It's been nearly a quarter century since Major League Baseball added two new teams. Since then, every other major sports league has expanded at least once. The NBA added one team, the NFL added two (the Browns 2.0 and the Texans), and the NHL has added six franchises including the Seattle Kraken. Major League Soccer has tripled in size, adding 20 teams since the MLB added the Diamondbacks and Devil Rays.
Baseball is overdue for some new teams, and a group led by Dave Stewart (with help from Tony LaRussa, Dave Dombrowski, and Justin Timberlake) want to bring Major League Baseball to Nashville.
This seems like a good time for the league to consider expanding, with the minor leagues being decimated and super-sized rosters now including a DH for both leagues. Nashville is an established big league market. Mookie Betts was born and raised in the Music City, and there's a long history of professional baseball in Nashville.
I have no doubt that there will be more than enough talent to fill two new teams, and more than enough interest. What I'm wondering is, which city would join Nashville as an expansion franchise - and how would the divisions be realigned?
A 32-team league equals either four divisions of eight teams or eight divisions of four teams. I prefer a 4 x 8 alignment:
AL East: Baltimore, Boston, NY Yankees, Tampa Bay, Toronto, *Cleveland, *Detroit
AL West: Houston, LA Angels, Oakland, Seattle, Texas, *Kansas City, *Minnesota
*added from the now-defunct AL CentralNL East: Atlanta, Miami, NY Mets, Philadelphia, Washington, *Cincinnati, *Pittsburgh
NL West: Arizona, Colorado, LA Dodgers, San Diego, San Francisco, *Milwaukee, *St. Louis
*added from the now-defunct NL Central
Notice I left out both Chicago teams. I have a feeling that these franchises will be instrumental in deciding how the leagues are realigned. Aside from their influence, their geography is a major advantage:
There are 14 MLB teams east of Nashville and 16 teams west of Nashville. But Chicago is just barely on the left side of the dividing line. I don't know how you'd feel about having one Chicago team in the East and one Chicago team in the West, but it would drive me nuts!
So here are our options. The first - and easiest - solution would be a second expansion team east of Nashville. Where would you expand to: Buffalo? Charlotte? Montreal? Hartford? (kidding!)
The second option would be eight divisions of four teams. Something like this:
AL East: Baltimore, Boston, NY Yankees, Tampa Bay
AL Central: Chi Sox, Cleveland, Detroit, Toronto
AL Midwest: Houston, Kansas City, Minnesota, Texas
AL West: LA Angels, Oakland, Seattle [Portland or Las Vegas]
If Portland entered the AL, Tampa would have the toughest travel in the league. Hold that thought.
NL East: Miami, NY Mets, Philadelphia, WashingtonPerhaps the Rays could become a National League franchise and form an NL South with the Braves, Marlins, and the new Nashville team. But let's try to keep this as simple as possible.
NL Central: Atlanta, Chi Cubs, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh
NL Midwest: Colorado, Milwaukee, St. Louis [Nashville]
NL West: Arizona, LA Dodgers, San Diego, San Francisco
This eight division format breaks up the Braves-Mets rivalry and the Cubs-Cardinals rivalry, and puts Nashville in the NL Midwest, where their travel would be much tougher than if they were grouped with Atlanta and/or Cincinnati.
That said, this alignment encourages expansion to Portland or Las Vegas - two cities that I would favor over any other site west of Nashville.
What do you think of a potential MLB franchise in Nashville? Which city would you like to see awarded a 32nd team? Do you prefer eight divisions of four teams, or four divisions of eight teams?
Thanks for reading!
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I would want to see 8 divisions of 4 teams each--but only because I'd want to go back to a system with NO WILD CARDS. Win your division or go home--that's how baseball should be according to crotchety old me. But I know that will never happen.
ReplyDeleteWhat I'd do is insist on an NL expansion team in the east--Montreal, Buffalo, Charlotte, Memphis, Nashville, New Orleans--and an AL one in the West--Vancouver, Portland, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, Las Vegas. (These are not definitive lists, meaning if another city I haven't mentioned wants to bid, that's OK. So I'd go with this:
NL East: Mets, Phillies, Pirates, Nationals OR expansion team
NL South: Braves, Marlins, Reds, Nationals OR expansion team
NL Central: Cubs, Cardinals, Brewers, Rockies
NL West: Diamondbacks, Padres, Dodgers, Giants
AL East: Red Sox, Yankees, Blue Jays, Orioles
AL South: Rays, Astros, Rangers, Royals
AL Central: Twins, White Sox, Indians, Tigers
AL West: A's, Mariners, Angels, expansion team
If the NL expansion team ends up being in the north, such as Buffalo or Montreal, they go in the East; otherwise they go in the South, and Washington swings accordingly. If the Rays want to move, they can choose where to go before the expansion teams are awarded; if they move west, they move to the west and the AL expansion team is awarded in the east. So your choices of Portland and Nashville work fine in this system, but plenty of other options.
