From: mlsa@ns1.cc.lehigh.edu (MICHAEL LAUREN SHERMAN)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
Subject: Re: A divisional formula (was Re: Expanding the Playoffs
Date: 22 Nov 92 00:55:25 GMT
Organization: Lehigh University

In article <1em14vINNbjh@usenet.INS.CWRU.Edu>, dxf12@po.CWRU.Edu (Douglas Fowler
) writes:
>
>     This is a little after this thread was finished, but I figured out
>a way to expand, provided that baseball can take 4 more teams. (That's a
>BIG if, considering the talent the Rockies and Marlins grabbed in the
>draft.)  We would have 4 divisions in each league, and only the division
>winners would qualify.  To keep some excitment going, the winners would
>be seeded 1-4 based on winning %, as you're not always going to have
>great races. (But it was just as problematic back when there were only 8
>teams per league and the Yankees won everything, so don't let that be a
>problem when examining this.)
>
>A.L East         A.L. Central         A.L. Midwest        A.L. West
>Baltimore       Chicago             Cleveland           California
>Boston          Kansas City          Detroit             Oakland
>New York        Tampa Bay            Milwaukee          Phoenix
>Toronto         Texas               Minnesota           Seattle
>
>N.L. East        N.L. Central       N.L. Midwest       N.L. West
>Buffalo          Atlanta              Chicago           Denver
>New York    Charlotte or New Orleans   Cincinnati      Los Angeles
>Philadelphia     Houston               Montreal        San Diego
>Pittsburgh        Miami                St. Louis       San Francisco
>
>     If the majors had used this this year, one negative would have been
>that the Braves-Pirates series wouldn't have been for the pennant, but
>that wouldn't have been a 7-gamer, either; I think such playoff series
>should only be 5 games.  On the plus side, there would have been close
>pennant races between Cincinnati and Montreal, the Toronto-Baltimore one
>still would have been there, and Minnesota and Milwaukee would have had
>a great battle for the top spot.  Teams would have more of a shot at going
>from worst to first, too.
>     The teams would play the teams within their division 28 times each,
>for a total of 84 game, and would play a home and away series with
>each of the other teams in the league, for 72 games, 156 total.  An
>alternative would be to place the Easts and Central in a conference within
>a league, and have the teams play 22 division games with each team,
>then 2 home and away series with each team in their conference, for
>66+48 games.  Then, play 6 games with each team from the other conference,
>for 48 more games and a total of 162.  It would depend on whether the
>latter is too likely to cause a division to have a winner go about 70-92.
>Since the N.L. East game close to a .500 division winner, even when
>they play 90 of 162 games within the division, that is something one
>would want to monitor closely.
>     I wonder if anyone has ever tried to set up a video game to play a
>league season with this kind of setup, just to see what would happen.  I'd
>be curious to find out.
>--
>Doug Fowler: dxf12@po.CWRU.edu  : Me, age 4 & now: "Mommys and Daddys & other
>   "Thou shalt love God with all: relatives have to give lots of hugs & love
>thy heart...*and thy neighbor as: & support, 'cause Heaven is just a great
>thyself*." Deut. 6:5            : big hug that lasts forever and ever!!!"
>
The concept is good, but why not put a team in Washington D.C. as Part of
either the NL East in place of Buffalo or in the AL East, The Washington Post
has previously stated that Baltimore would not object, moving Toronto to the
AL midwest where geographical rivalries will develop with Minnesota and
Detroit.  Then Tampa Bay would not get a franchise, but hey no big deal there.
 
-- 
MICHAEL LAUREN SHERMAN
758-0207
MLSA

"I really do appreciate the fact you're sitting here, you're voice sounds so
wonderful but your face don't look too clear so barmaid bring a pitcher,
another round of brew, why don't we get drunk and screw?"- J. Buffett
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball