tennessee too.

But I don't really think the baseball map needs much of a shakeup right now. I'd focus more on scheduling, interleague play, the silly All-Star Game rule, and other things.

Well, okay, there's one geographical change that I'd make: I'd relocate the Yankees to the Aleutian Islands and rename them the Walruses. Wipe out all that tradition in one swell foop.

[Guest Edgy DC]

First order of business: sever the affiliation relationships between minor league teams and major league ones. All teams are independent and self-sustaining or not at all.

Second order: end rules forbidding teams from entering marketplaces where there is only a team.

Third order: no draft. Cost containment is exploitation.

Expansion or contraction would happen organically based on the marketplace, and baseball would flourish or flounder on its own merits.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I like Edgy's suggestions, but the unfortunate side effect of that would be that teams and their locations would become as fluid as they've become in the NFL.

In St. Louis you swap the Cardinals for the Rams. In Baltimore you lose the Colts and get the Browns, who become the Ravens so that Cleveland can get new Browns. I think the same stuff has been going on in the NBA. (I was surprised recently to learn that the Hornets now play in New Orleans.)

[Guest Edgy DC]

Only initially. After the large markets are flooded, a natural equilibrium would be established (rather than the false one we have now) and stability would ensue.

Besides, the large cities would likely beflooded with second- and third-division clubs hoping to get a foothold in as they struggle for promotion. Even absent a promotion/relegation system, a team like Pittsburgh would be wise to let expansion teams flood the big cities, while they stick to their base and history and enjoy the neutralized advantage that hits the established big city teams.

If the Marlins move to NYC, every team benefits except the Mets and Yankees.

[nymr83]

Baseball is good as is, and as such any changes i'd make would be minor.

-eliminate interleague play, or at least balance it the way the NFL does, playing 6 games against the Yankees every year while the Nationals get six with Baltimore and the Marlins get six with the Rays is bullshit.
-two divisions in each league (8/8 in the NL, 7/7 in the AL) helps cut down on crappy teams winning weak divisions and creates another wild card without adding a playoff team. instead of the Tigers getting in against a weak division schedule the Red Sox and Rangers could both make it this year. Philly potentially missing out to St Louis, LA, Colorado, and San Francisco would be awesome too. one big division in each league would be fine too.
-the all-star game is an exhibition game, treat it as such and don't award homefield based on it.

[Theoldmole]

I'd move the Mets AA team from Binghamton to Albany.

[G-Fafif]

I'd realign the Mets into first place and let the rest take care of itself.

[MFS62]

I like parts of both TransMonk's and Val's ideas on realignment.
But before we do anything, we have to realize that the Yankees belong in a league of their own. (right Steve?)

Now I'll remove my tongue from my cheek and point out that San Antonio is now in the top 10 largest metropolitan areas in the country. They should be considered in any franchise move.

To try to have some sort of competition for free agents and for retaining a team's own players, I would establish a salary floor. No team should have a payroll lower than the amount each team receives from the national TV revenue and royalties received from the sale of MLB royaltied products. That figure is between $35 and $43 million per year. (I read those figures in A USA Today spreadsheet several years ago I still can't find, and a NY Daily News article of a few weeks ago. The spreadsheet was used by Selig before Congress when he last testified to retain MLB's exemption ft\rom Anti-Trust laws.) That is what each team receives before a single fan parks his car, buys a ticket, buys food and merchandise and does not include revenue from local media and ballpark advertising and naming revenues. The fact that some teams have payrolls lower than thos figures is just not right. I can't believe the union would have any grief over this, as it would create more buyers for the players)

Eliminate the DH in order to restore some historic perspective to some all time records and some strategy to the game. (As others here have mentioned)

Have a lifetime ban to prohibit Joe Morgan and Jon Miller from participating in any future baseball telecasts or radiocasts.


Name Bob Costas Commissioner of baseball.

Later

[Guest Edgy DC]

I don't particularly care if the most populous areas have teams. Available population doesn't necessarily make a team viable.

[Frayed Knot]

Now I'll remove my tongue from my cheek and point out that San Antonio is now in the top 10 largest metropolitan areas in the country. They should be considered in any franchise move.[/quote:3885wlxe]

San Antone may be a top ten [u:3885wlxe]City[/u:3885wlxe] by population in the U.S. but that's mainly because it's boundaries are spread out. The term "metropolitan area" takes into account the built-up areas surrounding the city limits (iow: access to people, businesses, TV sets, etc. whether they're within the city limits or not) and there's not much around SA. Exactly how those figures are reached can vary somewhat, but San Antonio is more like the 28th biggest [u:3885wlxe]market[/u:3885wlxe] making it larger only than KC among current baseball markets and behind Portland, Oregon; Sacramento; Las Vegas; Columbus, Ohio; San Jose, CA; Orlando & Indianapolis.

Not that I'm looking to expand (or move) teams but, if you do, you've got to take more into consideration than just city pop.

[MFS62]

Good point. But they have supported the Spurs very well, and IIRC the Missions of the Texas League well, too. Of course, minor league success doesn't guarantee major league success, as the folks in Montreal can tell you. And I'm not saying I'd buy a team and move it there before some heavy duty market research. But it is to be considered.

Later

[Guest Edgy DC]

The Expos were a success story up until 1994.

