going to start a new thread where we put news with managerial changes etc, and then eventually free agents... Keep the current season stuff in one thread- but everything else in a new thread

Big news tonight is the Marlins going to resign Mattingly to a 2 year extension...

Current known manager changes-
Cubs- Old Madden new Ross
Angels- Old Ausmus new Madden
Mets- Old Callaway new ???
Phillies- Old Kapler new Girardi
Pirates- Old Hurdle new ???
Royals- Old Yost new Matheny
Padres- Old Green new Tingler
Giants- old Bochy new ???

Realignment May hit in 2021 if they can resolve the DH. Personally I would like to junk it, but this is not about that.

MLB should scrap AL and NL and just become MLB. Add 2 teams thru expansion and move the Rays to Montreal. This could create 4 8 team divisions. Each team would play in their division 14 games for 98 and 4 games against 2 of the other divisions (alternate every year) for 64 games, thus keep the 162 game season. Geographic divisions create better rivalries.
8 wild cards, all play 1 game winner moves on, wild cards seeded by record. 4 division winners get byes, then play WC game winners seeded by record, best of 5, final 4 and WS best of 7.
Comments.

Division 1
Toronto
Montreal
Boston
NYY
NYM
Philadelphia
Pittsburgh
Cleveland

Division 2
Carolina/Tennessee expansion team
DC
Baltimore
Miami
Atlanta
Cincy
Chicago Cubs
Chicago WS

Division 3
Minnesota
Milwaukee
Cincinnati
St Louis
KC
Houston
Texas
Colorado

Division 4
Arizona
San Diego
LAA
LAD
SF
Oakland
Seattle
Portland/Las Vegas expansion team

(09-20-2019 04:18 PM)Jjoey52 Wrote:  Realignment May hit in 2021 if they can resolve the DH. Personally I would like to junk it, but this is not about that.

MLB should scrap AL and NL and just become MLB. Add 2 teams thru expansion and move the Rays to Montreal. This could create 4 8 team divisions. Each team would play in their division 14 games for 98 and 4 games against 2 of the other divisions (alternate every year) for 64 games, thus keep the 162 game season. Geographic divisions create better rivalries.
8 wild cards, all play 1 game winner moves on, wild cards seeded by record. 4 division winners get byes, then play WC game winners seeded by record, best of 5, final 4 and WS best of 7.
Comments.

Division 1
Toronto
Montreal
Boston
NYY
NYM
Philadelphia
Pittsburgh
Cleveland

Division 2
Carolina/Tennessee expansion team
DC
Baltimore
Miami
Atlanta
Cincy
Chicago Cubs
Chicago WS

Division 3
Minnesota
Milwaukee
Cincinnati
St Louis
KC
Houston
Texas
Colorado

Division 4
Arizona
San Diego
LAA
LAD
SF
Oakland
Seattle
Portland/Las Vegas expansion team

Don't see any chance MLB puts the cubs and cardinals in separate divisions. That would be like putting Boston and New York in separate divisions.

I think we know why he did that split- to get Colorado out of the west...

They aren't getting rid of the AL and NL. This is baseball for gosh sakes.

Andy Green fired from San Diego.

You would think given what they have they'll get a top tier replacement.

Actually I was hoping to keep Colorado in the West, but it was either them or the snakes in Central.


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(09-20-2019 04:18 PM)Jjoey52 Wrote:  Realignment May hit in 2021 if they can resolve the DH. Personally I would like to junk it, but this is not about that.

MLB should scrap AL and NL and just become MLB. Add 2 teams thru expansion and move the Rays to Montreal. This could create 4 8 team divisions. Each team would play in their division 14 games for 98 and 4 games against 2 of the other divisions (alternate every year) for 64 games, thus keep the 162 game season. Geographic divisions create better rivalries.
8 wild cards, all play 1 game winner moves on, wild cards seeded by record. 4 division winners get byes, then play WC game winners seeded by record, best of 5, final 4 and WS best of 7.
Comments.

Division 1
Toronto
Montreal
Boston
NYY
NYM
Philadelphia
Pittsburgh
Cleveland

Division 2
Carolina/Tennessee expansion team
DC
Baltimore
Miami
Atlanta
Cincy
Chicago Cubs
Chicago WS

Division 3
Minnesota
Milwaukee
Cincinnati
St Louis
KC
Houston
Texas
Colorado

Division 4
Arizona
San Diego
LAA
LAD
SF
Oakland
Seattle
Portland/Las Vegas expansion team

The biggest obstacle to geographic realignment is the MLB rule that a club must approve being switched to the other league. (Selig blackmailed the Astros, waiting until they had a club sale agreement and telling them that MLB would only approve the sale if the Astros agreed to move to the AL.)

