Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

Change.  Sometimes it's good.  Sometimes not so much.  For me, this is a not so much time.

I have a very big problem with the way MLB held Jim Crane hostage and would only let him buy the Houston Astros if he agreed that the team would be moved to the American League.  Supposedly, the rationale is that two  15-team leagues would create a more proportionate schedule.  Bud Selig tweeted that "15 teams in each league would necessitate interleague play every day but it will be better schedule overall.''  Oh, where do I begin?

My first thought, if it's that important to have balance between the two leagues, why didn't they simply move the Milwaukee Brewers back to the American League?  Honestly, I don't remember what necessitated that move but I do remember that Bud's former team had to be the one to bite the bullet and make the move that no one wanted to make. 

I have a huge problem with the second part of Bud's statement.  Interleague play every day!?!  I want MLB to do away with interleague play!  Sure it was a novel idea at first and I was thrilled to see Cal Ripken Jr. play at Turner Field but the novelty has worn off.  I think interleague play ruins what was one of the greatest things about the World Series.  Two teams that had never played each other.  What's next?  Forcing the National League to permanently add the DH?  In fact, why even have two leagues?  If everyone plays each other all the time, do we really need two leagues?  Ok, now I'm all riled up!

Let's move on to another change that I don't like.  The second Wild Card team.  Nope, don't like it.  You think I would.  If that had been in place this year, my Braves would have been in the post season.  So would the Red Sox.   And we would have lost the most exciting last day of the regular season in baseball history.  It would have been a ho-hum ending and two teams that didn't deserve to make the playoffs would have.  Am I making sense?

Of the big four sports in our country, baseball has the fewest teams that make the post season.  Over the past few years, that has become a bad thing.  In baseball, the best of the best made the post season but now it seems that we need to throw in some teams that were only pretty good.  Why does MLB want to get away from the very things that set it apart from the rest?

I know change has always been a part of the game.  I just wish that the changes would be good for the game.