I can't remember whether it was Terry Pluto, Les Levine, or someone else altogether, but in the last week or so, they tucked a little nugget into a "notes" story that stated that Cleveland Indians owner Larry Dolan favors "radical realignment" that would put the Tribe in the same division as the Cincinnati Reds, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Detroit Tigers.
That's it. One little sentence. Nothing beyond that. No additional comment to put things in perspective, such as "Dolan's delusional dreams have no chance of becoming reality", or "Bud Selig is intrigued by the steroid-distracting capabilities of a new fan-flummoxing clusterfuck."
Some of you may recall that just a few years after realigning into three divisions, Major League Baseball explored "radical realignment" for the 1998 season, with the addition of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and Arizona Diamondbacks.
The proposed alignment at the time:
AL East: Baltimore, Boston, Montreal, N.Y. Mets, N.Y. Yankees, Philadelphia, Toronto
AL Midwest: Atlanta, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Detroit, Florida, Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay
NL Central: Chi Cubs, Chi White Sox, Houston, Kansas City, Milwaukee, Minnesota, St. Louis, Texas
NL West: Anaheim, Arizona, Colorado, Los Angeles, Oakland, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle
This alignment was voted down for a few reasons:
1. None of the NL clubs agreed to move to the American League.
2. It was thought to be undesirable and unfair to put so many big-market teams in one division. If the Yankees, Mets, Red Sox, and Phillies all spent themselves into oblivion, it would lead to some big-money teams missing the playoffs each year since somebody would have to finish 3rd or 4th, which would increase the pressure to overspend, which would be bad for baseball.
3. The value of the local TV deals in New York and Chicago would be diluted if the teams played each other 16 times.
4. Being in the same division would be bad for ticket sales in New York and Chicago, since, say, Montreal and Kansas City would come to town twice as often.
5. The MLBPA was against the plan because they did not want teams finishing "7th" or "8th". Seriously. And you thought soccer moms were bad. Anyway, the MLBPA preferred the alternative whereby the AL would be split into two divisions of five and one division of four, and the NL would be split into four four-team divisions with no-wild card.
6. This never seemed to be said publicly, but I have a hunch that everybody except Bud Selig and realignment committee chairman John Harrington thought that the whole idea was "jaw-droppingly stupid."
But now it's 10 years later, and it's a different landscape. Interleague play has destroyed the long-standing tradition of two distinct leagues. The payroll disparities have increased exponentially, and it's only going to get worse with two new cash-extraction palaces set to open in New York City and another in our nation's capital, where the Nationals will soon transform from Expos-Lite to Beltway Bullies. The talent disparity has tilted so heavily toward the American League that the National League has attained second-division status in the minds of many who follow the game.
And yet Major League Baseball has never been more popular. Go figure.
We can only guess that Selig is still in love with his radical realignment proposal, and we have now learned that Mr. Dolan is on board. So what might it look like now? I'm assuming the wild card is here to stay, and I'd assume that a 14-team AL consisting of Eastern Time teams, and a 16-team NL consisting of Central/Mountain/Pacific Time teams, would still be the goal.
AL Northeast: Boston, N.Y. Mets, N.Y. Yankees, Philadelphia, Washington
AL East: Atlanta, Baltimore, Florida, Tampa Bay, Toronto
AL Central: Cincinnati, Cleveland, Detroit, Pittsburgh
NL North: Chi Cubs, Chi White Sox, Milwaukee, Minnesota, St. Louis
NL Midwest: Arizona, Colorado, Houston, Kansas City, Texas
NL Pacific: L.A. Angels, L.A. Dodgers, Oakland, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle
So what do you think?
There is no doubt in my mind that this is a more competitive setup than what currently exists. The big money coastal teams are now grouped together, so they can slug it out amongst themselves. Looking back at the reasons for declining radical realignment the first time, item #2 really stands out because even without radical realignment, those handful of northeastern teams started throwing money around like Pacman Jones creating a "visual effect" at a Las Vegas gentlemen's club.
In 1997, the Yankees' payroll was roughly 50% greater than the league's median payroll. In 2007, it was roughly 125% greater than the league's median payroll. And those poor Mets. In 1997, they were 16th in payroll. Yes, the bottom half of the league. They were against radical realignment because they didn't want to have to keep up with the Yankees since it would be bad for baseball. Well, guess what? In 2007, they were 3rd in payroll, and they just spent a guaranteed $137 million on Johan Santana. The Red Sox have been in a steady "Cold War" payroll battle with the Yankees anyway. We in Cleveland know about the money Philadelphia can offer to free agent sluggers, and the Nationals are about to become an enormous economic force in the game. All of this is happening anyway, so let them have their own little universe and let the rest of the league go about its business. (Ditto for the NL Pacific.)
I can see why Larry Dolan would love it. Not only would the big spenders be lumped together, but he'd also create a division that almost mirrors Cleveland's long-standing football rivalries. In addition to their existing feud with nearby Detroit, the Tribe would get to spend the summer launching Kentucky-bound baseballs out of Great American Smallpark, while also making a second home field out of otherwise deserted PNC Park.
If you're Larry Dolan, there is so much to love about this idea. And really, on an intellectual level, I love a lot about this idea too.
Except it will never happen. It would be competitively and economically more difficult for the big money clubs, which is enough to kill it right there. Plus there's still the matter of NL clubs not wanting to be labeled "American League." Especially when the MLBPA is going to force the DH to exist in one league or the other. And the fans would revolt. And for the love of God, what about the person who would have to clean up the gun-splattered gray matter that once occupied Bob Costas' skull?
And while I may find radical realignment appealing on an intellectual level, I am appalled by the concept on an emotional level. I'm not prepared for the Cincinnati Reds to play in the AL and the Chicago White Sox to play in the NL.
Interleague play, juiced records, luxury box parks, an All-Star game that impacts the World Series...the more baseball craps on its own history, the more I am inclined to preserve what little is left.
So what do you think? Is Larry Dolan on to something here? Or should he spend less time plotting radical realignment and more time planning bake sales to benefit the Sabathia Fund?