I sometimes wonder if MLB Commish Bud Selig is capable of doing the right thing. While he is certainly not the worst current sports commish in North America he is an easy target to make fun of. The truth is his sport has prospered with him at the helm and he has labor peace after making his players a full partner in what he is trying to build. Now those players are likely pushing a realignment plan as several key inadequacies plague this sport.
Simply put the current six division alignment of MLB is particularly unfair, especially to players in the Nation League Central division. That division currently has six teams and while having the Pittsburgh Pirates on teh schedule often is likely a big positive having to be better than fie team each year is particularly unfair. Especially when we consider that teams in the AL West only have to be better than three teams to earn a divisional crown.
So for the second time in his commissioner career Selig is going to try and convince a team to switch leagues. Last time he had to force the Milwaukee Brewers to become a member of the NL. This time he would like to convince the new owner of the Houston Astros to become an AL club, join the AL west, and build up a rivalry with the Texas Rangers.
That would give each league 15 teams, MLB could then reorganize into six five team divisions, and a NHL style playoff system could be implemented. A system where the five or six top seeds from each league reach the post season. It would force interleague play to be played year long, but its advantages far outweigh the disadvantages. If Selig can get his owners to buy in.