06/27/1999
Realignment? Bud Selig is once again hinting at major realignment. Realignment
on the scale Selig talks about can not be good for baseball. It would be
impossible to uphold the integrity and identities of the individual leagues
if you have half the teams switching leagues. Atlanta playing in the AL East?
No thank you. Major realignment also brings the DH question to the fore.
As an NL fan I would hate to lose pitchers batting and the double switch,
but as an Atlanta fan I wouldn't mind the defensive upgrade of having Klesko
moved to DH. I like that the two leagues have rules that make them unique,
let the AL keep the DH, but don't force it on the NL fans.
If major realignment is a definant NO, then minor realignment should be a
definant YES. The National League Central has six teams while the American
League West only has 4, this should be fixed. Teams like Texas and Seattle
also have to travel huge distances to play their division rivals, much futher
than other teams must travel. The easiest solution for Seattle's travel problems
is to place the Mariners in the National League West Division with San Francisco.
Seattle has agreed to such a move in principle in the past. Arizona has only
been placed temporarily in the National League West and can be moved without
their consent up until the 2002 season. So move them to the American League
West to replace Seattle.
Switching Arizona and Seattle between Leagues helps solve the travel problems,
but does not fix the number of teams in each league, the easiest solution
to do that is to place Houston in the American League West. That unfortunately
may be a sticking point as Houston does not want the added travel between
time zones.
Mr. Selig please don't comprimise the history and integrity of the game just
for change, fix the problem right and as simply as possible. Instead of moving
14 or 16 teams between leagues, the problems can be solved by moving only
3 teams.
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NL East: Atlanta, Florida, Montreal , New York (NL), Philadelphia
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NL Central: Chicago (NL), St Louis, Pittsburgh, Milwaukee, Cincinatti
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NL West: San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, San Diego, Colorado
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AL East: New York (AL), Boston, Baltimore, Toronto, Tampa Bay
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AL Central: Chicago (AL), Cleveland, Detroit, Minnesota, Kansas City
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AL West: Oakland, Anaheim, Arizona, Texas, Houston
Mopping Up
Umpire Bob Davidson confronted the Braves on the size of their catcher's
box following Wednesday's game and had head groundskeeper Ed Mangan draw
up a new, smaller one for the game Thursday. The box is supposed to be 43
inches wide. But catcher Eddie Perez said Thursday's plate umpire, Mark Wegner,
didn't make any special effort to enforce it. ``He didn't really care,''
Perez said. Davidson continues to climb toward the top of my list of
least favourite umpires.
If Tony Fernandez continues his hot hitting and wins the American League
batting title at 37, he will be the oldest player in Major League history
to win their first batting title. Fernandez is currently hitting .402,
his closest competition is Derek Jeter at .376.
The New York Yankees continue to search within the organization for a left
fielder, with no success. Left fielders have a combined .187 average, five
homers, 18 RBI, worst production of any position for any team in the majors.
And the Atlanta Braves thought their left fielders were playing bad
this year?
Earlier this year a St. Louis writer wrote, "The men's side of professional
tennis has been as flat as Kent Mercker's curveball."
Retorted Mercker, "I don't have a curveball. That would have been a great
rag on me had it said, 'As flat as a Mercker changeup or fastball.'"
The Orioles are at it again. Every year right when Peter Angelos is
about ready to start trading off veterens, they go on an extended run.
Last year right after the All Star Break the Orioles went on a 30-8
run. Only to fade again down the stretch and lose, Palmeiro, and Alomar
to free agency. The O's won 11 of 14 games after starting the year
21-36. Give the fans what they deserve Peter, rebuild, build them a
winner. It has become obvious you can't buy them one.
-- O-fer
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© 1999 K. Hollingshead
1999 |
