Interesting Article on the Twins and Contraction

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

In an article from the Minneapolis Star Tribune discussing the stadium situation with the Twins, contraction has once again been brought up.

 

Link.

 

"When the governor laid out the reasons that contraction could be something to be concerned over, Jerry Bell did correct him somewhat," Opat said. "He said it wouldn't be easily done, since baseball would be required to bargain the effects of contraction with the players [union]."

 

Opat said in his many conversations with Bell and other Twins officials that the possibility of contraction had not been raised.

 

The article later explains why this could make sense for baseball and what some of the terms might be.

 

There is no denying this: Major League Baseball has two franchises absolutely ripe for contraction after the 2006 season in the Twins and Florida.

 

These are baseball's two most underperforming markets. The big-revenue franchises have grown disgusted with handing $20 million to $25 million per year apiece to teams located in what should be lucrative markets.

 

Baseball could buy out owners Carl Pohlad and Jeff Loria for $200 million to $225 million apiece and pay it off in a hurry with the savings in revenue sharing. For sure, contraction makes much more sense for baseball than trying to find new locales for the Twins and the Marlins.

 

The timetable as laid out in the basic agreement between the owners and the players also fits perfectly with the Twins reaching the decision, "We've taken it as far as we can."

 

The agreement states the following: "The Clubs [management] shall have the right ... to reduce by as many as two the number of Major League Clubs effective for the 2007 championship season."

 

Would contraction be a better option to relocating, or could cities like Portland, San Antonio, Charlotte, Norfolk, or Las Vegas adequately support baseball?

[Ding Dong Johnson]

Would contraction be a better option to relocating, or could cities like Portland, San Antonio, Charlotte, Norfolk, or Las Vegas adequately support baseball?

 

I am completely in favor of contraction with a kicker. I don't believe the cities you list would be in much better shape to take on a MLB team right now with Vegas being the possible exception. My kicker is, I think the Devil Rays should relocate. With its summer tourism, Orlando would be a really good location.

[Backtobanks]

I'd love to see those teams contracted and then a lottery for their players (major and minor league). Players like Santana, Willis, Cabrera, and all of those prospects the Marlins received in their fire sale would be available. I think it would add as much excitement to all of the rest of baseball as the Hot Stove League.

[SouthSideRyan]

I hate Jeff Loria so much.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

My guess is that there would be a draft for the players rather than a lottery. I would think that any team drafting a player from a contracted team would have to take on the terms of the contract. My guess is that any player contract, whether picked up by another team or not, would have to be paid somehow in the terms of contraction.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

Draft or lottery, can you imagine the offers flying around for the teams that land the top 2 picks (Cabrera, Santana)?

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

These would be the players teams would clamor for:

 

1. Cabrera

2. Santana

3. Dontrelle

4. Mauer

 

 

Both teams have deep farm systems as well. It would definitely be interesting.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

If Minny and Florida get contracted, someone else has to change leagues.

[CuseCubFan69]

If Minny and Florida get contracted, someone else has to change leagues.

 

Not really. Selig can just add 3 more teams to the NL Central.

[erik316wttn]

For some reason I've never been a fan of contraction. I'd much rather see relocation.

 

And it would make far more sense to contract the D-Rays, IMO.

 

Would Orlando be a viable market with as much tourism as it recieves? One of the Florida teams could move there. Get yourself a marquee player or two, have a family-friendly stadium and reasonable ticket prices, and you'd think a team could clean up.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

If Minny and Florida get contracted, someone else has to change leagues.

 

Why? One's in the AL, one's in the NL.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

If Minny and Florida get contracted, someone else has to change leagues.

 

Why? One's in the AL, one's in the NL.

 

Which means you'd have an odd number in each league. So unless there's ALWAYS an interleague matchup, you'd have a scheduling nightmare.

[katway]

The last time contraction was discussed, Congress threatened to remove the antitrust exemption. If the antitrust exemption was taken away, the opponents of contraction would then argue that the owners were trying to eliminate two of their competitors in order to raise their own profits, a classic antitrust violation.

[erik316wttn]

I think it would be far more logical to contract a team who has never been .500 in it's history than it would to contract one of baseball's oldest franchises (The Twins are the former Washington Senators, an inagural AL franchise established in 1901) and a 2-time World Serires champion in the Marlins.

 

That would be a heck of a lot of history you'd be erasing.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

I think it would be far more logical to contract a team who has never been .500 in it's history than it would to contract one of baseball's oldest franchises (The Twins are the former Washington Senators, an inagural AL franchise established in 1901) and a 2-time World Serires champion in the Marlins.

