I agree with your latter point about WC time zone. Unca Drayton always fought against that. I do doubt Cubs/Cards/Braves give 'stros = rivalry a single thought. More games with AL almost doubtlessly makes more attractive games for fans.
I'm all for this. I would love to see the rivalry between the Rangers and the Astros grow into something heated. Plus getting the Yankees, Red Sox, Tigers, Rays and Mariners at home every year? Yes please. The 'Stros wouldn't necessarily be moved into the AL West. There's talk of eliminating divisions to just have two 15 team leagues.. Top 5 from each league make playoffs.
I love the AL... grew up an Indians fan. This would be awesome to see the Yanks, Bosox, Angels, Drays.... sweet. I like the DH over the "ohhh there is so much you can do when you have to switch out a pitcher for a batter... blah blah blah"
Horrible idea. I would hate being an AL fan after growing up watching the NL. DH is a horrible rule which I've never been a fan of. I will be very broken up if this happens.
Makes more sense to send a team that doesnt have a long history like we do...what about the Marlins, Rockies, DBacks?
**** those Nolan-stealing suburban douchebags in Arlington. I have no desire to invite ****ing Rangers fans (a very new phenomenon, to be sure) into MMP for any reason whatsoever. Nat'l League 4 Life.
The idea is to get rid of 6 teams in the NL Central though instead of making another division with 4 teams, or moving multiple teams around to keep divisions at 5. But more importantly, MLB has leverage with the Astros because they have to approve the sale. MLB doesn't have the same leverage with all those other teams. I don't see how an odd number works though in each league - it makes interleague play a mess and forces games all season long.
I won't bother linking the article, but Justice says we should welcome the idea because we could have a real rivalry with the Rangers since we don't have any true rivalries now. Umm yeah, Cardinals and Cubs ring a bell? Maybe those teams have other rivals too. But as an Astro fan if you don't hate those two teams, then you haven't been following them much. So yeah, I'd hate to lose those rivalries. But then when the Texans came into the league they stuck us in a new division and we lost those old rivalries from the Oiler days. Oh well...I guess I won't care as much if they just become relevant again. DH, eh, not that big a deal to me. And on the bright side I guess if we do go to the WS someday we'll have home field advantage.
Oh yeeeaaah...forgot about that part. We got 6 teams in our division. Then send the Breweres over. Why do the Astros always get the shaft?
olney just said on baseball tonight that they may make an agreement to switch leagues a condition of sale approval to crane. we are getting jammed/strong-armed, plain and simple. this is a complete travesty. this is really ticking me off. "rivalry with the rangers" is a cop-out and an embarrassment of an excuse, and it shocks me that MLB executives would actually claim this as a sensible reason to move us. once again, what about the royals and cards, or marlins and rays, or any of the other meaningless contrived interleague rivalries that the MLB has made for interleague play?? we are and always have been an NL team. i'd move the rockies because they are the newest franchise with the least rich history, move the marlins because they have the ****tiest fans (and because it's VERY VERY important to stimulate that interstate rivalry with the Rays ), or move the brewers back since they were already there. man this pisses me off.
actually, let me retract all those team suggestions. the obvious choice is the nationals. their fan base could/should care less what league they are in. also they need to become rivals with the orioles.
The timing is pretty $#!++y. They do it now while the 'Stros are struggling. What a crock. I don't want to lose the Cubs/Cards/Braves rivalries. So pissed right now at the city's sports scene. Double
With the DH, we can finally get more of our farm guys time in the big leagues. Guys like Koby Clemons could finally get a chance instead of waiting forever.
People already say it makes no sense that the Rangers are in the West with Seattle, Oakland, and LA/Anaheim. So what's the solution? Put another Texas team in the AL West. It's not like they're going to make any of the AL Central teams switch divisions.
