Posted on 08/22/2025 6:42:10 AM PDT by MinorityRepublican
Rob Manfred sent the collective heads of baseball traditionalists everywhere spinning Sunday night when he openly discussed the idea of realignment during the ESPN broadcast of the MLB Little League Classic.
The idea unquestionably would create one of the biggest shake-ups in baseball and likely end the long-standing American League and National League format that MLB has operated under for more than 100 years.
“I think if we expand, it provides us with an opportunity to geographically realign,” Manfred told ESPN. “I think we could save a lot of wear and tear on our players in terms of travel. And I think our postseason format would be even more appealing for entities like ESPN because you’d be playing up out of the East and out of the West.”
The reactions came swiftly after Manfred made his comments during the broadcast, with baseball traditionalists decrying the idea of realigning the divisions.
Mets broadcaster Howie Rose described the threat of realignment as the American League and National League ceasing to “exist as we know them” and describing it as the “last move before total destruction of the traditions that made baseball great.”
Former big leaguer Cameron Maybin argued that realignment would tilt the playoff balance in a post on social media.
“Some divisions get watered down, others overloaded and rivalries that drive October storylines we love, vanish. Baseball needs competitive integrity, not manufactured shakeups,” he wrote.
Expansion would be the first domino that would need to fall in order for the MLB commissioner to see realignment come to fruition, but the idea has created, at the very least, some buzz, along with plenty of anger, over what could happen with a potential realignment.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
I like interleague play Literally the only chance for some fans to see in person players from the other league.
Up next - hitting the ball off a tee in extra innings!
LOL!
NHL talent pool has expanded in Europe and in greater areas of the US.
MLB in East Asia and Caribbean and Latin America.
Not that I support expansion.
I’m just answering your question.
I don’t watch or follow baseball any more since 2020.
I think the interest is not there like it used to be. Unless of course you're a gambler.
They should move teams around instead.
Baltimore Orioles, Pittsburgh Pirates, Cleveland Guardians (formerly Indians), Tampa Rays, Miami Marlins.
Move them to Salt Lake City and Nashville.
Oh, Raleigh would probably be good.
They're actually making baseball fun again with Banana Ball.
If you're watching MLB, there are only "three true outcomes" in baseball which is a home run, a walk or a strikeout.
But baseball is not the same game it was before Manfred got his hands on it. We have a schedule that already destroys the divisions. There are pitch clocks; pitchers and catchers wear electronic devices to call pitches; there is a ban on defensive alignments; limits on players defending a base; ghost runners in extra innings; mound visit limits; limits on throwing to first on pick off attempts; relief pitchers required to face a minimum of three batters and the DH in both leagues.
In my mind the MLB is full-time exhibition baseball.
Mostly due to "TTO" which I've explained in post #45.
Baseball NEEDS the Yankees/Red Sox, Cardinals/Cubs, and Dodgers/Giants rivalries.
Don't you mean Dodgers/Padres?
LOLZ! Living in San Diego, I have to tell Pads fans that it isn't a rivalry if the other guys don't even know who you are.
Agree. Interleague play and the DH are pure BS.
I watch the Pads, they’re fun to watch.
I go back to when the Dodgers and Giants were in NYC.
And it carried on with Marichal and Roseboro in California.
Could it happen? How about that All Star Game, which was decided by a home run derby.
That may be a dress rehearsal for eventually doing away with extra innings.
I know the All Star Game is just an exhibition game, but that ending may give them ideas for the regular season games.
I would prefer for the game to end in a tie.
Extra innings in the post season.
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