One thing that is under discussion as MLB and the MLBPA negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement is the length of the schedule. The players would like to see it reduced to 154 games. Rob Manfred, however, makes a good point:
“You want to work less, usually you get paid less.”
It strikes me that the main problem is travel. I started watching baseball in 1969, the first year the leagues were split into six-team divisions. The season was divided into five sections.
- A home series and an away series against each team in the division (about 30 games).
- A home series and an away series against each team in the other division (about 36 games).
- A home series and an away series against each team in the division (about 30 games).
- A home series and an away series against each team in the other division (about 36 games).
- A home series and an away series against each team in the division (about 30 games).
The AL kept this schedule until the 1977 expansion, the NL until the 1993 expansion. Since the teams were somewhat geographically close*, travel tended to be shorter. Of course, games were played faster back then, so a team could start a game at 8 PM and still make a flight at a reasonable hour.
*The NL actually had an eastern and western conference in each division. The west had Atlanta, Cincinnati, and Houston to go with the the three west coast teams. The east had Chicago, St. Louis, and Pittsburgh to go with the three east coast teams.
MLB could pull this type of schedule off again if they simply did away with the NL and AL and went with five leagues of six teams each. Every year, each league would play two others on a rotating basis. This schedule could then work:
- A home series and an away series against each team in the league (about 30 games).
- A home series and an away series against each team in opposition league one (about 36 games).
- A home series and an away series against each team in the league (about 30 games).
- A home series and an away series against each team in in opposition league two (about 36 games).
- A home series and an away series against each team in the league (about 30 games).
If the leagues are set up with teams that are geographically close, I suspect most of the travel issues disappear. The six division winners move on to the playoffs, and the top four second place teams hold a one-game playoff for the wild cards.
Correction: That last sentence was wrong. There would be five division winners, so if MLB still wanted an eight team, three-round playoff, there would need to be at least three wild cards.
Your 5 leagues & scheduling idea seems complicated but a good one for solving the problem. Personally, I’ve wanted to see them go back to 154 games. I think it would help keep players healthier.
I don’t think Manfred has a good point. In baseball, you’re paid a salary, not paid by the game or the hour.
Agreed Devon.
Reduce the games and don’t hose the players.
I love baseball, but the season needs to wrap-up in mid October, not November.
Give the players a few more off-days and try to end the season earlier too.
Add 2 teams, get rid of AL/NL-have 4, 8 team leagues arranged geographically-top 2 from ea league go-154 games- rotate out of your league by year
Luis » That works, too but I was trying to get there without expansion. I’d rather expand to 36 teams, and three leagues with two divisions. One league for relegation, own playoff, top four teams move up every year, and the bottom two teams from each of the two major leagues move down.
You blew the math. There are five divisions of six, so you’re only going to have five division winners. Do you take the top six wildcards to get three to join them?
Larry Macdonald » Yes, you’re right. A wild card triple header would be fun! Or just take the top three second place teams and cut two days off the playoffs.