[Guest vtmet]

I'm not overly thrilled with the unbalanced schedule that has been used in recent years (playing teams in your division alot, the rest not much...and the interleague matchups don't seem overly fair for some teams: for example Mets play Yanks 6 times, Phils play the B'Jays 6 times each year)...and I think that instead of just being an interleague matchup, some similar teams should be facing each other much more often (for example, should the Marlins and the Rays be rivals? The Royals vs the Cards?)...and some NL teams just seem to fit the AL mold better and some AL teams seem to fit the NL mold better...

one idea:
2 leagues, no divisions with both leagues having same number of teams,
all 30 teams play each other approximately the same number of games (you play all of teams in your league 6 times each for a total of 84 games...and you play the 5 geographically closest "Interleague" teams 6 times each; and the other 10 Interleague teams 4 times each for a total of 60 Interleague games...which would be a total of 154 games;
Change the schedule to approximately 150-156 games (154 by above math) so that the playoffs don't last until November and maybe start the season a week earlier with the opening week being played in either warm or domed locations;
Top 4 teams in each league makes the playoffs (could even make it top 5 with the overall top team getting a "bye";
and either all teams have the DH or NO teams have the DH;
Expand rosters to 27 players, and teams can protect 50 players instead of the current 40 man roster scheme;
Either eliminate the All star game deciding "home field advantage" in the World Series; or eliminate the "each team gets a token all star player" rule;
AL:
Nationals; Orioles; =#FF8000]Brewers; Reds; Blue Jays; Indians; Tigers; White Sox; =#40BF00]Rockies; D'Backs; Rangers; Angels; A's; =#FF0080]Yanks; Red Sox;
NL:
=#008080]Rays; Marlins; Braves; =#FF4040]Royals; Cards; Twins; Astros; Cubs; Pirates; Mariners; Dodgers; Giants; Padres; =#FF0000]Mets; Phils;

As far as the minors...Is the Triple-A system obsolete with the way teams currently use it? Could eliminate AAA and make those teams semi-"independent" league...Basically make them the way that Independent league teams like the Newark Bears are, but allow the teams to send some of their players down to these leagues as a temporary "loan" system to work on issues that need attention (maybe sending roving minor league instructors with these players)...

[ashie62]

Eliminate the AAA system

End Interleague play

Contract by a few teams

Use the soccer relegation idea to form a new AAA

NONE of these will happen

[metirish]

Name Bob Costas Commissioner of baseball.

I've been hearing this in various places for years, why him?

[Benjamin Grimm]

I assume because he's smart, he loves the game and he appreciates its history.

Of course, there are many who fit that critera.

[dgwphotography]

1. eliminate inter league play
2. eliminate the DH.
3. institute a world-wide draft - I'm tired of this free-agency free for all where the best foreign players only go to a handful of teams.
4. add a review system for umpires with real teeth in it - Umpires with a failing review get sent down to the minors or outright fired.
5. Fire Angel Hernandez outright.

[duan]

i said this ages ago about Promotion & Relegation.

What drives me maddest about US Sports is that there's no punishment for failure in a sporting context, indeed, you could argue that you actually get rewarded for it be preferential terms in player selection. That's insane. It also means there's NO REASON to invest. You wouldn't need a salary floor if you had relegation, because Pittsburgh would be relegated. As opposed to this kind of nonsense where halfway through the season they give away all their players, you'd find that teams would be trying to MAKE THEIR TEAMS BETTER all the time.

Sure, you'll get a few 'midtable' teams who're neither one thing or the other but it'd stop this absolute shit where people deliberately make their team worse for this year.

I'd have two 16 team "MLB" divisions, each team has 5 games against the other, making 150 games. In the second MLB DIVISION you drop to "AAA" Then you'd have THE MLB CUP where teams from A level up get to play against teams in the MAJORS - you might need to start that regionally but that'd replace the 12 missing games and the ALL STAR GAME and associated shite.

[duan]

and another thing while I'm at it.

This nonsense about 'franchises' all comes from the fact that it's a closed shop in sporting terms. Eliminate the closed shop and you eliminate all this whoring about of my MLB/NFL/NBA team. That drives me crazy too. If Portland is enough of a baseball town it's AAA team will get promoted etc etc etc.

I do find it funny, how a country that's allegedly free-market & competition based approaches sports virtually entirely on a cartel basis.

[Guest Edgy DC]

3. institute a world-wide draft - I'm tired of this free-agency free for all where the best foreign players only go to a handful of teams.

[metsmarathon]

if we were to institute a relegation/promotion type system, would that not necessitate the abolishment of the minor league system as we know it today?

if the minor league teams all became instantly unaffiliated, what would become of player development?

i mean, its an interesting change, but its perhaps too world-changing for it to ever happen in the real world, i think. but considering the limitless power we've imagined for ourselves, i implore you to further flesh out this fantasy.

you've abolished the draft and the dh, and scuttled each team's farm system. say a hot young third baseman finishes up high school next year, and decides to try his hand in professional baseball instead of going off to college. how does this new system work for him?

[metirish]

You can still do the relegation/promotion type system and have player development. The soccer model has the first team , the reserve team(AAA) and various age group teams like under 18's(AA?) , under 16's right down to nine year olds. All these various teams compete in leagues and cups.

[Guest Edgy DC]

if we were to institute a relegation/promotion type system, would that not necessitate the abolishment of the minor league system as we know it today?

[Valadius]

I don't think that the institution of a promotion/relegation system necessitates an abandonment of the farm system. On the contrary, I think it would create more farm teams in places that haven't had them before, in rapidly-growing parts of the country.