32 teams?

[SWC75]

Mapping out a 32-team league should MLB pursue expansion

I'm all in favor it.

I hate:
1) Wild card teams winning the world series after a 162 game season
2) Small divisions that put still other mediocre teams in the playoffs
3) The dearth of pennant races, which seeds August and September to football
4) Cold weather baseball.

Go to four 8 teams divisions and have just their champions play in the playoffs. Baseball thrived with two 8 teams leagues with just their champions going into the World Series for 60 years. You could do the "radical realignment" thing described in the article or you could simply go back to East-West Divisions in the American and naitonal leagues, which also worked well for years. You wouldn't have to cut the schedule to 156 games, (and thus throw the records off). 14 games against 7 divisional rivals and 8 games vs. another division would be fine. (That's 162 game: two four game series and two three game series vs divisional rivals and two 4 game series with each team in the other division.) if you had radical realignment you could switch off the divisions each year. You're back two two series each October, ending in mid-October. from 1901-60 every team in the World Series was at least 20 games over .500 and they'd all won an 8 team league to get there. We'd have that back. And the weather would still be warm.

 

[Trueblue25]

Why doesnt nashville have a team?

 

[Noexcuse]

Mapping out a 32-team league should MLB pursue expansion

I'm all in favor it.

I hate:
1) Wild card teams winning the world series after a 162 game season
2) Small divisions that put still other mediocre teams in the playoffs
3) The dearth of pennant races, which seeds August and September to football
4) Cold weather baseball.

Go to four 8 teams divisions and have just their champions play in the playoffs. Baseball thrived with two 8 teams leagues with just their champions going into the World Series for 60 years. You could do the "radical realignment" thing described in the article or you could simply go back to East-West Divisions in the American and naitonal leagues, which also worked well for years. You wouldn't have to cut the schedule to 156 games, (and thus throw the records off). 14 games against 7 divisional rivals and 8 games vs. another division would be fine. (That's 162 game: two four game series and two three game series vs divisional rivals and two 4 game series with each team in the other division.) if you had radical realignment you could switch off the divisions each year. You're back two two series each October, ending in mid-October. from 1901-60 every team in the World Series was at least 20 games over .500 and they'd all won an 8 team league to get there. We'd have that back. And the weather would still be warm.

I'm all for it. Throw out that 2004 Red Sox World Series Championship.

 

[Oráiste]

Mapping out a 32-team league should MLB pursue expansion

I'm all in favor it.

I hate:
1) Wild card teams winning the world series after a 162 game season
2) Small divisions that put still other mediocre teams in the playoffs
3) The dearth of pennant races, which seeds August and September to football
4) Cold weather baseball.

Go to four 8 teams divisions and have just their champions play in the playoffs. Baseball thrived with two 8 teams leagues with just their champions going into the World Series for 60 years. You could do the "radical realignment" thing described in the article or you could simply go back to East-West Divisions in the American and naitonal leagues, which also worked well for years. You wouldn't have to cut the schedule to 156 games, (and thus throw the records off). 14 games against 7 divisional rivals and 8 games vs. another division would be fine. (That's 162 game: two four game series and two three game series vs divisional rivals and two 4 game series with each team in the other division.) if you had radical realignment you could switch off the divisions each year. You're back two two series each October, ending in mid-October. from 1901-60 every team in the World Series was at least 20 games over .500 and they'd all won an 8 team league to get there. We'd have that back. And the weather would still be warm.

Well stated, but there are strong arguments to the contrary. Creating 4 large divisions does not guarantee meaningful pennant races. 3 of the 4 divisions this year would have been runaways, only Washington over Chicago would have been close, and that's assuming the Cubs would be in a realigned East.

The solution that guarantees meaningful races late into the year is the wild card. Without that and with a reduced number of divisions, you are going 20 cities without meaningful baseball after the All Star break. That didn't matter so much 50 years ago, but there is a lot more competition for the entertainment dollar today.

Also, divisions with relatively compact geographic footprints cuts down on travel costs, and that adds up to a lot over the course of a decade.

 

[SWC75]

Well stated, but there are strong arguments to the contrary. Creating 4 large divisions does not guarantee meaningful pennant races. 3 of the 4 divisions this year would have been runaways, only Washington over Chicago would have been close, and that's assuming the Cubs would be in a realigned East.

The solution that guarantees meaningful races late into the year is the wild card. Without that and with a reduced number of divisions, you are going 20 cities without meaningful baseball after the All Star break. That didn't matter so much 50 years ago, but there is a lot more competition for the entertainment dollar today.

Also, divisions with relatively compact geographic footprints cuts down on travel costs, and that adds up to a lot over the course of a decade.

