Baseball Musings
Baseball Musings
September 26, 2008
Astros and the West

James Crabtree writes:

Last night I heard Drayton McLane sit in for an inning on the Astros radio broadcast with Milo Hamilton. He spent much of the time talking about how great the wild card is and how it has created excitement in Houston this year. What he and Milo Hamilton failed to realize is that if NOT for the three divisions and the wild card Houston would be in first place in the old NL West (even if Arizona was added into it) with a tight race against the Dodgers in the last weekend of the season. It would be almost like 1980 again. As it stand now however Houston would have to pull off a miracle to see the post season. I honestly think McLane doesn't realize the Astros would be in first in the old NL West.

While this is true, MLB will never go back to eight team league or division again. Small divisions create a higher probability of different teams making the playoffs and the World Series every year. That's good for the growth of the game. So it strikes me that the creation of three division and the wild card outweighs the occasional lack of a playoff spot under the old system.


Posted by David Pinto at 12:59 PM | Division Races | TrackBack (0)
Comments

Very good point. I miss the old days of the Astros fighting it out with the Dodgers and Giants. Well, that's lunch, I'm going to go crush a Baconator!

Posted by: ryan at September 26, 2008 01:33 PM

I'm for adding a second wild card team and having the two of the play one elimination game. Increase excitement even more and tire out the wild card teams just a bit before they face an actual divisional winner.

Posted by: Kent at September 26, 2008 01:54 PM

Great point. I miss the old NL West. Those were some good rivalries. Playing about a bazillion games each year with Pittsburgh and Cincinnati? Not so much.

Posted by: Doran at September 26, 2008 03:27 PM

No way the Astros would ever go back to an old NL West setup. That arrangement puts away night games against the west coast teams at a ridiculous 9:00 PM Central start, very inconvenient for fans back in Houston.

The Rangers are stuck with exactly this problem in their current AL West division, and Houston is happy to be rid of it.

Posted by: Casey Abell at September 26, 2008 03:31 PM
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