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Rob Manfred’s radical MLB realignment idea being met with harsh reactions: ‘Total destruction’
New York Post ^ | Aug. 18, 2025 | Christian Arnold

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 ...


TOPICS: Sports
KEYWORDS: 162games; americanleague; baseball; christianarnold; dhrule; mlb; nationalleague; newyorkpost; robmanfred; sports
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1 posted on 08/22/2025 6:42:10 AM PDT by MinorityRepublican
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To: MinorityRepublican

They are paid to be places and play well. It is their job. Manfred the mighty wonder dog wants to get richer.


2 posted on 08/22/2025 6:45:18 AM PDT by healy61
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To: MinorityRepublican

Manfred can blow that, and likely most if not all of his other ideas on related things, out his a$$.


3 posted on 08/22/2025 6:45:45 AM PDT by OttawaFreeper ("The Gardens was founded by men-sportsmen-who fought for their country" Conn Smythe, 1966 )
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To: MinorityRepublican

He likely makes the late Bowie Kuhn seem far more competent in comparison.


4 posted on 08/22/2025 6:46:36 AM PDT by OttawaFreeper ("The Gardens was founded by men-sportsmen-who fought for their country" Conn Smythe, 1966 )
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To: MinorityRepublican

They just realigned like thirty or forty years ago......................


5 posted on 08/22/2025 6:47:02 AM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegals are put up in 5 Star hotels....................)
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To: MinorityRepublican

I still watch a lot of baseball thanks to T-Mobile giving me the MLB package with my TMHI subscription.

Baseball NEEDS the Yankees/Red Sox, Cardinal/Cubs and Dodgers/Giants rivalries.

Those teams need to be in the same division and they need to stay in their leagues.

We will see how badly crazy realignment has hurt college football.

The SEC should be fine because it has pretty much stayed regional.

But USC playing Rutgers in the Big Ten is downright stupid.


6 posted on 08/22/2025 6:50:42 AM PDT by Biblebelter
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To: MinorityRepublican

A move like this will likely push the smaller markets into irrelevance and October baseball will be nothing but costal teams with huge payrolls.


7 posted on 08/22/2025 6:50:53 AM PDT by RightOnTheBorder
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To: MinorityRepublican

I’m that bit surprised to see MLB and the NHL talking about expansion. Where is the talent pool to support this?


8 posted on 08/22/2025 6:51:20 AM PDT by OttawaFreeper ("The Gardens was founded by men-sportsmen-who fought for their country" Conn Smythe, 1966 )
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To: Red Badger

Go back to the way it used to be. Ditch the divisions, no wildcards or divisional or league championship series.

Just the two Pennant winners, going straight to the World Series.

You should be rewarded for the best record over the course of the season, not just for getting hot at the right time.


9 posted on 08/22/2025 6:51:26 AM PDT by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: MinorityRepublican

I liked it better when the leagues were separate. I made the World Series much more exciting.


10 posted on 08/22/2025 6:51:34 AM PDT by volare737 ( Diversity is something to be overcome, not celebrated. )
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To: OttawaFreeper

They should be talking contraction.

Get rid of the Florida teams, for starters.


11 posted on 08/22/2025 6:52:58 AM PDT by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: volare737; dfwgator
Just the two Pennant winners, going straight to the World Series.

162 games then straight to the World Series.

Plus you can start the season later.

The playoffs are already watered down.

12 posted on 08/22/2025 6:53:57 AM PDT by MinorityRepublican
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To: MinorityRepublican

Go back to 154 games.


13 posted on 08/22/2025 6:54:52 AM PDT by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: dfwgator
Ditch the divisions, no wildcards or divisional or league championship series.

Never happen, this is ALL about TV money. I'm surprised they don't make all these playoffs the best of 9 just to get more playoff games.

14 posted on 08/22/2025 6:55:55 AM PDT by 1Old Pro
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To: MinorityRepublican

Agreed. I hate interleague play.


15 posted on 08/22/2025 6:56:17 AM PDT by volare737 ( Diversity is something to be overcome, not celebrated. )
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To: MinorityRepublican

Just to make it interesting for other clubs, you could have something like The FA Cup in soccer, which is a single-elimination tournament over the course of the season.


16 posted on 08/22/2025 6:57:31 AM PDT by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: MinorityRepublican

If geographical proximity becomes the driving factor, these teams would probably be together in the same division:

Yankees-Mets
White Sox-Cubs
Dodgers-Angels


17 posted on 08/22/2025 7:10:58 AM PDT by one guy in new jersey
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To: MinorityRepublican

It should be a crime to use the term “baseball” to describe the athletic exhibition displayed during the summer months.


18 posted on 08/22/2025 7:20:57 AM PDT by HIDEK6 (God bless Donald Trump)
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To: healy61

Baseball should be international


19 posted on 08/22/2025 7:22:44 AM PDT by nikos1121
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To: MinorityRepublican

As dumb as Manfred naming Miziorowski to the All-Star Game.


20 posted on 08/22/2025 7:23:02 AM PDT by montag813
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