To add my question from the last thread... Doesn't every NL team get waiver claim priority over the Astros for an NL waived player regardless of their record? Since there is an inter league game every day now, they need to stop the league specific rules.
[rquoter]MLBTR: The order of priority goes: 1) from worst record to best record among teams in the same league as the club seeking waivers; and then 2) from worst to best among teams in the other league. (In other words, if a player is put on waivers by an AL team, first priority goes to the AL club with the worst record, with the NL club with the worst record in line behind the best AL team.)[/rquoter]
I'm guessing it was put in place before the Astros were forced to switch league, which resulted in a massive increase in inter league games, which basically obliterates the need to have "separate leagues". In regards to that, is this the off-season where the DH gets adopted in the NL? Can't be that far off.
I hope that this is the offseason where the DH is eliminated. Not opposed to separate leagues per se but I agree that this particular rule needs to be adjusted.
I'd think there would be more chatter about it if it was relatively imminent. I would still rather see no DH (pipe dream) and when the player's association complains about DHs losing their jobs, increase the active roster to 26 to placate them.
I only mentioned it because I did hear something being discussed on mlb tv regarding this the other day... some NL owners are holding steady, but eventually could be convinced by their players, and it likely will be discussed at the winter meetings. I believe they would just need a majority vote... hell, they had the votes back in 1980 to adopt it, and the Phillies GM didn't do what he was "told" to do by his owner (who went fishing that day), and decided to abstain... and that set off a chain reaction because other teams were planning to vote the way the Phillies voted. And as pure as your above scenario sounds... teams would not be paying DH's as much as they do if they also had to find a place for them in the field. The DH will never go away.
The Astros move added 2 interleague games per year to the schedule, with teams now playing 20 per year instead of 18. I don't think it obliterated anything.
There were 252 interleague games in 2012 There were 300 interleague games in 2013 That is a substantial increase... and add the fact that there is an interleague series every damn day, its no longer an "event" with all teams playing inter league at the same time, and teams like the Astros, who no longer have a "natural" interleague rival, are subjected to the "random" games against the D-backs or Rockies that weren't required before 2013. Its basically become equivalent to the two conferences in the NBA/NFL... they aren't really separate "leagues" any more, and the DH eventually being adopted by the NL will cement that.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Marlins?src=hash">#Marlins</a>’ Turner claimed by NL team. Likely to be dealt. Off 40-man due to DFA; can’t be pulled back w/o going on irrevocable wvrs.</p>— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ken_Rosenthal/statuses/497091219168985088">August 6, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Cubs claim Jacob Turner on waivers</p>— Jim Bowden (@JimBowden_ESPN) <a href="https://twitter.com/JimBowden_ESPN/statuses/497092599854170112">August 6, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Would have been really, really nice to have claimed Turner. I actually bet we did, but that moronic priority system screwed us.
I swear to God you could argue about anything. 48 additional games divided by 30 teams is 1.6 additional games per team. In no way, shape, or form is that a substantial number.
Jeez... you seem to have a hard-on regarding my posts lately. Anyways, if you don't think almost 50 extra interleague games, along with an interleague series every night year-round doesn't further blurry the "difference" between the AL and NL, then I can't really help you. Statistically, a 50 game increase is "significant" given the overall sample size. At this point, the two leagues "differences" have basically been diminished down to the same difference between the AFC vs. NFC.... and nobody considers those conferences as separate leagues.
A 50 game increase is statistically significant, however. "Statisically significant"= "substantial"... that's semantics. Regardless, this whole point comes from the asinine waiver wire rule that still "respects" the dichotomy of the two leagues... and seeing as we all feel this rule is bunk, in large part because there really isn't much of a dichotomy anymore, not sure why there is disagreement.
