Post by Sha-Le Unique on Oct 6, 2015 16:13:27 GMT -5
The Expos and Padres will become the National League's 2 new additions in 1969.
Recently, HOFFBL commissioner Chris Cosenza proposed an idea that the league could potentially get realigned into three divisions per league in 1969. It would be the first time that HOFFBL would have three divisions and a wild card. Through the 17 votes that have been cast, 12 of the 17 are in favor of the new proposed realignment, which means that by majority vote, the realignment is bound to happen by the time that the league expands to 24 teams.
In 1969, the expansion Kansas City Royals and Seattle Pilots will be joining the American League, while the Montreal Expos and San Diego Padres will enter the National League. More GM's will be on the move during this round of expansions, with current Orioles GM Dave Mitchell set to move to the Royals and current Braves GM Darryl Lierman making his own move to Seattle to run the Pilots. Replacement GM's for those teams and new GM's for the Expos and Padres all have yet to be named.
Anyway, the realignment in 1969 will make the divisions look like the following:
AL East
Baltimore
Boston
New York
Washington
AL Central
Chicago (A)
Cleveland
Detroit
Kansas City
AL West
California
Oakland
Minnesota
Seattle (Pilots)
NL East
Atlanta
Montreal
New York (N)
Philadelphia
NL Central
Chicago (N)
Cincinnati
Pittsburgh
St. Louis
NL West
Houston
Los Angeles (N)
San Diego
San Francisco
These changes will obviously provide a major change in the overall landscape of each league. In comparison to the current alignment, let's analyze what the new divisions could look like going forward. Favorites and contenders are provided as in what to expect from each team between now and the early 70s. If I see any teams that I feel will greatly benefit from the realignment or could get screwed over from the realignment, I will mention them as well.
NL East
- Overall Glance
The Favorite: Once the 1969 realignment occurs, the NL East will very likely become one of, if not the weakest division in HOFFBL. The one true contender right now that will be in it will be the Braves. Since forever, the Braves have been in the shadow of the Dodgers, who have won the NL West in every season since divisions were introduced. The Braves have had some very good seasons in recent time, but have never gotten past the Dodgers and because of that, they have missed the playoffs in every season since their lone World Series appearance in 1953, back in the Steve Wyche era.
But now that the Braves won't be in the same division as the Dodgers anymore starting in 1969, they should finally be able to return to the postseason and try to get their superstar veterans a title or two before it's too late. But their current GM Darryl though won't be around to see it, being that he's moving to the Seattle Pilots in 1969. So a new GM will have to take the Braves to the next level and maybe even get a chance to stick it to the Dodgers for the years of disappointment. But even though the Braves will soon need a new GM, they'll clearly be the favorite heading into the new realignment.
The one thing missing in Hank Aaron's Hall of Fame career is a World Series ring. The Braves' eventual move to the NL East could help them get Hammerin' Hank a championship.
The Contender: While the Braves should be able to get themselves back to the playoffs after the new realignment occurs, the NL East won't become a cakewalk overnight. There will be one team already in the NL East that could make some noise by the early 1970s: the Mets. The Mets have a ton of young talent and should have enough leftover pieces to trade for the established veterans needed to balance the youth and bring winning National League baseball back to America's largest city. It's no secret that they are now waiting for realignment to happen in order to make those big moves once they are no longer in the same division as the Pirates and Cardinals. The timing could actually be perfect for the Mets, who still have stud prospects developing in the minors. Look for a Braves and Mets rivalry to become one of HOFFBL's best rivalries in the future.
The Rest: The Phillies will also be staying in the NL East, but don't have as much going for them. They have a few really nice players to build around, but lack the overall depth (both in the lineup and pitching staff) to turn back into a real contender. The Phillies have been stuck in middling ground for a long time and based on what we have seen from them in past offseasons, there is little reason to believe things will noticeably change for the better. They have a few really nice pieces to make moves with, but whether significant moves end up being made remains to be seen there.
Rounding out the NL East will be the expansion Expos, who have yet to name a GM. Expect them to take their time with developing young talent.
- Teams that will benefit most from realignment: Braves, Mets
The Braves will no longer be in the same division as the Dodgers, while the Mets won't have to worry about the Pirates and Cardinals as much. A win for both teams for sure.
- Team that will benefit least from realignment: None in particular
Regardless of who is in their division, the Phillies have yet to show that they are making any sort of real progress as an organization. Until they do so, they'll continue to be a .500 team at best.