So you either have to get a supermajority to approve abolishing the AL and NL, or you have to move the fewest number of teams possible between leagues, and get them all to approve.

Let's look at the latter option.

All 8 western clubs would approve of being in one division. Would lead to a huge reduction in travel for all of them. So the NL West would be the eight pacific/mountain teams. The Mariners, A's, and Angels would agree to switch leagues.

The problem then becomes this: There are 10 other teams in the NL now. Assume 2 expansion teams go into the AL, for 16 teams in each league. That means 2 NL teams have to agree to switch to the AL.

Marlins could be one team to move to the AL. They'd get lots of home games vs. the Yankees and Red Sox, two teams that south Florida cares about far more than the Marlins. There's no obvious candidate for the second team.

Just because it would be poetic justice, let's say that, in addition to the Marlins moving to the AL, the Brewers moved back to the AL. Then the 32-team MLB could look like this.

AL East: Toronto, Boston, NY Yankees, Baltimore, Detroit, Tampa Bay, Miami, [expansion team]

AL Central: Cleveland, Minnesota, Milwaukee, Chicago White Sox, Kansas City, Houston, Texas, [expansion team]

NL East: NY Mets, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Washington, Atlanta, Chicago Cubs, St. Louis

NL West: Arizona, Colorado, Seattle, San Francisco, Oakland, LA Dodgers, LA Angels, San Diego

Ned Yost retiring at the end of the season.

rumor has it Matheny taking over for Yost.

Maddon out in Chicago.

Hurdle gone from Pirates.

The Hurdle firing is just the latest half-assed move by a half-assed organization. Hurdle's time in Pittsburgh was certainly up, I won't debate that part. But the mere fact that Frank Coonelly and Neal Huntington will return in 2020 makes the firing of Hurdle rather pointless. The organization needed a tourniquet and simply used a band-aid. This is like changing a tire on a car that needs an entirely new engine. Not to mention, why fire him today before the game, and not tomorrow? It's rather bull****... They did give him the option to coach today, and he declined (and rightfully so).

(09-29-2019 08:00 PM)ClairtonPanther Wrote:  The Hurdle firing is just the latest half-assed move by a half-assed organization. Hurdle's time in Pittsburgh was certainly up, I won't debate that part. But the mere fact that Frank Coonelly and Neal Huntington will return in 2020 makes the firing of Hurdle rather pointless. The organization needed a tourniquet and simply used a band-aid. This is like changing a tire on a car that needs an entirely new engine. Not to mention, why fire him today before the game, and not tomorrow? It's rather bull****... They did give him the option to coach today, and he declined (and rightfully so).

gee, Clairton, tell us how you really feel!!!!!! I agree with you a lot...

(09-20-2019 04:18 PM)Jjoey52 Wrote:  Realignment May hit in 2021 if they can resolve the DH. Personally I would like to junk it, but this is not about that.

MLB should scrap AL and NL and just become MLB. Add 2 teams thru expansion and move the Rays to Montreal. This could create 4 8 team divisions. Each team would play in their division 14 games for 98 and 4 games against 2 of the other divisions (alternate every year) for 64 games, thus keep the 162 game season. Geographic divisions create better rivalries.
8 wild cards, all play 1 game winner moves on, wild cards seeded by record. 4 division winners get byes, then play WC game winners seeded by record, best of 5, final 4 and WS best of 7.
Comments.

Division 1
Toronto
Montreal
Boston
NYY
NYM
Philadelphia
Pittsburgh
Cleveland

Division 2
Carolina/Tennessee expansion team
DC
Baltimore
Miami
Atlanta
Cincy
Chicago Cubs
Chicago WS

Division 3
Minnesota
Milwaukee
Cincinnati
St Louis
KC
Houston
Texas
Colorado

Division 4
Arizona
San Diego
LAA
LAD
SF
Oakland
Seattle
Portland/Las Vegas expansion team

You have the Reds in Division 2 and 3.

(09-29-2019 12:23 PM)stever20 Wrote:  Maddon out in Chicago.

I wouldn't be shocked to see Dave Ross named manager by the end of the week. Whispers have been going on for a while now.

As a huge Cubs fan, words cannot express the gratitude and thankfulness to Joe Maddon and his tenure as manager. It was, without question, the most exciting and entertaining Cubs era I have ever witnessed, and I know there are tons of old-timer Cub fans that will always hold Joe in the highest regards for the level of success he was able to reach as Cubs manager. His exit yesterday was incredibly classy, yet frustrating to where the organization finds itself today.

