Sources: MLB to revamp rivalries

[Theo]

http://espn.go.com/chicago/mlb/story/_/id/7874251/mlb-eyeing-end-annual-rival-series-including-mets-yankees-sources-say

 

Major League Baseball is working on a scheduling reconfiguration for the 2013 season and beyond that likely will eliminate the Mets and Yankees as well as other "natural rivals" playing home-and-home, six-game series annually, baseball sources told ESPNNewYork.com.

 

With the Houston Astros moving to the American League West next season and the leagues becoming balanced at 15 teams apiece, natural rivals throughout baseball no longer will be guaranteed six games a season and home-and-home series, the sources said.

 

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That goes for obvious inner-city rivals such as Mets-Yankees and Cubs-White Sox, as well as for more-forced natural rivals such as the San Diego Padres and Seattle Mariners.

[NewUserName]

good

[rocket]

excellent.

[UMFan83]

Awesome! I've long hated this. The excitement for the series is ruined by playing 2 seperate series each year when you play the White Sox as many times as most NL teams not in the Central. Also part of the fun of these series are bragging rights, and its kind of hard to do that when the teams finish 3-3, which is likely in a H/H series (2-1 at home, 1-2 on road). The BP Cup is pretty stupid, but awarding the trophy to a team that goes 3-3 is even more stupid.

 

I love this!

[jersey cubs fan]

this was obvious when the 15/15 plan was announced. Not sure why they are writing this like it's breaking news. You can't do an interleague series at all times and maintain the 3/3 home/home.

[Rizzo Smash]

Good news for everyone except White Sox fans.

[waffle]

i'm sure it has been discussed at length but interleague could easily disappear without anyone shedding any tears

[SouthSideRyan]

i'm sure it has been discussed at length but interleague could easily disappear without anyone shedding any tears

 

Well it'd be very difficult for it to disappear now.

[bcl412]

I don't want interleague to disappear.

[bukie]

I don't want interleague to disappear.

I don't think that's going to happen, considering the leagues are going to have 15 teams each next year.

[rocket]

do it like the nfl. one nl division faces 1 al division a year, with a home and away series vs each team in that division. every team in a division has the same schedule, if you're a cubs fan in boston you get to see them every 3 years. the solution is so simple.

[SouthSideRyan]

do it like the nfl. one nl division faces 1 al division a year, with a home and away series vs each team in that division. every team in a division has the same schedule, if you're a cubs fan in boston you get to see them every 3 years. the solution is so simple.

 

That's 30 games a season against teams you're not competing against.

[bukie]

I like the idea of one "rival" series plus one series each against an interleague division. So, that makes 18 total interleague games per team, and once every three years you'd get a home and home against your rival.

[Andy]

I like the idea of one "rival" series plus one series each against an interleague division. So, that makes 18 total interleague games per team, and once every three years you'd get a home and home against your rival.

This has my vote.

[jersey cubs fan]

I like the idea of matching up based on last year's standings (including how the playoffs ended), so that the previous World Series matchup occurs every year, plus the LCS losers, etc. Try and play that World Series matchup early just after the opening day hype dies down. And play the bottom rung matchups late to prevent too many complaints about interleague series determining penant races in September.

[rocket]

do it like the nfl. one nl division faces 1 al division a year, with a home and away series vs each team in that division. every team in a division has the same schedule, if you're a cubs fan in boston you get to see them every 3 years. the solution is so simple.

 

That's 30 games a season against teams you're not competing against.

 

so?

[Derwood]

do it like the nfl. one nl division faces 1 al division a year, with a home and away series vs each team in that division. every team in a division has the same schedule, if you're a cubs fan in boston you get to see them every 3 years. the solution is so simple.

 

That's 30 games a season against teams you're not competing against.

 

so?

 

if everyone in the division has the same inter league schedule, it evens out, though. Do people poop their pants over the fact that the Bears have to play the entire AFC West or whatever? I mean, that's 25% of your schedule against teams you're not competing against

[jersey cubs fan]

do it like the nfl. one nl division faces 1 al division a year, with a home and away series vs each team in that division. every team in a division has the same schedule, if you're a cubs fan in boston you get to see them every 3 years. the solution is so simple.

 

That's 30 games a season against teams you're not competing against.

 

so?

 

It's double what they do now, and unnecessary.

[bukie]

~12 interleague games per team (3.6 series...) will be required to keep teams playing throughout the season without interruption. Interleague has gone as high as 18 games in the past, so I can see 18, possibly 21 if they go crazy, but 30 games really takes away from the intraleague play.

[rocket]

If you're going to do interleague, then do it all the way. Or scrap it. Either way, teams in a division should have the same schedule.

[rocket]

~12 interleague games per team (3.6 series...) will be required to keep teams playing throughout the season without interruption. Interleague has gone as high as 18 games in the past, so I can see 18, possibly 21 if they go crazy, but 30 games really takes away from the intraleague play.

 

I mean, unless it's something cool like Red Sox or Yankees vs. Cubs, is it really all that special or interesting anymore?

[bukie]

How to balance a 162 game schedule with six divisions of 5 teams:

- 16 games against each of the four teams in your division

- 8 games against each of the ten teams outside your division

- 18 interleague games (I like either the one rivalry series and one opposing division, or one division and one place matchup against the opposite team in the standings)

 

That would make 162 games exactly, you'd play divisional opponents twice as much as non-divisional opponents, and the only unbalanced part of the schedule would be the interleague matchups.

[SouthSideRyan]

do it like the nfl. one nl division faces 1 al division a year, with a home and away series vs each team in that division. every team in a division has the same schedule, if you're a cubs fan in boston you get to see them every 3 years. the solution is so simple.

 

That's 30 games a season against teams you're not competing against.

 

so?

 

if everyone in the division has the same inter league schedule, it evens out, though. Do people poop their pants over the fact that the Bears have to play the entire AFC West or whatever? I mean, that's 25% of your schedule against teams you're not competing against

 

The last model I want MLB to follow when it comes to schedules is the NFL

[jersey cubs fan]

If you're going to do interleague, then do it all the way. Or scrap it. Either way, teams in a division should have the same schedule.

 

I don't even know what "do it all the way" means here.

 

Interleague is small portion of the schedule. It works that way. I see no reason to have it take up so much of the season. And I see no reason why everybody in a division has to have a perfectly matched schedule.

[rocket]

If you're going to do interleague, then do it all the way. Or scrap it. Either way, teams in a division should have the same schedule.

 

I don't even know what "do it all the way" means here.

 

Interleague is small portion of the schedule. It works that way. I see no reason to have it take up so much of the season. And I see no reason why everybody in a division has to have a perfectly matched schedule.

 

less than 20% of the season is not that much.