Astros to the AL

[OldPhiKap]

When Edward Bennett Williams was both President of the Redskins (owner Jack Kent Cooke was residing in LA at the time) and owner of the Orioles, he asked a colleague at an NFL meeting, "Do you know the difference between a smart baseball owner and a dumb football owner? The football owner is smarter." Major league baseball's ability to damage its product seems to be without bounds. Games are too long, so fans either arrive early and stay through the fifth inning or arrive at the third inning and stay through the end. God forbid we should cut the interminable time between innings and lose some commercial revenue (of course, there is the between-batter interval beckoning)! I mean the outfielders stay in the dugout between innings and go out with a minute left to make some throws. God forbid we should junk that "rural time" cliche furthered by Roger Angell of the New Yorker and put a pitch clock in so the pitchers have to work at a steady beat or give managers 0:30 or :0:60 on a trip to the mound. God forbid we should enact rules to enable fans to watch the best hitters actually hit as opposed to walking to first base -- really interesting there, guys! [I posted on this topic a few weeks ago.]

That said, the one-game playoff is a great idea. No longer will the Cardinals, the Red Sox and the like, who are wild-card teams, have the same chance to win a World Series as the team that wins its division by 15 games. Essentially, the one-game playoff between the two wild cards is a longer version of a coin flip. It does two things -- the smaller: recognize an additional team for its accomplishments during the season; the greater by far: reduce the chance of a given wild-card team winning the World Series by one-half. Now, winning a division pennant will mean a lot more.

sagegrouse

Excellent, sage.

If I were the baseball czar, I would:

1. Shorten season back to 154 games.
2. Shorten time between pitches and batters stepping out.
3. Disband the Yankees.

[hurleyfor3]

Excellent, sage.

If I were the baseball czar, I would:

1. Shorten season back to 154 games.
2. Shorten time between pitches and batters stepping out.
3. Disband the Yankees.

My pet proposal: The Yankees and Red Sox cannot both make the postseason in the same year. A stronger version: The Yankees and/or Red Sox only make the postseason by winning the AL East outright. Everything else stays the same as now.

This solves just about every problem baseball has. Well, most of the big ones.

[Olympic Fan]

My pet proposal: The Yankees and Red Sox cannot both make the postseason in the same year. A stronger version: The Yankees and/or Red Sox only make the postseason by winning the AL East outright. Everything else stays the same as now.

This solves just about every problem baseball has. Well, most of the big ones.

I understand the jealousy ... but the fact is that the Yankees AND Red Sox have made the playoffs at the same time just once in the last four years. The Yanks and Blue Jays have done it twice. The Red Sox and Blue Jays once.

Since the addition of the wild card in 1994, the Yanks and Red Sox have done it together just seven times in 18 years -- not even half the time.

[rasputin]

I understand the jealousy ... but the fact is that the Yankees AND Red Sox have made the playoffs at the same time just once in the last four years. The Yanks and Blue Jays have done it twice. The Red Sox and Blue Jays once.

Since the addition of the wild card in 1994, the Yanks and Red Sox have done it together just seven times in 18 years -- not even half the time.

I think you are referring to the Tampa Bay Rays, not the Toronto Blue Jays.

[Mal]

That said, the one-game playoff is a great idea. No longer will the Cardinals, the Red Sox and the like, who are wild-card teams, have the same chance to win a World Series as the team that wins its division by 15 games. Essentially, the one-game playoff between the two wild cards is a longer version of a coin flip. It does two things -- the smaller: recognize an additional team for its accomplishments during the season; the greater by far: reduce the chance of a given wild-card team winning the World Series by one-half. Now, winning a division pennant will mean a lot more.