At the end of the day, for all of his strengths and successes, Maddon simply was unable to out-manage the failures the front office saddled him with.
The team desperately needs to retool and look past the historic 2016 season. The 2007 Boston Red Sox only had five members of the 2004 team when they won again. I think a similar shakeup is needed from the Cubs.

(09-30-2019 09:44 AM)GoldenWarrior11 Wrote:  

(09-29-2019 12:23 PM)stever20 Wrote:  Maddon out in Chicago.

I wouldn't be shocked to see Dave Ross named manager by the end of the week. Whispers have been going on for a while now.

As a huge Cubs fan, words cannot express the gratitude and thankfulness to Joe Maddon and his tenure as manager. It was, without question, the most exciting and entertaining Cubs era I have ever witnessed, and I know there are tons of old-timer Cub fans that will always hold Joe in the highest regards for the level of success he was able to reach as Cubs manager. His exit yesterday was incredibly classy, yet frustrating to where the organization finds itself today.

At the end of the day, for all of his strengths and successes, Maddon simply was unable to out-manage the failures the front office saddled him with.
The team desperately needs to retool and look past the historic 2016 season. The 2007 Boston Red Sox only had five members of the 2004 team when they won again. I think a similar shakeup is needed from the Cubs.

Whispers? They're practically full out shouts right now IMO.

Ausmus fired by the Angels. prevailing thought is that this is where Joe Maddon goes(he used to coach there)

(09-30-2019 12:52 PM)stever20 Wrote:  Ausmus fired by the Angels. prevailing thought is that this is where Joe Maddon goes(he used to coach there)

There and San Diego would be excellent landing spots for Joe Maddon. He has deep ties to the Angels, so they should be the favorite.

(09-20-2019 04:18 PM)Jjoey52 Wrote:  Realignment May hit in 2021 if they can resolve the DH. Personally I would like to junk it, but this is not about that.

MLB should scrap AL and NL and just become MLB. Add 2 teams thru expansion and move the Rays to Montreal. This could create 4 8 team divisions. Each team would play in their division 14 games for 98 and 4 games against 2 of the other divisions (alternate every year) for 64 games, thus keep the 162 game season. Geographic divisions create better rivalries.
8 wild cards, all play 1 game winner moves on, wild cards seeded by record. 4 division winners get byes, then play WC game winners seeded by record, best of 5, final 4 and WS best of 7.
Comments.
....

I'll go ahead and go on record as disagreeing with this kind of realignment. It would destroy one of the things that keeps baseball great...tradition.

Also, get rid of the DH (fat chance--see: Player's Union) but at least keep it in the NL: makes games more interesting, and gives the pitchers that can hit an edge to reward them for their abilities.

(09-30-2019 10:07 AM)stever20 Wrote:  

(09-30-2019 09:44 AM)GoldenWarrior11 Wrote:  

(09-29-2019 12:23 PM)stever20 Wrote:  Maddon out in Chicago.

I wouldn't be shocked to see Dave Ross named manager by the end of the week. Whispers have been going on for a while now.

As a huge Cubs fan, words cannot express the gratitude and thankfulness to Joe Maddon and his tenure as manager. It was, without question, the most exciting and entertaining Cubs era I have ever witnessed, and I know there are tons of old-timer Cub fans that will always hold Joe in the highest regards for the level of success he was able to reach as Cubs manager. His exit yesterday was incredibly classy, yet frustrating to where the organization finds itself today.

At the end of the day, for all of his strengths and successes, Maddon simply was unable to out-manage the failures the front office saddled him with.
The team desperately needs to retool and look past the historic 2016 season. The 2007 Boston Red Sox only had five members of the 2004 team when they won again. I think a similar shakeup is needed from the Cubs.

Whispers? They're practically full out shouts right now IMO.

I like David Ross, but I remember (and agree somewhat with) the days when if you wanted to be a big-league manager, even the stars had to be willing to prove themselves at least a few years managing in the minors.

(09-30-2019 02:05 PM)GoldenWarrior11 Wrote:  

(09-30-2019 12:52 PM)stever20 Wrote:  Ausmus fired by the Angels. prevailing thought is that this is where Joe Maddon goes(he used to coach there)

There and San Diego would be excellent landing spots for Joe Maddon. He has deep ties to the Angels, so they should be the favorite.

I agree. Maddon will not shed many tears from being let go, as evidenced by the joint press conference he attended. He did nothing but win in Chicago. Won the WS to remove the curse, and in time will be seen somewhat like Ditka in that city. You seldom appreciate what you have until it's gone. I remember a time when ATL baseball was like: "Who's pitching tonight's game...Glavine again? How boring!" Oh, how times have changed!