Texas Toast

[N2NH]

It probably looked like a good idea at the time, putting the Astros, the worst team in both leagues in the American League to create a rivalry. But now the Texas Rangers, a usually good team are 21 games out and the Houston Astros are 19½ games out, the Rangers in Last (sixth place) and the Astros 1½ ahead of them in fifth place.

We could've done similar in other markets. Move the Mets into the American League to be in the same division as the Yankees. Or the LA Angels be moved into the National League to be with the Dodgers. Even move the Chicago Cubs into the American League to be with the White Sox. Or move the Athletics into the National League to be with the Giants. But I think these would likewise be really bad ideas.

So what have we learned from this? Don't Mess With The Order. Hopefully MLB found that out too.

Sorry. Just a rant about what should and what should never be.

[NQ6U]

I think at least part of the idea was to balance the number of teams in each league.

But it's a matter of unintended consequences and an example of how it's an ill wind that blows no good—now the Padres will have to work to avoid being the worst team in the National League instead of just relying on the Astros to cover that spot for them.

[W3WN]

The worst aspect of the move was to mandate interleague play year round.

Maybe I'm old fashioned, but I always liked the idea that MLB was unique amongst the major sports in that the teams in each league didn't play each other at all during the regular season, excluding special exhibition games. This gradual merging of the two leagues under the MLB banner has, IMHO, taken something away from MLB and made it more like everyone else.

Not that Bud Selig ever listens to me, or anyone else.

[N2NH]

I kinda like the interleague games. I don't like stacking the games as they were doing a few years back. The Yanks and Mets would play like a dozen games. The Red Sox and Yanks would play 18. What? To make a few bucks off of the rivalries?

I'm rooting for a team that doesn't have a rival now. The Dodgers. Then again, I could be wrong...
:yes:

[W3WN]

I kinda like the interleague games. I don't like stacking the games as they were doing a few years back. The Yanks and Mets would play like a dozen games. The Red Sox and Yanks would play 18. What? To make a few bucks off of the rivalries?

I'm rooting for a team that doesn't have a rival now. The Dodgers. Then again, I could be wrong...
:yes:When they were trying to set up "natural" (interleague) rivalries, MLB never did find a good match for the Pirates.

The Pirates kept asking for Cleveland. MLB just didn't "get" it, saying that the "natural" rivalry was Cleveland vs Cincinnati -- ie, the two OH teams. And that that was the only "natural" rivalry that Cleveland could have.

I guess no one in MLB keeps up with the NFL.

[NQ6U]

I'm rooting for a team that doesn't have a rival now. The Dodgers. Then again, I could be wrong...
:yes:

You're wrong—they have two. First, there's the old one with the Giants that dates back to when both teams were still in New York. Then there's a newer, but no less intense, rivalry with the Padres.

In truth, out here in California, the only people who like the Dodgers are Los Angelenos.

[N2NH]

You're wrong—they have two. First, there's the old one with the Giants that dates back to when both teams were still in New York. Then there's a newer, but no less intense, rivalry with the Padres.

In truth, out here in California, the only people who like the Dodgers are Los Angelenos.

Must be so. I was waiting at a bus stop recently and two female Los Angelenos found me. I was wearing my Dodger hat (in Dodger Blue of course) and they thought I was from LA.

[N2NH]

When they were trying to set up "natural" (interleague) rivalries, MLB never did find a good match for the Pirates.

The Pirates kept asking for Cleveland. MLB just didn't "get" it, saying that the "natural" rivalry was Cleveland vs Cincinnati -- ie, the two OH teams. And that that was the only "natural" rivalry that Cleveland could have.

I guess no one in MLB keeps up with the NFL.

I would've thought that the Phillies would be a rival to the Bucs. I do learn something every day. :yes:

[n2ize]

Must be so. I was waiting at a bus stop recently and two female Los Angelenos found me. I was wearing my Dodger hat (in Dodger Blue of course) and they thought I was from LA.

