Updated
Septmeber 7, 1997





Other Realignment Related Links



What is Broken?
SLAM-BAM-out of nowhere, I'm hearing about this realignment crap and I'm sickened. Why "fix" something that's not broken?? Bud Selig is the greatest joke in baseball, at least those of us who care know that. The future of baseball is being decided by men who neither play the game nor clearly understand it (except perhaps the financial aspects from the owner's point of view). Selig doesn't place much, if any, importance in the fans. If they (Selig and those owners in favor of realignment) get their way, they will have destroyed both the traditional National and American Leagues by September/October.
Selig: the owners' puppet
We are on the verge of allowing the owners and Acting Commissioner Selig (the owner's puppet) the ability to completely change the face of baseball as we know it! Realignment is not some minor little change. It will change the league in which your favorite team currently plays. I'm a long-time Dodger fan and I can't even begin to imagine them in a league with the DH. Too weird! Where's the outrage!??? We couldn't stop the 1994 strike, but we sure as hell can make a lot of noise and let all the clubs and the commissioner's office know that we are opposed to any major realignment plans!
Plan A - the 16-14 Radical Proposal
A century of records will be yesterday's memories. The "16-14" proposal (also known as Plan A) would so drastically change the division of the leagues as we know them today, that they may as well change the name cause it damn sure won't be baseball! See the table below for a preview of where the "16-14" plan would place your favorite team(s).
The most popular proposal on the table is called the "16-14" in which there are two leagues - the American League would have two seven-team East divisions while the National League would be split into a Central and Western, each with eight teams west of Chicago. One other alternative under consideration as part of the 16-14 plan is to have all 30 teams use the designated hitter! Even to consider something so outrageous, so unbaseball is beyond belief! It seems to me the fans mean diddly-squat to the owners. Gee, what else is new. They proved that to us with the 1994 strike.
Baseball has developed outstanding rivalries based not on geography or location, but because of the current league structures. Amazing league statistics and records have been set and chased since professional baseball began nearly a century ago. The proposed Plan A realignment will scrap all of these things which make the current game great, and unsupported by the majority of both traditional and casual baseball fans. When will they learn to look beyond their noses, to the future? Get a grip on your pocketbooks and give us fans some peace of mind.
Interleague Play and Realignment
This is only the first year of interleague play and already their "spin" doctors are claiming how much the fans love interleague play and that suddenly realignment is the next step to "making baseball better." Not one person I know is in favor of realignment. No one wants their team to suddenly be in the "other" league, or two-city teams in the same division, not to mention, the new combination of NL and AL teams in the same division. It is too radical. It is not traditional baseball.
Owners Want to Cut Costs
I can understand the owners need to cut costs. Since they (the owners) allowed salaries to skyrocket with no self-control or thought as to how it would affect their future acquisitions, it is coming back to haunt them. Now they claim their only choice is to cut transportation costs. To achieve this "savings," they will split the country in half to regionalize teams and games. And why . . . to save money. They still can't seem to get a handle on self-control. Granted, cutting transportation costs will save a few bucks. But good scheduling with a few double headers if necessary could achieve the same savings. Please, oh bozo owners, don't forget that we the fans are the ones you need if your teams are going to play, get paid and cover the other costs associated with team management!
Newest Options Under Consideration
There was an article in the August 19th sports section of the San Francisco Chronicle which stated that there are six teams opposed to the realignment plan: the Reds, Cubs, Braves, Mets, Giants and Dodgers. It is refreshing to see that not all teams are managed by a clueless bunch of pencil pushers, or they are listening to their fans. I just wonder what the other teams are waiting for.
Another owner initiated change has surfaced. Now I hear that the owners are discussing eliminating the DH. Status quo has been if you're an American League fan, you favor the DH; if you're a National League fan, you don't. It's as though the owners are looking for controversial changes such as getting rid of the DH just so they will have bargaining power with the baseball players association. They are going to great lengths to throw enough "junk" into the process so that when the time comes for approval by the union, the union will feel like they've "gained" something by getting to keep all the "junk" (i.e., DH) that has been threatened.
The next owners' meeting is September 9-11, so start writing your mail! All it takes are a few sentences to express yourself. Don't let them take away the history and the records that have made baseball the "symbol of all that is right with the universe."

Realignment Plan A - new team structure:

NL Central

NL West

AL Midwest

AL East

Chicago Cubs
Chicago White Sox
Houston Astros
Kansas City Royals
Milwaukee Brewers
Minnesota Twins
St. Louis Cardinals
Texas Rangers

Anaheim Angels
Arizona Diamondbacks
Colorado Rockies
Los Angeles Dodgers
Oakland Athletics
San Diego Padres
San Francisco Giants
Seattle Mariners

Atlanta Braves
Cincinnati Reds
Cleveland Indians
Detroit Tigers
Florida Marlins
Pittsburgh Pirates
Tampa Bay Red Devils

Baltimore Orioles
Boston Red Sox
Montreal Expos
New York Mets
New York Yankees
Philadelphia Phillies
Toronto Blue Jays

Is this the way you want Major League Baseball to align your team?
The next owners meeting is September 16 in Atlanta, so start writing your mail!

Don't let them take away the history and the records that have made baseball the game it is today!

You can let your feelings be known.
It is critical that the teams hear from the fans in large numbers!

Please send your comment or letter (via mail or email) to the commissioner's office (address below),

Bud Selig
c/o Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers County Stadium
Milwaukee, WI 53201-3099
http://www.milwaukeebrewers.com

to any one or all of the teams (links to all MLB teams with web sites & emails),
and also to the major league baseball's web site at:
mlb_feedback@newscorp.com.

If you're interested you can view (& copy if you want) my letter to the MLB teams . . .
my letter to Acting Commissioner Bud Selig . . .

______________________________________________________

We, the fans, can make a difference, if we are heard!
_____________________________________________________

Other Realignment Related Links:

Fans Against Realignment Tom has a counter tracking number of hits to his site and has let MLB teams know
to check the numbers - please go there and help raise the count!

F.A.R. Another fan against realignment!

ESPN Sportszone:
"Radical Realignment: Are Owners off base?"


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