Restructuring MLB

There have been talks over the last few years about the possibility of Major League Baseball expanding into other cities.

The last expansion to happen to MLB occurred in 1995 when teams were granted to Phoenix and Tampa, resulting in the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Tampa Bay [Devil] Rays. The two teams each played their first full seasons in 1998.

Since then, there hasn’t been a significant move in regards to realignment since divisions were created for the 1994 season. But expanding the league from thirty teams to thirty-two or more has been an interesting topic, especially since Robert Manfred became the new commissioner of MLB in 2015, succeeding former commissioner and fmr. Milwaukee Brewers President Bud Selig after his retirement.

Changing the way that certain MLB teams play each other can have substantial effects on the culture that surrounds the sport. Realignment can effectively lead to league expansion, and will also have a say in how financially-unstable teams may be relocated or rebranded.

How does realigning leagues change the game?

Realignment simply means that the teams from either league would be reorganized. However, because the National and American league teams are organized into divisions, it would only further complicate the process.

As of 2016, all thirty teams have been divided into 2 leagues: the American League and the National League. From there, the fifteen teams in either league is split into divisions: the East, West and Central.

There lies a possibility that in the future, MLB would adopt a system similar to the National Basketball Association, in which the teams are not divided in divisions, but in conferences based on their geographical location.

This is what I imagine these leagues would look like:

If leagues were realigned this way, it would still preserve state-rivalries such as White Sox-Cubs and Reds-Indians, while also keeping historical rivalries intact such as Giants-Dodgers and Yankees-Red Sox. It would also decrease the amount of time it takes for teams to travel to other cities for road games.

However, it would also cause the role of Designated Hitter to come into question. The designated hitter is a player who bats in the lineup for the pitcher. The role is only used by teams currently in the American league. National league teams have not yet adopted this rule, meaning that pitchers are the ninth batter in a National league team lineup. So combining the American and National leagues would put the role's future in jeopardy.

Expansion

Cities such as Charlotte and Portland have been repeatedly noted as possible locations for MLB franchises. Charlotte already has a AAA-minor league team called the Charlotte Knights, while Portland tried to bring the Expos to Portland when cities were being considered in 2003. Montreal itself is still an ideal location.

Expanding teams into these cities can promote economic growth and build new fan bases, but it also means that realignment would be necessary. If not, then one division in both leagues would be uneven. (The three divisions in each league houses 5 MLB teams)

Another option that avoids adding more teams to the league is relocation.

MLB teams relocating to other cities has been a rare occurrence in the modern age of baseball. The last team to be relocated were the Montreal Expos, who after spending over three decades in Montreal, were relocated to Washington D.C. after the 2004 season to become the Washington Nationals. No team has been moved since.

However, it has become a more frequently-discussed topic because of the Tampa Bay Rays and their declining attendance. In the past three seasons, the Rays have been tied for the lowest yearly attendance in the league, alongside the Cleveland Indians. So how come the Indians aren’t likely to be relocated?

The Indians play at Progressive Field. The Rays play at Tropicana Field, and it looks like a giant dome in the ground. The ‘Trop’ has been noted as one of the worst stadiums in the league, alongside O.co Coliseum, which houses the Oakland Athletics. Tropicana Field is not aesthetically pleasing, and it’s design is not fit to house a baseball team.

If the Rays cannot find space or money to build another stadium in the Tampa area, then it’s likely the team owners will try to relocate the team. Montreal, Charlotte and Portland have been three of the locations that have been discussed.

The problem with relocation is that it based entirely upon the team’s financial issues rather than the stadium they play in. The Atlanta Braves are moving out of Turner Field to the newly-developed Suntrust Park, expected to open in the 2017 season. Both stadiums are situated in Atlanta.

Relocation does not directly affect realignment, but it does affect league expansion. If the Rays do find another stadium in Florida, it’s likely they won’t be revitalized as an Expansion franchise in the future.

In conclusion, I think that realigning the leagues would help decrease travel time while keeping historic rivalries intact. It promotes the additions of expansion franchises that can help branch Major League Baseball to other markets and provide economic help for the cities that they occupy. But it doesn’t take into account how teams who are struggling financially may be dealt with.

In order for a significant change to come to Major League Baseball, a lot of time and planning will need to take place. I do not expect that a realigned league would look exactly how I imagine it would, but with Rob Manfred taking over as commissioner of MLB, it’s possible that a realigned league could be the future of baseball. Manfred’s tenure has already led to shorter mound-visits by players and managers as an effort to speed the game up.

If the league realigns the teams and continues to find ways to speed the game up to make it more exciting for the younger generation, then baseball could be revitalized as America’s true pastime.