The Wildcard races get interesting for a couple days at the end of the season. Pennant races fascinate from the all-star break onward. Baseball used to own August and compete strongly with football for all of September. Now the reaction is: are those guys still playing?

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

Mapping out a 32-team league should MLB pursue expansion

I'm all in favor it.

I hate:
1) Wild card teams winning the world series after a 162 game season
2) Small divisions that put still other mediocre teams in the playoffs
3) The dearth of pennant races, which seeds August and September to football
4) Cold weather baseball.

Go to four 8 teams divisions and have just their champions play in the playoffs. Baseball thrived with two 8 teams leagues with just their champions going into the World Series for 60 years. You could do the "radical realignment" thing described in the article or you could simply go back to East-West Divisions in the American and naitonal leagues, which also worked well for years. You wouldn't have to cut the schedule to 156 games, (and thus throw the records off). 14 games against 7 divisional rivals and 8 games vs. another division would be fine. (That's 162 game: two four game series and two three game series vs divisional rivals and two 4 game series with each team in the other division.) if you had radical realignment you could switch off the divisions each year. You're back two two series each October, ending in mid-October. from 1901-60 every team in the World Series was at least 20 games over .500 and they'd all won an 8 team league to get there. We'd have that back. And the weather would still be warm.

Cedes. Just saying.

 

[dasher]

I'm all for it. Throw out that 2004 Red Sox World Series Championship.

How do you know the Red Sox wouldn't have won the division if there was no wild card to fall back on. The wild card changes the way teams go about their business at the trade deadline. The finished first in '07 and '13 and migth not if there was no wild card. Teams behind the Sox might have traded great prospects to get over the top. The Sox might have done that in '04. It might have cost them Papelbon or Lester.

 

[dasher]

Mapping out a 32-team league should MLB pursue expansion

I'm all in favor it.

I hate:
1) Wild card teams winning the world series after a 162 game season
2) Small divisions that put still other mediocre teams in the playoffs
3) The dearth of pennant races, which seeds August and September to football
4) Cold weather baseball.

Go to four 8 teams divisions and have just their champions play in the playoffs. Baseball thrived with two 8 teams leagues with just their champions going into the World Series for 60 years. You could do the "radical realignment" thing described in the article or you could simply go back to East-West Divisions in the American and naitonal leagues, which also worked well for years. You wouldn't have to cut the schedule to 156 games, (and thus throw the records off). 14 games against 7 divisional rivals and 8 games vs. another division would be fine. (That's 162 game: two four game series and two three game series vs divisional rivals and two 4 game series with each team in the other division.) if you had radical realignment you could switch off the divisions each year. You're back two two series each October, ending in mid-October. from 1901-60 every team in the World Series was at least 20 games over .500 and they'd all won an 8 team league to get there. We'd have that back. And the weather would still be warm.

Do you hate the wild card in the NFL? Or the NBA? Or should only first place finishers make the playoffs in Hockey? The wild card adds interest to a sport that is having trouble keeping fans attention. Is the NCAA tournament more popular now with more teams than it was with fewer teams in days of yore?

 

[dasher]

The Wildcard races get interesting for a couple days at the end of the season. Pennant races fascinate from the all-star break onward. Baseball used to own August and compete strongly with football for all of September. Now the reaction is: are those guys still playing?

For a number of reasons, football is more popular than baseball. The # of games is way down the list.

 

[SWC75]

Do you hate the wild card in the NFL? Or the NBA? Or should only first place finishers make the playoffs in Hockey? The wild card adds interest to a sport that is having trouble keeping fans attention. Is the NCAA tournament more popular now with more teams than it was with fewer teams in days of yore?

Not as much as I do in baseball. But I'd still like to see all pro sports got to 32 teams with 4 divisions and have real pennant races over the last couple months rather than wild card races that get interesting only at the end and only championship caliber teams playing for the title instead of who got hot at the right time. The NCAA tournament, which the championship of a division with over 300 teams is not really comparable. But I think it is bloated as is the division. Half of the teams in it should be competing for another championship- one they can win! The Big Dance should be a summit meeting of the best teams in the country, not a minefield for them to walk over.

 

[SWC75]

For a number of reasons, football is more popular than baseball. The # of games is way down the list.

That doesn't seem to be responsive to my quoted point, which was not based on the number of games.,I did say in my original post I said that since baseball plays twice as many games as basketball and hockey and ten times as much as football, teams should have to prove that they belong in the playoffs by winning their division. I was relating the number of games to deserving a playoff spot, not to popularity.

 

[KaiserUEO]

If baseball goes to 32 teams and only 4 make the playoffs after 162 games...you will kill the sport.

Yeah there could be some compelling 'penant' races, but I'd say 25 other cities wouldn't give a flyin fluck.

If u went to 8 divisions of 4, it might work.

