Re-Re-Realignment

David Paisley

Once again, the dim bulbs who run Major League Baseball have postponed making a decision about realigning the league and divisional structure. Well, no doubt it will all be sorted out sometime, probably after Luigi and the boys work Jerry Colangelo over with the rubber hoses.

That aside, though, I thought I'd take a look at the proposed new structure, especially with a view to how it might have changed the playoff-bound teams last year. I realize that this new structure has an unbalanced schedule, but still, there is some insight to be gleaned from the exercise.

National League
The proposed alignment for the National League has the sixteen teams splitting into four divisions of four teams each. I find it hard to figure out how anyone could argue with this, as it really does focus the game on a few intense rivalries. The only problem would be that one of the divisions might end up being a ragtag bunch that nobody else wants. But let's look at the divisions before we get too carried away worrying about that.

NL East
New York Mets	97	66
Pittsburgh Pirates	78	83
Philadelphia Phillies	77	85
Montreal Expos	68	94

The NL East loses the Braves and Marlins (both off to the new Southeast division) and gains the Pirates. This should work out well. I can't believe the Mets would feel badly about losing the Braves, while the Pirates/Phillies cross-state rivalry is restored. Short of putting the two Canadian teams in the same league, there's nothing much else to do with the Expos. Overall, this looks like a positive move for all concerned. Given last year's records, the Mets would have clinched by the end of July.

NL Southeast
Atlanta Braves	103	59
Cincinnati Reds	96	67
Tampa Bay Devil Rays	69	93
Florida Marlins	64	98

The new NL Southeast features the aforementioned Braves and Marlins, the league-swapping Devil Rays, and that well-known deep south team, the Cincinnati Reds. The problem with this division is that there just isn't a fourth southeast team in the same time zone. If MLB expands into Nashville or New Orleans, there'd be a fine fourth team here, allowing the Reds to shift to a more Midwest-oriented division. So this one looks like the bastard child of this realignment. With last year's records, there would have been an interesting race to the wire, with the Braves clinching in mid-September.

NL Central
Houston Astros	97	65
St. Louis Cardinals	75	86
Milwaukee Brewers	74	87
Chicago Cubs	67	95

The new NL Central looks a lot like the old NL Central without the Reds and Pirates. That would be because that's exactly what it is. Not much to argue with here. Based on last year's records, the Astros win running away, clinching in early September.

NL West
San Francisco Giants	86	76
Los Angeles Dodgers	77	85
San Diego Padres	74	88
Colorado Rockies	72	90

The revamped NL West is simply a reversion to old times. That is, if your memory only goes back to 1993. This is exactly how the division looked prior to the addition of the Diamondbacks. I just can't imagine any of these teams complaining about losing them. In a division of underachievers, the Giants would have limped into the playoffs.

Overall, the playoff picture wouldn't have changed much, with the Diamondbacks being replaced by the Giants.

American League
With only fourteen teams, the AL is more problematic. Two divisions of four and two of three is obviously unworkable. However, two of four and one of six appears to be the lesser of several evils. It does allow a relatively simple split to four divisions of four with the addition of two expansion teams. As noted earlier in the NL Southeast, the location of those expansion teams will determine which divisions are affected.

AL East
New York Yankees	98	64
Boston Red Sox	94	68
Toronto Blue Jays	84	78
Baltimore Orioles	78	84

The revamped AL East isn't much to worry about. Off go the Devil Rays to the NL. I don't see any of these teams even noticing, let alone complaining. And so the Yankees would have won the division, with the Red Sox close behind.

AL Central
Cleveland Indians	97	65
Texas Rangers	95	67
Chicago White Sox	75	86
Detroit Tigers	69	92
Kansas City Royals	64	97
Minnesota Twins	63	97

The AL Central will become, temporarily at least, the oddball division, as opposed to simply the uncompetitive division. It's pretty simple, though. Take today's AL Central and add the Texas Rangers. While the Rangers may object to competing with the Indians, at least they get away from a two-time-zone separation from their division rivals, a problem that's bugged them since the 1993 expansion. Based on last year's numbers, the Rangers would have come a close second to the Indians, just beating out the Red Sox for the wild card.

This is obviously the division that would split in the event of further expansion. Cleveland, Chicago and Detroit make a natural grouping in the north Midwest, leaving the Rangers, Royals and Twins. If a southeast team is added, Cincinnati would make a good addition to the former group to make a four-team division, if they'd switch leagues. If the other expansion team was located anywhere in the south, it could easily be added to the latter group.

AL West
Arizona Diamondbacks	100	62
Oakland A's	87	75
Seattle Mariners	79	83
Anaheim Angels	70	92

Finally, the AL West would lose the Rangers and gain the Diamondbacks. Based on this look at all the new divisions, it becomes pretty evident that it's only Colangelo's whining that's holding up the deal. Based on last season, the Diamondbacks would have cleaned up easily.

Based on this setup, seven of the eight teams in the playoffs would have been the same. The only difference would have been the loss of the Red Sox in the AL in favor of the realigned Diamondbacks, while the Giants would have benefited from Arizona's move. But that's the way with smaller divisions. The likelihood of weak teams winning weak divisions is enhanced.

Overall, I like this arrangement. It sure beats the oddball deal we have now. So let's just hope that Luigi and the boys get that contract soon.

about the author

David Paisley has been told that he looks just like Matt Stairs, if Stairs were thinner, had darker hair and drank more. Suggest a less buff Dean Palmer at drdjp@strikethree.com.