 

That would be a heck of a lot of history you'd be erasing.

 

The Twins are a candidate because their owner wouldn't oppose it. He's 90 years old and his family is growing tired of dealing with the Minnesota legislature.

[Backtobanks]

My guess is that there would be a draft for the players rather than a lottery. I would think that any team drafting a player from a contracted team would have to take on the terms of the contract. My guess is that any player contract, whether picked up by another team or not, would have to be paid somehow in the terms of contraction.

 

This is what would make the draft or lottery interesting. If a lower placed team doesn't have the money, they might pick a top prospect rather than one of the stars. This would mean that some of the stars could get through quite a bit of the draft until a team could afford their contract. Also, think of the possibility of trades happening after the draft. This would really be exciting.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

My guess is that there would be a draft for the players rather than a lottery. I would think that any team drafting a player from a contracted team would have to take on the terms of the contract. My guess is that any player contract, whether picked up by another team or not, would have to be paid somehow in the terms of contraction.

 

This is what would make the draft or lottery interesting. If a lower placed team doesn't have the money, they might pick a top prospect rather than one of the stars. This would mean that some of the stars could get through quite a bit of the draft until a team could afford their contract. Also, think of the possibility of trades happening after the draft. This would really be exciting.

 

Or what is more likely is that the lower team drafts the star and then trades the star for a player another team chooses along with some prospects from their own system.

[Soul]

I think it would be far more logical to contract a team who has never been .500 in it's history than it would to contract one of baseball's oldest franchises (The Twins are the former Washington Senators, an inagural AL franchise established in 1901) and a 2-time World Serires champion in the Marlins.

 

That would be a heck of a lot of history you'd be erasing.

 

The Twins are a candidate because their owner wouldn't oppose it. He's 90 years old and his family is growing tired of dealing with the Minnesota legislature.

 

So you're saying because he's 90 he no longer has the intellect to grasp the concept of selling?

[Backtobanks]

My guess is that there would be a draft for the players rather than a lottery. I would think that any team drafting a player from a contracted team would have to take on the terms of the contract. My guess is that any player contract, whether picked up by another team or not, would have to be paid somehow in the terms of contraction.

 

This is what would make the draft or lottery interesting. If a lower placed team doesn't have the money, they might pick a top prospect rather than one of the stars. This would mean that some of the stars could get through quite a bit of the draft until a team could afford their contract. Also, think of the possibility of trades happening after the draft. This would really be exciting.

 

Or what is more likely is that the lower team drafts the star and then trades the star for a player another team chooses along with some prospects from their own system.

 

Whichever way it happens, I think it would be a great thing to watch and talk about. Can you imagine the action NSBB would be having?

[Diffusion]

Call me crazy...

 

DIVISIONS

 

NL West

 

Diamondbacks

Dodgers

Giants

Padres

Rockies

 

NL Central

 

Cardinals

Cubs

Reds

Brewers

Astros

 

NL East

 

Braves

Mets

Nationals

Phillies

Pirates

 

AL West

 

A's

Angels

Mariners

Portland (formerly Twins)

Las Vegas (formerly Marlins)

 

AL Central

 

White Sox

Rangers

Tigers

Royals

Indians

 

AL East

 

Yankees

Red Sox

Orioles

Blue Jays

Devil Rays

 

CHANGES

 

Pirates moved from NL Central to NL East. It's always struck me as stupid that despite being in the same state, the Phillies are East and the Pirates are Central.

 

Rangers moved from AL West to AL Central. Likewise, it's always struck me as stupid that despite being in the same state, the Rangers are West and the Astros are Central.

 

Marlins move from Miami to Las Vegas, and from the NL East to the AL West. Florida clearly doesn't have the fans to support two teams, the Marlins have ownership and stadium issues and the franchise doesn't have enough history to make them changing leagues controversial, I don't think.

 

Twins move from Minnesota to Portland, and from the AL Central to the AL West. There's always talk of them being contracted, so I guess maybe they're a better candidate to move than anyone else.

 

5 teams in each league and 15 in each division.

 

SCHEDULE

 

18 games against all divisional opponents (72 games), plus 6 games against all other league opponents (60 games), plus 6 games against each member of whichever interleague division you're paired with (30 games). Natural rivalry games are scrapped.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Call me crazy...

