New MLB commissioner Rob Manfred met with the media last week to discuss the present and future state of Major League Baseball. Among the usual topics discussed were the stadium issues in Oakland and St. Petersburg, the possible implementation of the DH in the National League, and a renewed discussion of expanding Major League Baseball from 30 to 32 teams.
Manfred was quoted as saying:
The idea of 16 teams in each league is appealing for a couple of reasons. One being the idea of growing and expanding is indicative of the fact that our game is a growth business, Manfred said. From a more practical perspective, I’ve learned a long time ago from those who understand scheduling, is that 4’s work better than 5’s and the idea of having an even number in each league would be a good thing.
Cities linked to possible expansion or relocation are Montreal, Charlotte, Portland, San Antonio, and Mexico City.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, it is no secret that the Tampa/St. Petersburg, along with Oakland, are rumored to be in danger of losing their MLB clubs due to poor attendance and outdated stadiums. With the alleged urgency to return Major League Baseball to Montreal, it seems likely that it will be the next city to land a Major League ball-club, be that through expansion or relocation.
Our beloved Rays have been linked with Montreal due to the unresolved stadium and attendance issues. However, with the recent agreement between the team and the City of St. Petersburg, the Rays have been granted the opportunity to explore the region for a new stadium site. Because of it, there is renewed optimism that the Rays will remain in the Tampa Bay area for the foreseeable future.
With this in mind, let’s explore the possibility of expansion and the effect it may have on baseball.
The addition of the Designated Hitter
First off the DH would have to be implemented, which would offend many baseball purists ― many of whom also were opposed the addition of the Wild Card. We all know how much teams and fans have benefited from playing more meaningful games in September. With the addition of the Wild Card, instant replay, and the possibility of a pitch clock in the near future, MLB is trying to evolve our beloved game to draw interest from younger audiences; who apparently don’t have attention spans beyond two-hours.
The DH throughout baseball seems to be the next natural progression. Purists argue it will take away managing strategies (the double switch) and trivializes the purity of the game. Although there are pitchers who can “mash” like Madison Bumgarner, who’s hit 11 homers over his career, the sad reality is that far more pitchers hit like Bartolo Colon (a career .094 batting average over 18 years). Fans want more offense and in order to capture younger audiences we need to move away from this.
The next obvious change due to expansion would be re-alignment. MLB would move from their current six-five team divisions to eight-four team divisions. That means that Tampa Bay probably wouldn’t be in the same division as the Yankees or the Red-Sox.
Divisions could be organized geographically, though a good number of teams might have to switch leagues or divisions for expansion to happen. So what would the new divisions look like? We can only speculate, but here’s my take on what the baseball landscape might look like in 10 years if expansion were to occur.
The American League
The Northeast Division: New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays, Montreal Expos*. It would be in baseball’s best interest to keep the marquee rivalries intact, while also creating new regional rivalries. Montreal is going to get another chance at baseball. Everything about this division makes sense geographically.
The Atlantic (Beltway) Division: New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, Baltimore Orioles, Washington Nationals. I struggled with not putting the Mets and Yankees in the same division, but New York can handle two teams in different divisions within the same league. The current NL East rivalries would remain, and the addition of Baltimore would make this division very interesting.
The Southeast Division: Tampa Bay Rays, Miami Marlins, Atlanta Braves, Cincinnati Reds. The Reds seem like an odd fit, but geographically it works. The Marlins and Braves would maintain their rivalry from the NL East, while the Rays and Reds would be the new kids on the block. A caveat, neither team would play against the Yankees, Red Sox, Cubs, or Cardinals on a regular basis ― teams that draw the most out of market fans. Nevertheless, this is the ideal division for small market teams due to the southeast being more economically challenged, in comparison to the northeast region of this country.
The North (Great Lakes) Division: Pittsburgh Pirates, Cleveland Indians, Detroit Tigers, Milwaukee Brewers. These four industrial, blue collar cities have a lot in common, and their passion for baseball is unprecedented. Along with the “Northeast” this division would be a no-brainer.
The National League
The Midwest (Gateway) Division: Chicago Cubs, Chicago White-Sox, St. Louis Cardinals, Kansas City Royals. This is by far the juiciest division. Close proximity will have little effect on the rivalries in this division, seeing how both regions have rabid fan-bases. The “Midwest” could be the beast the AL East currently is.
The Southwest Division: Arizona Diamondbacks, Texas Rangers, Houston Astros, Mexico City Dragons*. It’s no secret Major League Baseball wants a team in Mexico and there is a demand for it. With more exhibition, and now regular season games being showcased in Mexico City, this seems like the next logical step in expanding baseball internationally. Of course there’s always a possibility Austin, San Antonio or Las Vegas could land a team as well.
The Northwest (The Sweater) Division: Minnesota Twins, Colorado Rockies, Seattle Mariners, Portland Athletics*. Oakland much like St. Petersburg is in grave danger of losing their team. Portland has been in the mix for for several years, so if Oakland cannot settle its stadium stalemate, don’t be surprised if Portland makes a push to land the A’s.
The Pacific Division: San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Angels, San Diego Padres. This is another great division. All of the main rivalries remain intact, and California has it’s own little division that will surely entice some of the baseball’s best players who want to play in 77 degree weather year round.
Conclusion
Reshuffling Major League Baseball into eight divisions was quite a challenging task. Of course this all is purely speculative. The new divisions may not be as geographically convenient, and perhaps it’s in the best interest of MLB to keep the AL and NL intact. Whatever the case, the possibility of expansion in baseball is present, and there’s no doubt that if this happens some teams will be shifting leagues or perhaps relocating to other cities.
