MLB considering radical realignment for 2020 season: Grapefruit and Cactus
leagues
Bob Nightengale USA TODAY
https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2020/04/10/5128935002/
PHOENIX — How about the New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies being
divisional rivals for the season?
Or the Boston Red Sox and Atlanta Braves?
And the Los Angeles Dodgers and Cleveland Indians?
Major League Baseball, assessing myriad proposals, has discussed a radical
plan that would eliminate the traditional American and National Leagues for
2020, a high-ranking official told USA TODAY Sports, and realign all six
divisions for an abbreviated season.
The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because the proposal is one
of several being discussed.
The plan would have all 30 teams returning to their spring training sites in
Florida and Arizona, playing regular-season games only in those two states
and without fans in an effort to reduce travel and minimize risks in the
midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The divisions would be realigned based on the geography of their spring
training homes.
The plan would allow teams to return to the comforts of their spring training
sites for three weeks of training, which would also include exhibition games,
before opening the regular season and playing a schedule with wholly
different divisional opponents.
Here's a look at one realignment structure:
GRAPEFRUIT LEAGUE
NORTH: New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, Toronto Blue Jays, Detroit
Tigers, Pittsburgh Pirates.
SOUTH: Boston Red Sox, Minnesota Twins, Atlanta Braves, Tampa Bay Rays,
Baltimore Orioles.
EAST: Washington Nationals, Houston Astros, New York Mets, St. Louis
Cardinals, Miami Marlins.
CACTUS LEAGUE
NORTHEAST: Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants, Arizona Diamondbacks, Colorado
Rockies, Oakland Athletics.
WEST: Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland
Indians, Los Angeles Angels.
NORTHWEST: Milwaukee Brewers, San Diego Padres, Seattle Mariners, Texas
Rangers, Kansas City Royals.
“When you’re trying to get really creative, why say no now?’’ says Hall
of Fame manager Tony La Russa, the Angels’ senior adviser of baseball
operations who has been briefed of the potential plan. “So you have a unique
season. I’ve got no problem with that.
“I’m not sure we’ll be able play in our own cities across the country, so
if you split it up like that, it’s a possibility.’’
The Cactus League provides more flexibility given all of the teams are within
an hour's drive of each other.
Also, Florida, with teams spread throughout the state, presents a bigger
challenge if players, officials and support staff would needed to be
quarantined, which has not been determined.
Earlier this week, following a report by ESPN, MLB said it was having
preliminary discussions about playing the season exclusively in Arizona.
The Arizona-Florida plan has several advantages, including allowing teams to
establish home bases with facilities they are familiar with. There would be
26 ballparks available to be used, including three major league domed
stadiums – Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, Marlins Park in Miami
and Chase Field in Phoenix.
Financially, it could be a huge boon for the TV rights holders. You could
have a captive TV audience the entire day. Games in Florida could begin at 11
a.m. ET and still have games in prime-time for East Coast teams and their
fans. The time slots still would permit West Coast teams to play prime-time
games in Arizona.
Baseball, even with the realignment, could still play 12 games apiece against
their new divisional opponents and six games apiece against the other teams
in the state. There would be at least one doubleheader a night when all teams
are scheduled to play because of the odd number of teams in each state.
The DH would likely be universally implemented as well.
There could still be division winners and wild-card winners, perhaps adding
two more wild-card teams to each league, or a postseason tournament with all
30 teams.
The winner of the Cactus League in Arizona would play the winner of the
Grapefruit League in Florida for the World Series championship, utilizing the
domed stadiums in late November.
The official cautioned that nothing has been decided. They will continue to
wait until advised by health and government officials that it’s safe to
start the season, holding out hope that teams could return to their major
league cities, even including fans.
Yet for now they’ll continue to explore all options, knowing that anything
and everything is possible for a season like no other.
“There are so many workable possibilities,’’ La Russa says, “why give up
on any alternative until it’s clear it can’t work?
“What we can’t do is give up.’’
簡單整理一下新聞：
1. 為了防疫考量，大聯盟考慮使用春訓球場來進行比賽
因此比賽只會在Arizona跟Florida兩州的春訓球場進行
而且也會打破現有分區，直接以春訓的葡萄柚跟仙人掌聯盟來區分
葡萄柚北：洋基、費城人、藍鳥、老虎、海盜
葡萄柚南：紅襪、雙城、勇士、光芒、金鶯
葡萄柚東：國民、太空人、紅雀、大都會、馬林魚
仙人掌東北：小熊、巨人、響尾蛇、落磯、運動家
仙人掌西：道奇、白襪、紅人、印地安人、天使
仙人掌西北：釀酒人、教士、水手、遊騎兵、皇家
2. 場地絕對夠，亞利桑那各球場全都在1小時車程內，
但佛州會移動比較久，所以會是不確定因素
3. 佛州比賽可能會提前到東岸時間早上11點開賽
但仍舊會保留電視黃金時段給東岸部分比賽跟西岸
4. 兩聯盟皆實施DH制度
5. 如果當天15隊都要開打，可能至少有一場雙重賽（因為聯盟球隊數為奇數）
6. 季後賽各聯盟可能變成3分區+3外卡
或乾脆全部一起舉辦季後賽錦標賽（Postseason Tournament）
7. 一樣會有世界大賽，但會挑選在第三地的巨蛋場館
8. 以上不是定案版本