 

DIVISIONS

 

NL West

 

Diamondbacks

Dodgers

Giants

Padres

Rockies

 

NL Central

 

Cardinals

Cubs

Reds

Brewers

Astros

 

NL East

 

Braves

Mets

Nationals

Phillies

Pirates

 

AL West

 

A's

Angels

Mariners

Portland (formerly Twins)

Las Vegas (formerly Marlins)

 

AL Central

 

White Sox

Rangers

Tigers

Royals

Indians

 

AL East

 

Yankees

Red Sox

Orioles

Blue Jays

Devil Rays

 

CHANGES

 

Pirates moved from NL Central to NL East. It's always struck me as stupid that despite being in the same state, the Phillies are East and the Pirates are Central.

 

Rangers moved from AL West to AL Central. Likewise, it's always struck me as stupid that despite being in the same state, the Rangers are West and the Astros are Central.

 

Marlins move from Miami to Las Vegas, and from the NL East to the AL West. Florida clearly doesn't have the fans to support two teams, the Marlins have ownership and stadium issues and the franchise doesn't have enough history to make them changing leagues controversial, I don't think.

 

Twins move from Minnesota to Portland, and from the AL Central to the AL West. There's always talk of them being contracted, so I guess maybe they're a better candidate to move than anyone else.

 

5 teams in each league and 15 in each division.

 

SCHEDULE

 

18 games against all divisional opponents (72 games), plus 6 games against all other league opponents (60 games), plus 6 games against each member of whichever interleague division you're paired with (30 games). Natural rivalry games are scrapped.

 

Do you do interleague throughout the year? If not, how do you handle an odd number of teams in each league?

[Diffusion]

Do you do interleague throughout the year? If not, how do you handle an odd number of teams in each league?

 

Interleague throughout the year, I guess. I should think you could make it work that way.

[Jon]

That could conceivably work, but MLB wouldn't like it. They wouldn't be able to market interleague play like they do now and scheduling interleague rivaly games of interest to be on weekends would be challenging.

 

I wouldn't mind it if those rivarly series were cut down to just 3 games instead of 6, though.

[bhogg]

24 teams

 

2 divisions per league

 

12 teams per league

 

Division winners make the playoffs.

 

 

 

I know, it'll never happen, but I can dream (and play baseball mogul), right?

 

 

Also, I'm all for contraction.

[Cubfanintheknow]

Call me crazy...

 

DIVISIONS

 

NL West

 

Diamondbacks

Dodgers

Giants

Padres

Rockies

 

NL Central

 

Cardinals

Cubs

Reds

Brewers

Astros

 

NL East

 

Braves

Mets

Nationals

Phillies

Pirates

 

AL West

 

A's

Angels

Mariners

Portland (formerly Twins)

Las Vegas (formerly Marlins)

 

AL Central

 

White Sox

Rangers

Tigers

Royals

Indians

 

AL East

 

Yankees

Red Sox

Orioles

Blue Jays

Devil Rays

 

CHANGES

 

Pirates moved from NL Central to NL East. It's always struck me as stupid that despite being in the same state, the Phillies are East and the Pirates are Central.

 

Rangers moved from AL West to AL Central. Likewise, it's always struck me as stupid that despite being in the same state, the Rangers are West and the Astros are Central.

 

Marlins move from Miami to Las Vegas, and from the NL East to the AL West. Florida clearly doesn't have the fans to support two teams, the Marlins have ownership and stadium issues and the franchise doesn't have enough history to make them changing leagues controversial, I don't think.

 

Twins move from Minnesota to Portland, and from the AL Central to the AL West. There's always talk of them being contracted, so I guess maybe they're a better candidate to move than anyone else.

 

5 teams in each league and 15 in each division.

 

SCHEDULE

 

18 games against all divisional opponents (72 games), plus 6 games against all other league opponents (60 games), plus 6 games against each member of whichever interleague division you're paired with (30 games). Natural rivalry games are scrapped.

 

You're crazy!!! :wink:

 

I suggested this a while back. But the problem with 15 team leagues is that there will always be one team from each league playing an interleague series throughout the entire season. I don't think the 30 games you have allotted for each team for interleague play is enough to cover the whole season. I wonder if schedule-makers have really studied this alignment to see if it would work.

 

But I do like your schedule heavily tipped toward divisional opponents. And scrapping the natural rivalries is also a good idea. Now that it's been around a few years, the Cubs/Sox "rivalry" has lost a little of its luster. I think Cub fans have always looked at it as being less important than a Cubs/Cards matchup. And now that the Sox have won the World Series (ugh!), I think they realize who takes the inter-city series it's that big a deal in the grand scheme of things.