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.’’
简单整理一下新闻：
1. 为了防疫考量，大联盟考虑使用春训球场来进行比赛
因此比赛只会在Arizona跟Florida两州的春训球场进行
而且也会打破现有分区，直接以春训的葡萄柚跟仙人掌联盟来区分
葡萄柚北：洋基、费城人、蓝鸟、老虎、海盗
葡萄柚南：红袜、双城、勇士、光芒、金莺
葡萄柚东：国民、太空人、红雀、大都会、马林鱼
仙人掌东北：小熊、巨人、响尾蛇、落矶、运动家
仙人掌西：道奇、白袜、红人、印地安人、天使
仙人掌西北：酿酒人、教士、水手、游骑兵、皇家
2. 场地绝对够，亚利桑那各球场全都在1小时车程内，
但佛州会移动比较久，所以会是不确定因素
3. 佛州比赛可能会提前到东岸时间早上11点开赛
但仍旧会保留电视黄金时段给东岸部分比赛跟西岸
4. 两联盟皆实施DH制度
5. 如果当天15队都要开打，可能至少有一场双重赛（因为联盟球队数为奇数）
6. 季后赛各联盟可能变成3分区+3外卡
或干脆全部一起举办季后赛锦标赛（Postseason Tournament）
7. 一样会有世界大赛，但会挑选在第三地的巨蛋场馆
8. 以上不是定案版本