Ok, what do you think of the Astros moving to AL?

[tcdyess]

Evening out the leagues seems to make total sense:

http://m.espn.go.com/mlb/story?storyId=7239006

I just think the Astros will be at a disadvantage being built for the NL.

[Jay Wolt]

I just think the Astros will be at a disadvantage being built for the NL.

The Astros had the worst record in baseball at 56-106 w/ every other N.L team having at least 71 wins.
How much of a disadvantage can there be for them? Perhaps a change in leagues will do them good.
Can they be any worse?

[vintagetoppsguy]

As a fellow Houstonian, I think it's stupid. They should send the Brewers back to he AL.

[tcdyess]

Originally Posted by vintagetoppsguy

As a fellow Houstonian, I think it's stupid. They should send the Brewers back to he AL.

Can you explain why?

[rdixon1208]

Originally Posted by tcdyess

Can you explain why?

Why were the Brewers moved to the NL in the first place?

Anyway, as an Astros fan I'm pretty neutral. The 9 o'clock CST games are gonna suck, but there won't be that many of them I guess. As for the Astros being built for the NL....they're not built at all. They picked up a lot of prospects in last year's dump, but most of them are two years away at best.

[Fred]

You'd never see the Yankees or Red Sox being moved in an effort to realign the leagues. I don't get moving Houston because now there's not an NL team in Texas. I guess it would make for an interesting rivalry between the Rangers and the Astros. Wouldn't that be interesting, an all Texas World Series....

[Bugsy]

Originally Posted by vintagetoppsguy

They should send the Brewers back to he AL.

+1

[alanu]

I don't like it if it means one set of interleague games all thru the year. Don't know how else they will make the schedule with an odd # of teams in each league.

[drc]

I grew up a Milwaukee Brewers fan in Wisconsin, and don't follow them since the moved to the NL. To me, they are an AL team.

[SmokyBurgess]

I'd rather see MLB dissolve several teams...too many teams....too many wild-cards getting hot and winning W.S....I long for pre-1969 structure.

[glchen]

I think this is a dumb move also. There is already a Texas team in the AL (the Rangers), and no other Texas team in the NL other than the Astros. They should keep the Astros in the NL. I would say they should move the Brewers back to the AL, also, since they were previously in the AL. However, the new team will be going into the AL West, so saying that, I think Houston is probably still the furthest west although Minnesota is very close also.

[howard38]

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[vargha]

Moving the Padres to the AL West and Houston back to the NL West makes more sense to me.

[tcdyess]

Originally Posted by howard38

I just think the Astros will be at a disadvantage being built for the NL.

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The Astros were built for the IL.[/QUOTE]

[Runscott]

Originally Posted by tcdyess

Evening out the leagues seems to make total sense:

http://m.espn.go.com/mlb/story?storyId=7239006

I just think the Astros will be at a disadvantage being built for the NL.

Astros fan for almost 50 years, so when I read this in the paper this morning, I screamed with glee. Literally. Other coffee shop patrons were confused.

I live in Seattle, within easy walking distance of Safeco, and proudly wear my Astros cap to most games. Now that they're in the same division, I'll get to see loads of Astros and Rangers games, and will no longer care that the Mariners absolutely suck.

I have always thought it was ridiculous that the AL West has only four teams, so from a pure baseball point of view, I'm still happy about this move.

Totally psyched about this!!!

[nolemmings]

I think Houston is probably still the furthest west although Minnesota is very close also

Gary, Kansas city is further west than Minneapolis.

I see no great reason to move the Astros, who have enjoyed national league affiliation for 50 seasons. Move the Brewers back to the A.L., place them in the Central and move the Royals to the West.

I would not mind seeing expansion by two teams, with four divisions of eight teams each. Or maybe eight divisions of four teams each, ala the NFL.
Not likely in the present economy though.

[tiger8mush]

Originally Posted by Runscott

I live in Seattle, within easy walking distance of Safeco, and proudly wear my Astros cap to most games.

