Doug Melvin doesn’t like the rule that allows teams to expand their rosters to 40 players in September:
And that’s the September call-up rule that allows teams to have as many as 40 players on the roster after Sept. 1. Of course, many small-market teams can’t afford to do it. Melvin would like to see it standardized to 30.
“I kill this thing to death and nothing ever happens,” Melvin said. “Why in September do we have unbalanced rosters? We’re creating another playoff team and you still don’t have balanced rosters of 30-on-30 in September. It still favors the large markets.”
Melvin goes on to say that he believes the Cardinals would not have made the playoff in 2011 with a 30 man September roster.
Doug Melvin should stop whining. Any team who can’t manage to pay fifteen players minimum MLB salary for a month should close up shop. Personally, given the demands of the modern game, I’d expand the regular season rosters to 30 (more pitchers and bench players). That would really give Melvin something to cry about.
I might agree with Melvin if his complaint was about the American League teams that the Brewers had to play compared to the American League teams the Cardinals had to play during inter league play.
Roster expansion? The Brewers had the same right to have up to 40 on their squad as the Cardinals did.
I must say I don’t like the idea of roster expansion either. Keep the same rules for the entire season.
Also, if you are going to expand rosters, at least let the teams only dress 25 players for a game (even if every game can have a different 25). Watching teams bring in RP’ers in the 2nd inning and use 10 pitchers (even in non-blow outs) and having 5 pinch runners is sickening.