I was wearing my Yankees cap in Georgia and a couple of rebs found me. They beat the heck out of me. The Georgia hospital I was in told me I was perfectly okay and kicked me into the street, despite that I had a broken jaw, a concussion, a ton of broken bones, etc. I managed to crawl to a phone booth and call a friend in NYC who immediately headed down to pick me up. I managed to survive hidden in an alley until he arrived and took me back to NYC where I spent 10 months recovering.

[K7SGJ]

I was wearing my Yankees cap in Georgia and a couple of rebs found me. They beat the heck out of me. The Georgia hospital I was in told me I was perfectly okay and kicked me into the street, despite that I had a broken jaw, a concussion, a ton of broken bones, etc. I managed to crawl to a phone booth and call a friend in NYC who immediately headed down to pick me up. I managed to survive hidden in an alley until he arrived and took me back to NYC where I spent 10 months recovering.

Looks like the head injuries are permanent, eh?

[N2NH]

Looks like the head injuries are permanent, eh?

John's memory leak creep.

[NQ6U]

Looks like the head injuries are permanent, eh?

It certainly explains a lot.

[W3WN]

I would've thought that the Phillies would be a rival to the Bucs. I do learn something every day. :yes:Not as much as when they were both in the NL East, but yes, they are.

I was referring to the inter-league natural rivalries.

[N2NH]

Not as much as when they were both in the NL East, but yes, they are.

I was referring to the inter-league natural rivalries.

Ah, makes sense. I think it would be good to see another Canadian team. Montreal or Vancouver or both. Maybe move the Rockies to the AL too. :evil:

[W3WN]

Ah, makes sense. I think it would be good to see another Canadian team. Montreal or Vancouver or both. Maybe move the Rockies to the AL too. :evil:Much as I'm happy that my son is doing quite well in DC working for the Nationals, and as good as it is to see baseball in DC again...

The Expos should never have been moved. Oh, I know the story... and especially how the last "real" owner of the Montreal team basically sabotaged the fan base. [If you want to see a repeat of the situation, just keep an eye on the Marlins. Loria sold the Montreal franchise to MLB as part of his deal to buy the Florida/Miami team].

I also saw something almost as bad right here in town. Funny thing, though... the Pirates start winning, and the fans started showing up again. They never stopped being fans, they just stopped throwing their shekels at the team until the ownership got it's act together, so to speak. (Of course, one difference is that the Pirates ownership was dysfunctional and in some cases inept, although they're a lot better now, since the Nutting family took control & 80% ownership of the PBC; Loria is just, IMHO, a con artist & a crook). I think the same thing MIGHT have happened in Montreal, if a new ownership group had been chosen to buy the team and keep it there.

I could make the argument that there were better candidates than the Astros to move from the NL to the AL:

The Milwaukee Brewers could have returned to the AL.
The Washington Nationals could have been moved to the AL, since both of the previous incarnations of the Washington Senators (now the Twins & the Rangers) were in the AL. I suspect that Baltimore being an AL franchise, though, was a factor in that.
The Florida/Miami Marlins could have moved to the AL, which would set up a "natural rivalry" with the Tampa Bay don-call-them-Devils-you-Satan-worshiper Rays.

At one point about a decade or so back, when they were talking about realignment and possibly even dissolving a couple of teams, there was talk of the SF Giants moving to FL and switching leagues. That was prior to the Marlins coming into existence, though.

My son once put together a scenario for re-alignment that would have added two more teams (one in Montreal, one in the Carolinas), and then split each league into 4 divisions. That would have eliminated the Wild Card (this was prior to a 2nd Wild Card team being added) though, and as popular as that's become, I don't see it happening.

The thing is, if you add another Canadian team -- and there's strong evidence that there's still a large fan base in Montreal -- do you put it in the AL, for the obvious rivalry with Toronto? Or do you put in in the NL, so that every team in each league at some point crosses the border?