That is what I thought, but what I read for confirmation either said manager, or my brain just skipped general.
Is Selig really doing anything different than what Baylor, Texas, OU, etc are doing in the college football realignment stuff? All they are doing is using every tool available to force the outcomes they want. Selig is using ownership approval the same way Baylor used the threat of a lawsuit the same way OU used its threat of leaving.
I don't blame him for doing it, generally...for trying to force something. But I don't get the move to 15/15 when they specifically moved the Brewers to the NL to get to 16/14. We're now going to have another team switch leagues to force year-long interleague play after we had another team switch leagues to avoid year-long interleague play.
Oh I agree. I think 16/14 is silly, but 15/15 is worse. They really just need to contract 2 teams and go to 14/14, in my opinion.
How about the two worst teams. A quick check of the standings tells me that is Houston and Minnesota.
Wish there was enough popularity in the game to expand and go to 32 teams, because I hate contraction.
I agree - it sucks to get a team contracted. But for a team like the Marlins that regularly draws 1000 fans, it seems kind of silly to exist. I don't know what other team would make sense to contract though. On a side note, I really like the proposed 5 team playoff idea, with 2 wildcards that play a 1-game series to determine who moves on. It really rewards winning your division, doesn't dilute the playoffs, and adds excitement in August/September by giving more teams the potential to make the postseason. And, that winner-takeall wild card game would be fun to watch.
MLB could also have fun by announcing that the two teams with lowest attendance in 2012 will be contracted. Gives incentive to teams to try to improve, and boosts those teams' attendance with fans trying to keep their team around.
No way the Marlins would even be considered with that brand new ballpark they've got coming. I agree with Juicy about the contraction thing, but I can't even think of two cities good for expansion. Vegas? Cooperstown?
Brooklyn would be the best spot for an expansion team. The Short-season Cyclones draw more fans than the Marlins and the Rays. After that? Austin? Columbus? Portland? I really don't know.
More and more, I think Ryan and the Rangers are the ones pushing this. Read any article and it'll inevitably mention the Texas-Houston rivalry and... Texas wanting a central time zone team in their division. They really are in a screwy division. Adding 18 games in your own state - that would be, on many levels, a big win for them.
but part of the plan is for more balanced scheduling, so doubtful it will be 18 games they would add. I couldn't be less interested in the Rangers. I know there are others who feel differently and I respect that, but it just does nothing for me.
That's probably a little exaggerated, but I generally agree. I've went to watch games against the Rangers specifically because of the opponent, and I haven't done that with any other American League team. But I wouldn't trade a game against the Braves or Cardinals for any number of games against Texas.
Don't they generally draw better for the Rangers' series? And there are *a lot* of Astros fans in DFW - or there were, prior to the Rangers' ascension, bunch of frontrunners. I think you underestimate how cool the rivalry would be if both teams were good.
Possibly move the Rays to Orlando. At the very least they need to get out of St. Petersburg. Only Oakland has worse attendance, and the Rays are a very good team. I think moving to a better location will help the Marlins. They will never be a big drawing team, but they can survive. I think MLB will be the last of the 3 major sports to go to Vegas. I think the NFL is destined to be there, and with so many NBA franchises struggling, relocating there makes sense. I think it would be intriguing to have a team in Mexico, but given the problems going on, MLB won't be taking that risk any time soon.
They very well might. I was only commenting on how *I* feel, and I even noted that others--perhaps many others--may feel differently. I didn't estimate it at all. Regardless of how you or anyone else feels, the Rangers do nothing for me. For me, what would be "cool" is the old NL West. Not that that would actually work, of course. But *that* was cool, at least to me.