I have always wondered, and still do, why attendees of a MLB game will wear attire of a team that is not playing that day. So if you go to a Mariners/Orioles games, what are you trying to say by wearing an Astros hat? That you like the Astros and could care less who wins the Mariners/Orioles game? Personally, if I go to a game and don't have attire of either team, I'll either buy a shirt of the home team for $25 before the game starts at their pro shop, or I'll wear a generic shirt.

100% non-confrontational question, just wondering! There is no right or wrong answer, only looking for your thoughts. Thanks for any insight!

Rob

[novakjr]

Personally, evening out the leagues,and having interleague play stretched throughout the season aren't even the most important parts of that article... I can't be the only one that noticed that the DUMBASS 2nd Wild-card team crap is still in there...

[Runscott]

Originally Posted by tiger8mush

I have always wondered, and still do, why attendees of a MLB game will wear attire of a team that is not playing that day. So if you go to a Mariners/Orioles games, what are you trying to say by wearing an Astros hat? That you like the Astros and could care less who wins the Mariners/Orioles game? Personally, if I go to a game and don't have attire of either team, I'll either buy a shirt of the home team for $25 before the game starts at their pro shop, or I'll wear a generic shirt.

100% non-confrontational question, just wondering! There is no right or wrong answer, only looking for your thoughts. Thanks for any insight!

Rob

I don't own a Mariners or Orioles cap, but I do have an Astros cap (since it's my team) - I wear it to baseball games because it's a baseball cap and I'm at a baseball game. I guess I could wear a fedora or go bare-headed.

I actually used to have a Mariners cap, and I did wear it to Mariners games, unless the Rangers were playing, in which case I did not, because I wasn't pulling for the Mariners. Basically, I support the team of whatever city I'm living in, except when the Astros or Rangers are in town. Except Atlanta - I lived there for 12 years and never liked them much. I went to lots of games, and pulled for them unless the Astros were in town, but I didn't care much for them.

I never realized this was a peeve for anyone. What gets me is when the Cubs, Yankees or Red Sox are in town - you see thousands of people wearing brand-new gear. Maybe I'm wrong, but they sure seem like bandwagon fans.

[Runscott]

After giving this more thought, I wanted to add - I think some people think that when someone shows up in their stadium not wearing the home team's hat, that they are either the enemy (if their team is playing), pretending to be the enemy (if the home team sucks - this happens a lot in Seattle), or they are rubbing another team's greatness in the home team's face.

As an Astros fan, all I can do is show off that there's one team even worse than Seattle, and that we'll be getting a better draft choice.

It will be weird having my favorite NL team, AL team, and home team, all in the same division in 2013. But looking forward to it - might even get season tickets.

[tiger8mush]

Originally Posted by Runscott

After giving this more thought, I wanted to add - I think some people think that when someone shows up in their stadium not wearing the home team's hat, that they are either the enemy (if their team is playing), pretending to be the enemy (if the home team sucks - this happens a lot in Seattle), or they are rubbing another team's greatness in the home team's face.

I think its great to wear attire of a team's rival as long as that rival is playing. But if a Yankee fan wears a Yankees hat to Fenway when the Red Sox are playing the Orioles or something, it annoys me. And I'm a Yankees fan haha. If I go to Yankee Stadium and they are hosting the Red Sox/Orioles/Phillies/whoever, its great to see the other teams fans show up supporting their team. But it annoys me to see Red Sox attire at a Yankees/Rays game! haha. Just a peave, nothing hateful, but a peave

So back on topic, it seems they've approved the Astros to the AL West. Houston fans will have to stay up late watching those West Coast matchups. And also 10 of the 30 teams will now be in the playoffs. 5 AL teams and 5 NL teams. The two Wild Card teams, if I understand it right, will have a 3 game playoff to end up with 4 playoff teams. Personally, I don't like it. In a few years they'll raise it to a 5 game series then 7 game series. Its all for money. Like Yogi Berra replied when asked how much $ is enough ... "Just a little more!"