Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't it part of the expansion deal with Arizona that they could be moved to the AL should MLB see fit? Wouldn't they be a natural to move as well...much more than the Astros. Yes, they have a WS title, but their history goes back a whopping 13 years.
I hate American League baseball. I hate the endless parade of batters walking up to the batter's box to try to draw a walk. I hate the idea that a guy gets to sit in the dugout for all but 4 at-bats and still get to call himself a baseball player. I hate the extra 30 minutes that American League games last. American League games are just as good live as National League, but it's a significantly inferior sport for television. Bud Selig is already on my **** list because of the Zambrano no-hitter*. He will move way up it if he strong arms the Astros into this.
As of 2007: Average National League game: 2:48 Average American League game: 2:54 Average NY Yankees game: 3:11 http://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/2007/09/25/bad_for_the_game/ So that's 6 extra minutes, including all the absurd Yankee games. Take them out of it, and you're probably looking at about 5 extra minutes on average.
Given the choice I'd rather go NL West than AL West, but since the Rangers are in the AL West, MLB is going to move us to start a wussy rivalry.
@jcrasnick: Michael Weiner of MLBPA confirms realignment has been discussed at bargaining table. Says, "I expect those discussions to continue.''
you said, weiner. http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2...s-do-not-want-to-move-to-the-american-league/ The Diamondbacks do not want to move to the American League Craig Calcaterra Jun 14, 2011, 9:34 AM EDT 14 Comments I missed this yesterday, but apparently there had been a report that the Arizona Diamondbacks could be an alternate candidate to move to the American League in that whole move-the-Astros-to-the-AL realignment gambit. Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports, however, that the Dbacks wouldn’t be terribly interested in that. And, for that matter, Diamondbacks CEO Derrick Hall doesn’t think that they make as much sense geographically as some other team would. Actually, that last part doesn’t make a ton of sense. Three of the four teams currently in the AL West are on the coast, so adding a team to that division that is closer to the coast would make less overall travel for the division as a whole than adding the Astros would. An AL West Houston team would double the number of trips to Texas for Seattle, Oakland and Anaheim. If you add Arizona, it’s just another stop on the way to California that the Rangers are making anyway. Not saying that travel is the be-all, end-all here — the Braves were in the NL West for 25 years or so — but it’s not nothing. My guess is that this has a lot more to do with money. I bet that Arizona likes having the Dodgers and Giants fans — who swarm to Phoenix in the spring already — helping out at the gate when they come to town. And you can’t blame him them for liking that. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/mariners/2015313039_basenotes14.html Astros, Diamondbacks possible candidates for realignment | Baseball notebook HOUSTON — Astros manager Brad Mills has spent time in both leagues and definitely would prefer to stay in the National League. That could change, though, under a realignment plan Major League Baseball is exploring. MLB is considering a proposal that would have 15 teams in the American League and 15 clubs in the NL, as opposed to the present format of 16 NL teams and 14 in the AL. USA Today reported the Diamondbacks could be the team most likely to change leagues. "We would do whatever's best for baseball," said Arizona president Derrick Hall. "Most would say us or the Astros would be best candidates (to shift leagues)." Mills, in his second year as manager of the Astros, says no one has discussed such a possibility with him. He also says he doesn't believe such a move is imminent. A former bench coach for the Red Sox, Mills prefers the National League and would like the Astros to remain there. "I like having the pitcher hit and having more guys involved in ball games as pinch runners, pinch hitters, pitchers, your bullpen," he said. "I think you're able to get more players in the ball games because of that."
For me, it's not about the time of the games, style of play or tradition. The biggest reason the Astros need to stay in the NL: it's easier to win. Of the top five payrolls, four (Yankees, Red Sox, White Sox, Angels) are in the AL. In particular, NYY and BOS are typically far and away ahead of other teams from a competitive standpoint. Also, when you add the DH, that's yet another offensive player (usually a very good one) on which a portion of your payroll has to be spent. In other words, if the Astros move to the AL, they'll be playing elite franchises they can't compete with financially on a much more frequent basis. They'll also have another spot (DH) to worry about fitting into a payroll that would already be at an increased competitive disadvantage. Considering the enormous obstacles already present to making the Astros competitive, I'll pass on adding more.
For me, it's that the AL sucks. The DH sucks. Dinger-ball sucks. Players who only play half the game suck. Cutting half of the "playbook" (so to speak) in order to sit back and wait on a double or a home run... (you guessed it) SUCKS. Screw AL-style "baseball" and screw the AL. And screw dumbasses from other towns pointing at Houston and saying, "yeah move those guys."
I'm actually indifferent altogether - but the DH position is the far-and-away one enormous check in the positive column, at least in the near-term, because Carlos Lee's contract would instantly become 25+% less horrific and open up a spot for young players to get a look. I do think too much is being made of our "rivalries." We survived moving away from the Dodgers and Giants and Braves, picking up the Cubs and Cards on the way. We'd do the same with this move.
I think the earliest they are looking at is 2013, and Carlos Lee is off the books by then, right? Although then we could extend him...
Well, of course we "survived". And I agree with the term "rivalry" being awfully trivial in this case. But it *sucked* moving away from the Dodgers, Giants, Braves, and Padres, and I *still* miss seeing them 15-18 times a year. I'd take them over the Pirates, Brewers, and even the Cubs and Cardinals any day. Even with the late night games (I actually *like* those).
Disagree - I think one year is too short of a timeframe to make any significant difference in the positive or negative column. 2012 is the earliest such a move could take place, and it's also the last year of Lee's deal. There's also this bizarre idea among a few Astros fans that Lee might actually make a good DH. It feels like some folks focus so much on his shortcomings in the field that they miss his regression at the plate. With a .700 OPS last year, .730 this year... he's not just a bad fielder. He's a below average hitter, period, and you definitely need better production than that from a DH.
According to this article - 2012: "Commissioner Bud Selig's committee for on-field matters, a panel that includes executives, managers and others, has discussed the change that would take effect in 2012. News of the possible realignment was first reported by Buster Olney, a senior writer at ESPN The Magazine." http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=6659129
They should move all the Mountain and Pacific time zone teams into the same league. Hate West coast trips.
I'm too young to have fond memories of the NL West days, but I'm torn on the thought of playing ATL 18 times a year. On one hand it would be awesome to have 3 series a year for me to catch the Astros play, on the other hand, They've kicked our ass so frequently that I'm afraid to play them more. The Central division we have played very well against (We were 45-33 LY within the division, 31-53 against everyone else). In an interesting stat, we are 11-9 against lefties this year and 27-18 last year
I heard this the other day and I was like WTF?!!! The first thing that came to mind was rivalry, plain and simple. The history we have the Cards, Cubs, Braves, Mets, inter-league play with the Rangers. Same reason the Cowboys didn't move anywhere...the f'n rivalry... If it ain't broke, don't fix it. In general, each state has a NL & AL team, leave it the fock alone! Pitchers need to hit...Total and complete BS!!!
