Rumor: WEEI reports KC wants to move to NL, have Brewers come back to AL

[berniebrewer4life]

I found this on a white sox board, so it's just a rumor so take it as just that.

 

White sox board

 

Bill Madden from the NY Daily News was on WEEI's baseball show Sunday morning and said something in passing that I found interesting.

 

The Royals who turned down the chance to move to the NL a decade ago have reconsidered things and have asked Bud about changing leagues. They cite being between St Louis and Denver as being a reason and would love being in the same division as the Cards.

 

Now Madden claims the Brewers would not mind coming back to the AL. The Brewers ownership has discovered that many fans miss the AL and that was brought home last April when the Indians drew very well on short notice when games were moved to Milwaukee. They have also found that Brewers fans resent Miller Park becoming Wrigley North when the Cubs play there.

I'm not sure how accurate this is(and i severly doubt it will ever happen), but it's interesting to think about all the same. Personally i prefer being in the NL, as i'm not a huge fan of the DH. At the same time, playing against the White Sox, Yankees and Red Sox every year again would be pretty fun. Also would allow us to move Prince to DH and find a better fielding first baseman. Either way, it gives us something to discuss in this slow month.

[JoeHova]

LaPorta, Braun, Hart and Prince in the same lineup? Sounds good to me. I always preferred the AL because I don't see the point in subjecting ourselves to pitchers batting or to managers trying to figure out how to do a double-switch (I'm looking at you, Dusty & Ned).

[sheetswannabe]

I vote no. Brewers and Cubs are a rivalry which is only going to continue to grow as both teams become better.

[Fatter than Joey]

I think DM is building a team that would do better in the AL -- that said -- I'd hate to lose the Brewers/Cubs rivalry

[logan82]

I like the NL. You don't have to spend an extra $8M every year for a guy who just hits. Of course watching most pitchers attempt to hit is brutal, but that just makes watching pitchers like YoGa hit that much more enjoyable.

[igor67]

If it happened quickly there is something to be said for being built to do well with a ready supply of surplus hitters, but overall I just don't see it unless there has been some kind of covert survey done by management and they know something we don't.

[Invader3K]

No way is this true. The rivalries with the Cubs and Cards bring way too much money to Miller Park for the Brewers to consider moving.

 

More likely scenario: The Marlins don't get their new stadium deal, and end up getting contracted, freeing the Royals to switch leagues.

[djoctagone]

think about the american league teams that could be courting ben sheets the free agent later this year:

 

"if you sign with us, you won't have to hit."

 

i'm all for the switch. i want a mariners-brewers rivalry again.

[Ennder]

I'd love to not have to watch most of our pitchers bat, though I'd miss watching Gallardo hit.

[Invader3K]

Technically, I think he still could hit if he was pitching. If I'm not mistaken, you don't have to use a DH, though obviously most of the time teams in the AL do.

[twobrewers]

I think DM is building a team that would do better in the AL -- that said -- I'd hate to lose the Brewers/Cubs rivalry

Well, to be fair, I am sure you would see them every year with interleague play.

 

I HIGHLY doubt this has any truth to it. While I hate being in a division with 6 teams, moving to the AL would make the playoffs much harder. (Plus, with at least a somewhat limited payroll - it is hard to spend money like that AL teams do)

[Thurston Fluff]

More likely scenario: The Marlins don't get their new stadium deal, and end up getting contracted, freeing the Royals to switch leagues.

 

There almost has to be an even number of teams in each league otherwise one team has to be off everyday. It would be a scheduling nightmare.

 

I'm way more fond of the NL so I'd hate to see a switch but I don't think there is any validity to it. The Royals have a long and very good history in the AL despite the recent struggles. Maybe they see how weak the NL central is and figure that would help them. In reality the change would ahve to take place no sooner than 09. By then the Reds could be much improved, and the Cards never stay down long so they missed their opportunity.

[twobrewers]

There almost has to be an even number of teams in each league otherwise one team has to be off everyday. It would be a scheduling nightmare.

I have to imagine the ideal situation for MLB would be to eventually have 4 divisions in each league with 4 teams.

 

Maybe they see how weak the NL central is and figure that would help them.

Sounds familiar.

