OT: Future expansion

[bravesnumberone]

Bored on a Sunday so I've been reading up on this since the new commissioner hinted recently at future MLB expansion to 32 teams. Setting aside whether it'd be a good idea or not, and assuming no teams relocate, I've wondered how the realigned divisions would look.

The four cities I've heard mentioned most for expansion are Montreal, San Antonio, Charlotte and Portland with a few others like Indianapolis, Las Vegas, Oklahoma City, Nashville, Mexico City also tossed in there. But I'll go with the first four for now.

Scenario 1: Montreal and San Antonio
AL North: Tigers, Twins, White Sox, Indians
AL East: Yankees, Red Sox, Orioles, Blue Jays
AL South: Rays, Royals, Rangers, San Antonio
AL West: Angels, Athletics, Mariners, Diamondbacks
NL North: Cubs, Cardinals, Pirates, Brewers
NL East: Nationals, Phillies, Mets, Expos
NL South: Braves, Marlins, Reds, Astros
NL West: Dodgers, Giants, Padres, Rockies

You could flip the Rays and Astros here, but it'd be nice to get Houston back in the NL.

Scenario 2: Montreal and Charlotte
AL North: Tigers, Twins, White Sox, Indians
AL East: Yankees, Red Sox, Orioles, Blue Jays
AL South: Rangers, Royals, Rays, Astros
AL West: Angels, Athletics, Mariners, Diamondbacks
NL North: Cubs, Cardinals, Pirates, Brewers
NL East: Nationals, Phillies, Mets, Montreal
NL South: Braves, Reds, Marlins, Charlotte
NL West: Dodgers, Giants, Padres, Rockies

Scenario 3: Montreal and Portland
AL North: Tigers, Twins, White Sox, Indians
AL East: Yankees, Red Sox, Orioles, Blue Jays
AL South: Rangers, Astros, Royals, Diamondbacks
AL West: Angels, Athletics, Mariners, Portland
NL North: Cubs, Cardinals, Pirates, Brewers
NL East: Nationals, Phillies, Mets, Montreal
NL South: Braves, Reds, Marlins, Rays
NL West: Dodgers, Giants, Padres, Rockies

Scenario 4: San Antonio and Charlotte
AL North: Tigers, Twins, White Sox, Indians
AL East: Yankees, Red Sox, Orioles, Blue Jays
AL South: Royals, Rangers, Astros, San Antonio
AL West: Angels, Athletics, Mariners, Diamondbacks
NL North: Cubs, Cardinals, Reds, Brewers
NL East: Nationals, Mets, Phillies, Pirates
NL South: Braves, Marlins, Rays, Charlotte
NL West: Dodgers, Giants, Padres, Rockies

Same as No. 1 where you could flip the Rays and Astros.

Scenario 5: San Antonio and Portland
AL North: Tigers, Twins, White Sox, Indians
AL East: Yankees, Red Sox, Orioles, Blue Jays
AL South: Royals, Rangers, San Antonio, Diamondbacks
AL West: Angels, Athletics, Mariners, Portland
NL North: Cubs, Cardinals, Reds, Brewers
NL East: Nationals, Mets, Phillies, Pirates
NL South: Braves, Marlins, Rays, Astros
NL West: Dodgers, Giants, Padres, Rockies

Scenario 6: Charlotte and Portland
AL North: Tigers, Twins, White Sox, Indians
AL East: Yankees, Red Sox, Orioles, Blue Jays
AL South: Royals, Rangers, Astros, Diamondbacks
AL West: Angels, Athletics, Mariners, Portland
NL North: Cubs, Cardinals, Reds, Brewers
NL East: Nationals, Mets, Phillies, Pirates
NL South: Braves, Marlins, Rays, Charlotte
NL West: Dodgers, Giants, Padres, Rockies


You would play each division opponent 18 times (54 games), the other 12 teams in your league seven times each (84) and 24 games (6 per team) against a division from the other league.

What are your thoughts?

[Mad Dog Murph]

OMG a team in Charlotte would be awesome. Especially if they are in the same division with the Braves. Please make it so.

[NinersSBChamps]

In your proposed scenario what are the playoffs like? Still the 5 teams? 4 division winners and one wild card team? 4th division winner and wild card team play a single game?

[Hawk]

OMG a team in Charlotte would be awesome. Especially if they are in the same division with the Braves. Please make it so.

Yeah, a Charlotte team would make things difficult for me in terms of allegiance.

[thethe]

There isn't enough talent to go around right now. Not sure how expansion is a smart idea at this time.

[bravesnumberone]

As for the postseason, there's probably two ways you could do it and make it work.

One is to do away with the WC and just have the four division winners. That would probably please a lot of purists and place more emphasis on winning your division.

The other way would be to do it like the NFL. 4 division winners and 2 wild cards.

Top two teams get a bye. First round 3-6, 4-5 is a best-of-three-series and then on to how it's done now. Seems like that would be unfair to two division winners, so I'd probably prefer option 1, getting back to when winning your division mattered.

