Home MLB Web Pick of the Week: Realignment and Interleague play

Web Pick of the Week: Realignment and Interleague play

by Matt Smith

Web-PickA recent article on BGB proposing a new MLB structure, ‘The “Final Cut” system: Nellie’s big league view’, looked at a topic that is being debated by many right now, as shown by a recent ‘Game Changers’ article on MLB.com

Game Changers is a series that sets the scene for some of the biggest debates in baseball today (use of Designated Hitters etc) and then provides a forum within which baseball fans can argue their points of view. 

Division realignment was the most recent topic under consideration and the article notes that the matter was reportedly “raised in discussions held by the Special Committee for On-Field Matters appointed by Commissioner Bud Selig late last year”.  So maybe they’ll pick up on Nellie’s idea?!

Division realignment and Interleague Play are two topics that go hand-in-hand and the latter was looked at in the previous ‘Game Changer’ feature. 

One of my pet hates of the current system is the way in which the unbalanced scheduled basically creates an unfair competition, in which teams fighting for a division can get a boost by playing a more favourable schedule than their opponent(s).  Interleague play accentuates this problem and a recent article by Sports Illustrated’s Tom Verducci shows how.

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1 comment

Richard July 4, 2010 - 12:11 pm

Regarding whether you split the Red Sox and Yankees the fact is that their superior payroll will always make them the dominant teams in their division.Currently I dont see the Orioles competing whatever division there in. Unless there is some way of increasing revenue sharing or some other means I cant so how the playoff scenario will change much. I know this is tough on AL central teams who mostly seem to miss out in the wild card race. Just to declare and interest although I would personally would not like to see the Red Sox and Yankees in a different division/league if it helps competition then perhaps?

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