This new scheme reduces the chances for any specific Wild Card team winning the Series, yes, but it doesn't necessarily reduce the chances of a Wild Card team winning it all, or not by much. Their rotations may get even more messed up than before, but then again the extra day to play that play-in game, if not timed properly, may actually allow the ace of a Wild Card team to get ready for Game 1 of the LDS. All that for the price of now allowing the 5th best team out of 15, a squad pretty likely to have no more than 90 wins, a 50% chance at a full playoff berth, instead of the 0% chance they should have? Not a good bargain, in my not so humble opinion.

I'm in complete agreement in the annoyance at Wild Card teams winning pennants and the World Series, but rather than allowing them in to the dance and then artificially tilting the floor on them, I'd rather just not have them invited in the first place.

[Mal]

That said, the one-game playoff is a great idea. No longer will the Cardinals, the Red Sox and the like, who are wild-card teams, have the same chance to win a World Series as the team that wins its division by 15 games. Essentially, the one-game playoff between the two wild cards is a longer version of a coin flip. It does two things -- the smaller: recognize an additional team for its accomplishments during the season; the greater by far: reduce the chance of a given wild-card team winning the World Series by one-half. Now, winning a division pennant will mean a lot more.

This new scheme reduces the chances for any specific Wild Card team winning the Series, yes, but it doesn't necessarily reduce the chances of a Wild Card team winning it all, or not by much. Their rotations may get even more messed up than before, but then again the extra day to play that play-in game, if not timed properly, may actually allow the ace of a Wild Card team to get ready for Game 1 of the LDS. All that for the price of now allowing the 5th best team out of 15, a squad pretty likely to have no more than 90 wins, a 50% chance at a full playoff berth, instead of the 0% chance they should have? Not a good bargain, in my not so humble opinion.

I'm in complete agreement in the annoyance at Wild Card teams winning pennants and the World Series, but rather than allowing them in to the dance and then artificially tilting the floor on them, I'd rather just not have them invited in the first place.

[A-Tex Devil]

I spent some time with a lifelong friend over the holiday weekend. We grew up in the Houston suburbs together, and he has since moved to Dallas to deal with the throngs of Cowboy, Maverick and Ranger fans up there. I don't know how he does it.

Anyway, he is actually FOR this move. He thinks, assuming Houston can get competitive again (it was a very competitive team from 1993 through 2005), that this will be great for both Houston and the Rangers. Neither team has had a true rival in their ~40 and ~50 year histories. Sure, Houston fans see St. Louis and the Cubs as rivals, but that is as reciprocal as Duke-Maryland is. Same with the Rangers vis a vis the Angels, Mariners, A's.

Texas is a big state that has not been successful in professional baseball -- you can blame the weather, ownership, other distractions, whatever, on this. But by creating an intrastate rivalry, perhaps it is a 1+1=3 situation that rejuvenates the Houston fanbase (after their initial dejection related to the move) and keeps a soaring Rangers fanbase (which was pretty measly just 3 years ago) thriving.

I fear that the Astros will be another Baltimore Orioles unless new management thinks outside of the box. But perhaps Houston is MORE likely to come out of its doldrums if there is some pressure to keep up with the currently more successful organization in north Texas - that is now a divisional rival.

[Duvall]

Excellent, sage.

If I were the baseball czar, I would:

1. Shorten season back to 154 games.
2. Shorten time between pitches and batters stepping out.
3. Disband the Yankees.

Disbanding the Yankees is a bit extreme. I suspect that relocating the Rays to Brooklyn and the Marlins to Newark would be suffficient.

[OldPhiKap]

Disbanding the Yankees is a bit extreme. I suspect that relocating the Rays to Brooklyn and the Marlins to Newark would be suffficient.

You've either never been to Newark, or REALLY hate the Marlins.

"Home Run, Jimmy Hoffa !?!"

[Jim3k]

The Astros front office replacements are arriving. USA Today reports that the Astros have hired Jeff Luhnow as the general manager. Luhnow has been a Cardinals VP since 2003 and was responsible for its minor league teams and their players' development.

I wonder how big a broom Luhnow carries.