While I'm at it, keep no-DH in the NL, reduce interleague play, make damn sure we don't get ads on uniforms, and get those kids off my lawn!
Haven't given much thought... but I think I'd rather have eight divisions of four team. As for which city I'd love to receive a baseball team... it'd definitely be Portland since I try and go there at least two times a year (when there isn't a pandemic).
ReplyDeleteVegas is the best option for an expansion team. There's Big Money all over the place for investing in ownership and sponsorships. And a constant stream of tourists, so if the team sucks, just sell tickets to fans of the road team.
ReplyDeleteI'd do four divisions of eight teams each - Vegas and Nashville in the West, Chicago in the East.
Although - the Portland Antifa might be amusing. All-black uniforms, no names or numbers on the jerseys to protect their identities. Anti-government chants during the 7th-inning stretch. Mug shots as their trading card photos.
Honestly, I don't think I care about expansion either way. Somebody still probably have to make their arguments for both sides to help me feel one way or another. A Vegas team would become the closest team to me, but given baseball's historical dissociation with gambling, I'm not sure Vegas is where they would like to go for their next team.
ReplyDeleteGo for Portland! But not the Antifa's, Elliptical Man! How about the Rainmakers or Beavers (the old minor league team here). I agree with Trevor's thoughts about baseball and gambling, but I would think Vegas has a leg up if they want a team.
ReplyDeleteI like the symmetry of 32 teams. Crazy that there were only 16 for so many years. I am an old timer, so I would prefer 4 divisions of 8 teams, no wild card. Fat chance of that ever happening!
I believe that until the Mariners make it to the playoffs, 1 team needs to be removed each season until they finally make it to the playoffs.
ReplyDeleteI thought Vegas too, for the same reasons as EM. I don't care for continued expansion. I believe we have already too many teams with watered-down pitching. I haven't watched ANY baseball this year. It's not a competitive season in any way. No matter who wins a WS, they did it without the grind of a full season. (Which may be the only way my Tigers would ever stand a chance...) Too many wild card options this year. How is this baseball? I'm a no wild-card gal anyway. No more teams please, MLB.
ReplyDeleteEverything I've read in recent years has said that baseball is declining in popularity, so if true, it seems kind of strange that the league would be looking to expand. And as far as new cities go, I've said for years that I don't think Portland can, or will, support a professional baseball team. The kind of people that the city has been attracting for the last couple of decades are not going to be filling the stands of a baseball stadium, and they're certainly not gonna agree to pay extra taxes for a new stadium to be built ( it doesn't help too that a lot of them don't even pay taxes to begin with). I'm not so sure that Nashville is the greatest spot for a team either, this is football country through and through. I know that not every fan collects cards, so it might not be the best example, but I can tell you that baseball is the least looked for thing at the Nashville card shows (save for vintage), and I've never once overheard a conversation about the current happenings in baseball, it's always just Vols and NFL talk.
ReplyDeleteI'd love to see Montreal get a team back.. Be that through expansion or through the Rays up and moving..
ReplyDeleteThe possibilities make my head spin and I absolutely love it. I think Vegas makes a lot of sense for the reasons outlined in the comments above and I'm all for Nashville, but I'm not sure how much support they would receive from the locals. Jon's comment has me worried.
ReplyDeleteThe restructuring of divisions lends itself to so many possibilities. I remember before the COL/MIA expansion the Braves were in the NL West. Does it have to make perfect sense? No. But, I think every natural rivalry should be preserved at all costs. For instance, the Cardinals and Cubs should NOT be in separate divisions.
I would like to see 8 divisions of 4 teams each, but keep the wild card. #1 and #2 get a bye, and the #3 and #4 division winners host wild cards teams in a 5 game series. No more 1-and-done wild card game. That's brutal for the team which has to go home. I think keeping two wild cards in each league (12 post season teams total) would make for very active trade deadlines.
Chris, great post. I really enjoy thinking about these kinds of things.