NL Central
- Overall Glance
The Favorite: The defending 1965 World Series champion Pirates should continue to among the cream of the crop in the NL regardless of whether they are in the NL East, or later, the NL Central. They've won 5 of the last 7 NL East titles and with their young pitching in its prime, they should continue to be one of the NL's top World Series contenders. Most of the team's main core should in their mid-30s at the latest by the time the realignment occurs, which means that they should still be contending into the early 70s. How much longer they'll able to keep winning will remain to be seen, but as long as the main core stays intact and the in-game cash is there to pay everyone, the Pirates won't be slowing down any time soon.
Led by the powerful right arm of Don Drysdale, the Pirates should continue to be an NL powerhouse into the new realignment.
The Contenders: But wherever the Pirates go, the Cardinals will be either neck and neck with them or right on their tail. The Cardinals have become one of the best NL teams recently, but have only 1 postseason appearance since their last World Series title in 1956. Being that they will still be competing with the Pirates for a playoff spot after realignment, things won't get any easier for them. But at least the wild card will exist by then, which could make the road to the postseason a bit easier. The Pirates and Cardinals rivalry will continue to be probably the NL's best rivalry for years to come.
And let's not count out the Cubs. They've had their ups and downs (mostly downs) over the years, but should never get overlooked. They've got a good group of young talent that could help them in a few seasons. They are the wild card of the division, but could make some noise in the 70s once the Pirates' and Cardinals' cores get too old.
The Rest: The Reds will round out the NL Central and will move out of the NL West. So instead of being stuck in the Dodgers' division, they'll become stuck in the Pirates' and Cardinals' division. The Reds have put together a really nice group of young hitters, but as always, they continue to lack the pitching depth needed to get to the next level. Trading some of those bats for young arms would be a big step in the right direction for them, but until such significant moves are made, they'll continue to be in the basement of whichever division they are in.
- Team that will benefit most from realignment: None in particular
The inter-division competition between the Pirates, Cardinals and Cubs will remain intact as the NL Central will easily become the NL's most competitive post-realignment division.
- Team that will benefit least from realignment: All 4 teams
Again, nothing will really change for the Pirates, Cardinals and Cubs because they'll all continue to battle each other for playoff spots forever, while the Reds go from one tough division to another tough division.
NL West
- Overall Glance
The Favorite: Who did you expect? The Dodgers have won every NL West title since divisions were introduced in 1958. Based on the past, there is little reason to believe the Dodgers' reign atop their division will end any time soon. Some of their key core players have aged, but others are in their prime. And the Dodgers still have young talent on top of that. They have an empire out west and have showed no signs of slowing down. And now with the Braves out of the picture, the competition for the Dodgers will get weaker. The rest of the division will have their work cut out, but until one other team really steps up, the Dodgers won't stop dominating the NL West for a long time.
Roberto Clemente and the Dodgers should certainly be able to continue their NL West dynasty into the new realignment.
The Contender: The only other NL West team that could even have a shot at putting a dent on the Dodgers' success would be their longtime geographic rival, the Giants. The Giants for a while have had a great core of cornerstone hitters to lead the team, but have more often than not lacked the supporting cast of role players to make them a more complete team. Their core though is not getting any younger, so while they'll still face an uphill battle with the Dodgers, it's important for the Giants to make big moves while their core players are still elite. The Giants have one of the most knowledgeable front offices around and if they put that strength to use, the NL West could get a little more interesting.
The Rest: The Astros are up and coming, but are still missing a superstar hitter and ace pitcher in their minors to build their future around. They're moving in the right direction, but still need more elite talent to take the next step. Maybe by the 70s they'll be able to start putting together a winning team, but time will tell.
Last but not least, the Padres will round out the new NL West, who have yet to name a GM. Expect them to take their time with developing young talent.
- Team that will benefit most from realignment: Dodgers
The Dodgers will continue to be the favorite in the NL West and they lose the Braves to the NL East. A definite win-win for them.
- Teams that will benefit least from realignment: Giants and Astros
To make a long story short, they will both continue to be stuck in the NL West with the Dodgers for a long, long time.
All in all, some teams could benefit significantly with the new realignment, while others will continue to have certain obstacles in their way of a potential postseason run. Regardless, the 1969 realignment will begin a new era in HOFFBL with more playoff spots up for grabs than ever before!
