Sunday, March 04, 2012

IS THE NATIONAL PASTIME STILL ALIVE OR DYING ON THE VINE ??

REORGANIZE MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL:

#1 End DH Rule. In practice that rule elevates the Pitcher above all the other Positions on the Field. Thus it is no longer a 'team' sport.  As well, Pitchers prefer to bat overwhelmingly, and the fans enjoy seeing the managers preform switches during the game.

#2 Combine American & National Leagues into one. The new 'American National League' (combine - overlay - redesign the logos into one).

#3 The American National League Champion every year would compete in a Real World Series against the Champions from an Asian National League, Latin National League, European National League, etc..  (FIFA Soccer is making Big Money with their Club-World-Cup Playoffs and international friendly matches every year).

#4 Our All-Star game would rotate from city to city through all the major league towns in order (not as to who has the newest stadium), starting with the cities where it has been absent longest, i.e. New York Mets and so on, and alternating North to South. The players leading in Stats in every category, after adding the previous season's 2nd half to the new season's 1st half will be the All-Stars, those receiving the highest marks, those representing the Northern Cities and those of the Southern Cities, based on latitude of the Stadiums. (throwback to the Civil War, when baseball was a momentary release for troops & citizens of the North & South). The highest finishing team of the previous season, of the north and of the south, will provide the manager and coaching staff. (Eventually there may be a World All-Star Game)

#5 The sub division of the 'American National League'(ANL) will be Divisions based and kept strictly on the longitude of the various Stadiums. No more than six teams in a division. Adding divisions as expansion occurs, and keeping teams in divisions east to west, and with team moves. Teams will play those within their division slightly more than all others.  A Compensation formula will exist from the League for teams that have longer travel within their divisions, such as Colorado would have over the Northeast Division teams.

Pacific Div. = SF Giants, SE Mariners, OA Athletics, LA Dodgers, LA Angles, SD Padres.

Western Div. = AZ DiamonBs, CO Rockies, TE Rangers, HO Astros, KC Royals, MN Twins.

Central Div. = SL Cardinals, ML Brewers, CH Cubs, CH White Sox, CI Reds, AT Braves.

Eastern Div. = DE Tigers, TB Rays, CL Indians, MA Marlins, PI Pirates, TO BlueJays.

Northeast Div. = WA Nationals, BA Orioles, PH Phillies, NY Yankees, NY Mets, BO Red Sox.

#6 With five division there are three wildcard slots, etc..

#7 Would also like to see: go to non-splintering bat (for public & player safety) of metal or other substance that would be of equal weight of the ash/maple woods and of the same resonance, thus producing the same distance/force hit with a same swing.

#8 Salary Caps and effective parity between teams!

#9 Due for Expansion: Montreal - Vancouver - Portland - Las Vegas
(no Latin Am. cities, for reason previously noted in #3)