how I feel the MLB schedule should be made

[BrewCrew1221]

Now that the Astros have left the NL Central and all divisions have 5 teams, this is how I think the season should play out...

 

4*18=72

5*4=20

10*7=70

Total=162

 

18 games against all 4 division opponents

4 games against each team from 1 division from the opposite league (for example, Brewers alternate playing the AL East, Central, West each year)

7 games against the 10 teams in rest of the league (for Brewers, NL East and West)

 

Any solid arguements for the current system instead of this idea?

[1992casey]

The main argument I see against the suggestion above is that neither the players nor the owners are fond of two-game series. For a time in the late 1990s, there were lots of two-game series, and the schedule makers worked hard to get rid of most of them.

 

Here's an option that's been suggested here before:

 

18 games against all 4 division opponents (72)

6 games against all other intraleague opponents (60)

3 games against each team the corresponding division of the other league (15)

3 games against each team in another division of the other league (15)

 

The issue with this schedule is that 30 interleague games would require a change to the CBA.

[BrewCrew1221]

I think 30 interleague games is way too many. I'm a Red Sox fans who happens to be living in Wisconsin, and after looking at Boston's Schedule they have these 2 game series:

 

May 27-28 vs. Philly in Boston

May 29-30 at Philly

June 18-19 vs. Tampa in Boston

June 25-26 vs. Colorado in Boston

Sept 24-45 at Colorado

 

That's 5, so 10 2 game series a season would be possible I think. I see the issue though. It could just be 5 4 game series instead of a home/away setup.

[1992casey]

The thing I like about both options is that all teams in a division would be playing the same schedule. That hasn't been a priority for baseball for a long time.

 

Both schedules lose the natural rival component. That could be seen as a downside by some and an upside by others. There are teams that don't have a natural rival at all, while others make big money from those series. Also, some teams would have more than one natural rival, e.g. the White Sox (Cubs, Brewers), the Brewers (Twins, White Sox), and the Indians (Reds, Pirates). Playing the corresponding division of the other league on an annual basis would seem to address these scenarios.

 

Not all two-game series are created equal. It probably isn't much hassle in a Boston-Philly scenario. Likewise, it probably isn't a big problem if the Rays go to Boston for two games, then on to New York. It's be more significant if the Rays traveled to Boston for two games, then went somewhere further away. Traveling to Denver for two games would be a pain in almost all cases.

 

Along with that, it probably makes sense to zero in on two-game road series. They wouldn't likely cause much of an issue for the home team.