(12-04-2025 01:54 PM)eku05 Wrote:  

(11-24-2025 05:15 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  I have to say that 20 teams is way too large for a minor league circuit. The methodology for determining a champion is absolutely asinine. First half champ vs second half champion is dumb. Where else in American sports do we reward teams for half a season’s work?

This segues into my next point—your schedules can’t possibly be balanced when playing so few games. The IL breaks down standings in “East” and “West” divisions but that’s a complete joke. Some division mates never even play. In reality, there are 3 shadow divisions—6 northeastern teams, 7 southern teams, and 7 Midwest teams (congrats Louisville, you’re honorary Midwesterners).

So why not do this—actually have those be the 3 divisions! Do a tiny post season playoff with the 3 division champs and a wildcard.

I get that the parent clubs are anxious to get their 40-man roster guys for the final push but don’t treat the minor league fans like we’re dumb with a bogus postseason model.

I don't like the methodology either, but the first half/second half thing has been the case for years in A and AA. It's only new to AAA. The argument for it is that MiLB rosters evolve so much over the course of a year that there is some level of sense in rewarding teams for separate halves of the season often played with dramatically different rosters. There's a lot I'd change about how MiLB seasons work.

But as a side now, as a Louisville native and resident, plenty of us identify with the midwest regionally as much as anything else. Louisville is a bit of a regional crossroads, but I definitely don't think of myself as a southerner.

But if AAA team #1 wins the first half by 1 game, then proceeds to lose a bunch of players to trades and call ups and is pitiful in the 2nd half, letting them participate in the title game is a joke. I’d rather award teams for a full body of work.

I just hate the apples to oranges comparisons— they aren’t even playing the same teams. Some of these principles work ok in an 8-12 game circuit where the scheduling is balanced, but it doesn’t work with 20 teams.

Louisville has played with Indianapolis, Columbus, and Toledo for some time now— I get why they grouped them with the 6 Midwestern teams rather than the 8 Southern teams—now there’s an idea—spin off the 8 Southern teams as their own AAA league and the IL becomes a 6 Northeast/6 Midwest team circuit.