Mike Friere - Expansion and Realignment Ideas

I feel like I went to a party in April where I had the best time, only to wake up in May with the worst hangover known to man.  Oh and it is one that some Gatorade and Goody's powders cannot make go away, either.  The Mets have really hit a wall of late.....literally!   The team reminds me of one of those "Smash 'Em Up Derby" cars that we all had as kids that would break into a bunch of small pieces after it hit another object.  For the Mets, that object started with Game #13, I guess.

Lets move onto a completely separate topic and attempt to take our minds off of the mess that the team has become (at least until the first game of the Reds' series later today).  The topic in question is possible MLB expansion and/or relocation and it came up during our discussion on schedule and playoff changes last week.

For now, there are a total of 30 teams in MLB with 15 clubs in each league (AL, NL).   In order to properly schedule games throughout the season, it would be easier to have an even number of teams in each league, as well as overall.  By adding one team to each league, you would accomplish both of those goals while adding some excitement to the sport. Let's assume that you are all on board with the addition of two teams.  The first two questions would be what cities get the new teams and in which league would they reside?

I would add expansion teams based in Montreal (NL) and San Antonio (AL).

A return of the Expos would be a good thing in my opinion.  Who else misses those crazy freaks with their demented uniforms and ball caps?  That organization was even more snake bitten the we are!  Additionally, putting another team in the huge State of Texas would be a welcome sight for the fans in that area while adding to the regional rivalries that already exist.

Right after that, if I were in charge, I would immediately move the Marlins and the Rays out of Florida.  Look, I live in Florida and it is pretty easy to see that professional baseball hasn't been a huge hit.  Outside of a few playoff appearances for both clubs, attendance has ALWAYS been lacking in both areas and it has gone on long enough to recognize that it just isn't working.  Florida is a nice choice for Spring Training and for Minor League baseball, so let's leave it at that.

The Rays would be on the move to the Pacific Northwest where they would settle into the City of Portland, OR.  That area would provide better support for the team and it would add a rival for the Mariners who are pretty much on their own in that corner of the country (like they were put in time out a while back, only they haven't left).

The Marlins would relocate to Charlotte, NC which is one of the fastest growing areas in the country.  They would also have much more interest from that fan base then the folks who are still asleep in Miami.

With all of that said, here is a breakdown of how I would set up MLB in this scenario;

NL East                               NL West
Atlanta                                Arizona
Philadelphia                        Colorado
New York Mets                     San Francisco
Washington                         Los Angeles Dodgers
**Montreal (expansion)        San Diego
Pittsburgh                           St Louis
Cincinnati                            Chicago Cubs
Charlotte (former Marlins)     Milwaukee


AL East                                AL West

Boston                                Portland, OR (former Rays)
New York Yankees                San Antonio (expansion)
Toronto                               Los Angeles Angels
Baltimore                            Houston
Detroit                                Seattle
Cleveland                            Oakland
Minnesota                            Texas
Chicago White Sox               Kansas City


This set up (four, eight team divisions) would make scheduling easier and if
you picked the top two teams in each division for the playoffs, it would make
that portion of the schedule shorter and more meaningful, IMO.

If you really want to get crazy, move the franchise from San Antonio to one of
the larger cities in Mexico (Mexico City, perhaps) to really expand the fan base.

What do you think?