Baseball was near contraction just a few years ago, let this sit for bit.

 

[Oráiste]

Not as much as I do in baseball. But I'd still like to see all pro sports got to 32 teams with 4 divisions and have real pennant races over the last couple months rather than wild card races that get interesting only at the end and only championship caliber teams playing for the title instead of who got hot at the right time. The NCAA tournament, which the championship of a division with over 300 teams is not really comparable. But I think it is bloated as is the division. Half of the teams in it should be competing for another championship- one they can win! The Big Dance should be a summit meeting of the best teams in the country, not a minefield for them to walk over.

In your plan, though, there is no guarantee of what you call "real pennant races." In a likely 4 division set up this year, the Dodgers and Astros would have been coasting the last month and a half at least. Cleveland would have been for most of September. Only a possible NL East race between Washington and Chicago would have been of interest all the way to the last week of the season.

 

[SWC75]

In your plan, though, there is no guarantee of what you call "real pennant races." In a likely 4 division set up this year, the Dodgers and Astros would have been coasting the last month and a half at least. Cleveland would have been for most of September. Only a possible NL East race between Washington and Chicago would have been of interest all the way to the last week of the season.

They aren't guaranteed but they would be far more frequent and more meaningful.

 

[SWC75]

If baseball goes to 32 teams and only 4 make the playoffs after 162 games...you will kill the sport.

Yeah there could be some compelling 'penant' races, but I'd say 25 other cities wouldn't give a flyin fluck.

If u went to 8 divisions of 4, it might work.

Baseball was near contraction just a few years ago, let this sit for bit.

The sport survived for 6 decades with two 8 team leagues. It would certainly survive with four of them.

 

[KaiserUEO]

The sport survived for 6 decades with two 8 team leagues. It would certainly survive with four of them.

And players made 10k a year and game tickets cost $5.

Please.

 

[Trueblue25]

I watch baseball all year. The season needs to stay at least 120 games. At least. Anyone who watches june throuGh October would understand. The playoff races are great.

 

[jncuse]

A few comments:

1. You don't need 32 teams for the plan. 30 teams would work, a few divisions of 8, a few divisions of 7. Baseball has long operated at times with leagues of different sizes. But if you need to add a team please add Montreal.

2. I don't like your plan. I like the current system** in that it still has less than all other sports (33% vs say 50%+ in NHL and NBA), and also puts a premium in winning your division which was one of the initial issues with the wildcard system. Now you have a real incentive to win the division so first place does matter if there is a close race.

** I would make two changes to the playoffs.
Best of 3 Wildcard Series - (Tues to Thurs, no days off), start next series on Friday.
Only one day off per 7 game series. If teams must travel coast to coast have a late afternoon game on travel day.

 

[SWC75]

And players made 10k a year and game tickets cost $5.

Please.

And baseball survived two World Wars and a depression.

 

[jncuse]

Baseball was highly glamourized in the 50s but attendance actually was bad.

 

[KaiserUEO]

And baseball survived two World Wars and a depression.

U keep bringing up reasons that mattered from the 10s-60s, please...stop.

 

[SWC75]

U keep bringing up reasons that mattered from the 10s-60s, please...stop.

You assertion that 8 team divisions would kill the sport is just that, an assertion. So is my statement that baseball would benefit from it. But I have logic and history behind my view. Do you really think baseball would be out of business if it hadn't gone to a wild card? Has the widl card even increased it's popularity? Who goes out of business anymore in sport, anyway?

 

[SWC75]

Baseball was highly glamourized in the 50s but attendance actually was bad.

Baseball was the #1 sport in the 50's. Attendance has gone up in all sports, due to large populations and televised events. In fact,that's why you can't 'kill it', no matter what you do. I'm just saying the wild card has reduced interest by taking baseball off the front pages when the football training camps begin. It hasn't increased it. Pennant races are interesting for months. Wild card races are interesting for days.

 

[MSOrange]

Baseball was the #1 sport in the 50's. Attendance has gone up in all sports, due to large populations and televised events. In fact,that's why you can't 'kill it', no matter what you do. I'm just saying the wild card has reduced interest by taking baseball off the front pages when the football training camps begin. It hasn't increased it. Pennant races are interesting for months. Wild card races are interesting for days.

I don't know. The wild card has kept things interesting here in KC a few seasons in a town that's always in a hurry to talk about the Chiefs.

 

[KaiserUEO]

The wild card has been an overwhelming success.

Just like going to 2 divisions in each league was in the 70s.

Why??

Simple.

More playoff teams.

Which means more City's are still interested longer.

I could care less what the AL West is doing...unless it impacts a Yankee Wild Card birth.

Nobody cares about Penant Races unless their team is in it.

People watch playoff baseball.