The only other feasible way is 7-8 teams and that's way too many.

Also, if for some reason you wanted to scrap interleague play, you could do 66 games against your division (22 each), 96 against the rest of the league (8 each).

[bravesnumberone]

There isn't enough talent to go around right now. Not sure how expansion is a smart idea at this time.

That's why I said in the intro regardless of whether it's a good idea or not. I think expansion is probably an inevitability with some of these growing markets, but it'd probably make as much sense to just relocate a couple of teams (Oakland, Tampa, possibly even Cleveland).

[thethe]

That's why I said in the intro regardless of whether it's a good idea or not. I think expansion is probably an inevitability with some of these growing markets, but it'd probably make as much sense to just relocate a couple of teams (Oakland, Tampa, possibly even Cleveland).

Yeah, I think that is the number 1 goal. Get these teams out of the markets where they are not being supported by the local fan base. Then worry about expansion.

Hopefully the issues with concussions will get some more athletes playing baseball and it will get more talent. But for now, I just don't believe it would be smart to expand.

[bravesnumberone]

Yeah, I think that is the number 1 goal. Get these teams out of the markets where they are not being supported by the local fan base. Then worry about expansion.

Hopefully the issues with concussions will get some more athletes playing baseball and it will get more talent. But for now, I just don't believe it would be smart to expand.

That, and quit force feeding five different pitches on kids before their bodies have even fully developed and so many of their arms aren't shot by the time they're 24.

[thewupk]

There isn't enough talent to go around right now. Not sure how expansion is a smart idea at this time.

It's one sure way to bring offense back in the game. Worked in the 90's.

[bravesnumberone]

One more way to do it that would be less popular.

Return to the days of two divisions in each league. 16 teams per league, 8 teams per division.

Top 2 teams from each division go to the postseason.

[thewupk]

One more way to do it that would be less popular.

Return to the days of two divisions in each league. 16 teams per league, 8 teams per division.

Top 2 teams from each division go to the postseason.

Yeah that is the ideal way to go as far as making sure the best teams get into the playoffs. However that's not what MLB is about and they want the most teams fighting for playoff spots at the end. It brings in more interest and revenue which is what matters the most unforunately.

[blueagleace1]

Yeah, a Charlotte team would make things difficult for me in terms of allegiance.

Same here Hawk.. just 30 minutes from downtown Charlotte.

[cajunrevenge]

So add 2 more farm clubs for the Dodgers and Yankees? No thanks. MLB needs an NFL like revenue sharing program to ensure competitive balance. Currently the only thing keeping competitive balance was that the big market teams were incompetent. Thats no longer the case with the Dodgers.


If they did do expansion I would like to see drastic changes to the playoffs so its less of a crap shoot and move to a relegation system like soccer so there is incentive to not tank like the Astros and Nats did for years.


I also think the best ideas for expansion are international teams like Mexico City and Havana. I would even love to get teams in Japan, South Korea, Australia, Taiwan. Maybe start with a separate league over there that plays at the same time as MLB and the winner of their World Series plays our winner. They will obviously get crushed but over time I think they would get more competitive and when they actually win one year it will go over huge.

[bravesnumberone]

I don't see how you would really go about making the postseason "less of a crapshoot" unless you went best-of-seven every series.

I also think the game would benefit from more competitive balance.

International-wise, Montreal I think would work if you got an owner willing to invest. Mexico City and Tokyo would probably work as well. Not sure about Havana.

[bravesnumberone]

Anyway, if it does expand, I would think the growing population in Texas make San Antonio the most likely to be one of the expansion cities.

[cajunrevenge]

I don't see how you would really go about making the postseason "less of a crapshoot" unless you went best-of-seven every series.

I also think the game would benefit from more competitive balance.

International-wise, Montreal I think would work if you got an owner willing to invest. Mexico City and Tokyo would probably work as well. Not sure about Havana.

I think we need less off days in the playoffs. Teams shouldnt be able to drop 40% of their rotation and use relievers in every game of the series. I would do 2 best records in each league in a 9 game series, maybe 1 off day in the middle. Then winner in each league faces off in a 9 game series with 1 off day for the world series.

[VirginiaBrave]

I like the idea of expansion. Put a new team in each league. This interleague thing everyday needs to go. Plus it would scrap the DH to the NL stuff that has seemed to have lost momentum of late. I am of opinion interleague play should be scrapped anyway, except for the true natural rivals. Bal vs. Wsh, LA vs. LA, NY vs. NY, StL vs KC, etc. Let them play a home and home six games a year and be through with it.

[UNCBlue012]

As a UNC Charlotte graduate, I would absolutely love a team in Charlotte.

[CyYoung31]

If Charlotte or Nashville ever got a team, they would have to be in the American League. MLB wouldn't allow a team to just come in and take away the Braves', Cardinals' and Reds' market shares.