[BrewCrewForever]

I vote no. Brewers and Cubs are a rivalry which is only going to continue to grow as both teams become better.

That is my only problem with moving back to the AL. I love the Crew/Cubs rivalry. If we lose that it would really suck.

 

[TauPentaRei]

I don't know if this even justifies a response it's such utter bollocks.

 

[The Royals] cite being between St Louis and Denver as being a reason and would love being in the same division as the Cards.

What does this mean? My brain CPU is starting to shut down this makes so little sense in a rational sense. Kansas City should be grateful for its AL market share; to wit, Missouruh, Florida, Texas, Illinois, Ohio, New York, NoCal and Maryland are states with two teams split between the AL & NL, with the lone exception being Pennsylvania (Pirates & Phillies)

The Brewers ownership has discovered that many fans miss the AL

Not here; NL baseball will always be the thinking man's league. And how exactly has ownership supposedly discerned this? Exhaustive research I am sure. They don't have anything else to do.

that was brought home last April when the Indians drew very well on short notice when games were moved to Milwaukee

Milwaukee likes baseball. The Indians are a wonderfully talented young and exciting team to go see play. Excellent seats were available for absolute peanuts. It was Ichiro too, right?

They have also found that Brewers fans resent Miller Park becoming Wrigley North when the Cubs play there.

I love the rivalry, and I'll tell you what's even worse than hearing "Wrigley North": traveling White Sox fans.

 

Congratulations Bill Madden you blubbering idiot, for burning up 15 seconds of air time with complete non-recyclable, non-compostable, staight-to-the-landfill garbage.

[Brian the Automator]

Somewhere, Yo Gallardo is crying.

[BrewCrewForever]

Somewhere, Yo Gallardo is crying.

Yeah he needs to swing the stick.

 

[trwi7]

Milwaukee likes baseball. The Indians are a wonderfully talented young and exciting team to go see play. Excellent seats were available for absolute peanuts. It was Ichiro too, right?

 

It was actually Angels vs Indians.

[Ennder]

Not here; NL baseball will always be the thinking man's league

 

I always find this comment funny. A trained monkey could handle the extra decision making that is required in the NL.

[Big Reed]

I would welcome the switch. i remember the reason the Brewers moved to the NL in the first place was because they thought they'd have better attendance. it was purely a financial reason. i would believe the brewers could have some great rivalries and also great attendance in games against the twins and White Sox.

 

and from a playing perspective, the brewers have always done well against the Yankees and poorly against the pirates.

[rluzinski]

A trained monkey could handle the extra decision making that is required in the NL.

 

Deciding if you should pull starting pitcher for a pinch hitter can be a pretty difficult decision to sort out at times. That's really the only difference worth noting, however.

 

As for this rumor, I'm sure Mark A. just HATES having all those Cubs fans come up and spend their money.

[Brewguru2]

First off, it's not going to happen...the Brewers will not go back to the American League.

 

I love the National League. I was against the move when it happened, but I can not stand the American League and the DH. It is real baseball. It is thinking man's baseball. It is strategy in every inning.

 

The Brewers couldn't compete in the American League. (They can barely compete in the NL). But in the AL, you have Boston and New York with their $150 million+ payrolls and the Angels trying to match them. You might get lucky every couple years and win the Central, but how realistic would a World Series berth actually be? Also, you are forced to spend $8 million or so on a one dimensional player.

 

Stay in the National League. The Royals had their chance and blew it.

[Ennder]

The only time pinch hitting for a pitcher is a big deal is when there are 2 outs with a RISP and it is the middle innings. The rest of the time the choice is pretty simple. I'd say a tough choice comes up something like 1 time a week at most and for most managers they have a philosophy on how to handle it and it won't change much from game to game.

 

Sorry the statement just really bothers me. I watch a ton of baseball AL and NL and rarely do I walk away from a game impressed with how they handled the pitcher slot hitting. It is generally a very easy decision to make and hardly makes it 'the thinking man's game'.

[Team Canada]

I'd rather not have to compete with BOS or NY til the WS.

[Brian the Automator]

Not here; NL baseball will always be the thinking man's league

I always find this comment funny. A trained monkey could handle the extra decision making that is required in the NL.

Comments like this come off as very condescending.