Word is trickling out of Bud Selig's secret lair that Major League Baseball is considering realignment of the current arrangement between the National and American Leagues. While moving a team from the NL to the AL makes sense -- having both leagues with the same numbers of teams is kind of a no-brainer -- the report that it's the Arizona Diamondback on top of the move list leaves me with a case of "Not In My Backyard".
Realingment: D-backs, Astros two candidates to move to AL - USATODAY.com
The Arizona Diamondbacks could be the team most likely to change leagues if Major League Baseball implements realignment in its new collective bargaining agreement.
"We would do whatever's best for baseball," said Diamondbacks president Derrick Hall, whose team would move to the American League West from the National League West under one of the plans being discussed by MLB and the players' association. "Most would say us or the Astros would be best candidates (to shift leagues)."
The reasons this is a bad idea should be obvious to any right-minded baseball fan, but just in case, here's a couple:
- The two richest teams in MLB are in the AL, making it all that much more difficult to compete as a mid-sized market
- The DH is dumb
- The D-backs don't have a ton of history since 1998, but they did win the NL pennant and the World Series as part of the National League
- The rivalries aren't the best in sports, but there's at least some history between the D-backs and Giants, Rockies, Padres and Dodgers
- The DH is REALLY dumb
- Joining the A's, Rangers, Mariners and Angels in a new AL West sounds altogether unappealing for reasons that I can't explain. Division rival Rangers? No thanks.
- The game was designed for nine guys to play at one time. Not ten guys. Nine guys. Pitchers at the plate is a fantastic thing and adds many additional layers to the game and frequent comedy as well. No one wants to see some washed up slugger who can't play defense step to the plate four or five times per game and then watch the rest of contest from the dugout. The DH REALLY REALLY sucks