Realignment of leagues to 15 teams each?

**CyFan61** · 06-11-2011, 03:44 PM

According to ESPN's Buster Olney, a proposal to realign the American and National Leagues to include 15 teams each is gaining momentum.

The proposed idea is to eliminate the divisions altogether and have two leagues of 15. Each team would play all other league teams in about 10 games per year, assuming about 18 or so interleague games per team, as is currently. The top 5 teams per league would advance to the playoffs, with the #4 and #5 "seeds" playing each other in the first playoff series (as a sort of play-in).

So who would leave the NL? The natural fit appears to be the Houston Astros, as they would then gain a natural rivalry with the Texas Rangers. Another reason why the Astros are being brought up is that if the divisional alignment is to remain, the Astros switch from the NL Central to the AL West would be the only switch needed to happen.

Personally, if they are going to scrap the divisions, I'd want to see the Brewers go back to the AL. But if they're gonna keep them, the Astros switching does make more sense.

Read about it here.

Thoughts?

**ISUKyro** · 06-11-2011, 03:53 PM

Ultimate Astros » Astros to the AL reportedly an option, would fans be for it?

I would HATE to have the Astros go to the AL simply because as a Cubs fan I get the chance to see them all of the time living in Houston.

**LindenCy** · 06-11-2011, 03:56 PM

I would love a realignment like that but wish the playoffs would be cut down to just 4 teams total, but that will never happen.

**Gordyo5** · 06-11-2011, 03:58 PM

Would love to see this happen. Makes it more fair for everyone, namely my Bluejays.

**LindenCy** · 06-11-2011, 03:59 PM

Originally Posted by Gordyo5

Would love to see this happen. Makes it more fair for everyone, namely my Bluejays.

Wow, yeah. As a Bluejays fan, this would be a huge shot in the arm.

**Clonefan94** · 06-11-2011, 04:08 PM

In my opinion, anything that gets more teams in to the playoffs is a bonus. I know a lot of purists don't like the idea, but It's really hard to watch a league that plays this many games where 1/2 the teams aren't playing for anything but a paycheck by the all star break.

I would like to see MLB reduce the number of games and actually get to 8 teams per league in a playoff system. I just don't watch baseball on a daily basis. I like the playoffs though and it would probably get me to watch more baseball.

**istater7** · 06-11-2011, 04:38 PM

it'd be interesting but the rivalry factors kind of just go out the window, cubs vs cards and yanks vs bosox would be played less

**tejasclone** · 06-11-2011, 04:48 PM

Originally Posted by istater7

it'd be interesting but the rivalry factors kind of just go out the window, cubs vs cards and yanks vs bosox would be played less

I'm surprised ESPN hasn't already mandated that the Red Sox and Yankees play each other 81 times each season.

**Omaha Cy** · 06-11-2011, 05:10 PM

Dislike the notion of some 15 team division!

That's the beauty of sports is the annual luck of the draw factor. Sometimes the competition in your division is stiff, other times its limp. The 87 Twins called and said that under any other formula in the galaxy they wouldn't have won the WS.

When the 1990 whatever Giants won like 99 games and still didn't make the playoffs...boo hoo.

My Buccaneers won 10 games this year and didn't make the playoffs. They should went out and beat the damn stupid raiders and it wouldn't have been a problem.

Packers in most any other year probably wouldn't have won the NFC north with 10 wins, let won the super bowl.

**LindenCy** · 06-11-2011, 05:22 PM

Originally Posted by FD Cyclone

Dislike the notion of some 15 team division!

That's the beauty of sports is the annual luck of the draw factor. Sometimes the competition in your division is stiff, other times its limp. The 87 Twins called and said that under any other formula in the galaxy they wouldn't have won the WS.

When the 1990 whatever Giants won like 99 games and still didn't make the playoffs...boo hoo.

My Buccaneers won 10 games this year and didn't make the playoffs. They should went out and beat the damn stupid raiders and it wouldn't have been a problem.

Packers in most any other year probably wouldn't have won the NFC north with 10 wins, let won the super bowl.

For the record, they didn't win the north, but earned their way in as a wild card, so they were good either way.

**Omaha Cy** · 06-11-2011, 06:17 PM

Originally Posted by LindenCy

For the record, they didn't win the north, but earned their way in as a wild card, so they were good either way.

Bears won it? For some reason I thought they tanked as well.

**gocubs2118** · 06-11-2011, 06:27 PM

I love this idea. No more 83 win teams in the playoffs while a 90 win team has to go home.

**CloneState1028** · 06-11-2011, 07:11 PM

Weird. My friend and I came up with a scenario a year ago moving Houston to the AL West just so there are 15 teams in each league and 5 in each division plus with the Rangers already in the AL West, it wouldn't have been TOO farfetched.