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The Astros' possible relocation, which is reportedly expected to take place in November, would result in an equal five teams for every division in baseball.
Oct 12, 2011 - For months, the Houston Astros have been floated as a prime candidate to relocate from the National League to the American League. A timetable now appears to be taking shape, and the move seems more likely than ever. Wednesday morning, Peter Gammons tweeted:
Houston ownership change expected to go through in mid-November, w/ AL move.
Astros owner Drayton McLane is still attempting to sell the team to Houston businessman Jim Crane, who in the past has made unsuccessful attempts to purchase the Cubs and Rangers. Reportedly, commissioner Bud Selig has requested the team's move to the American League as a condition of ownership transfer.
The natural assumption is that the Astros would relocate to the A.L. West, which would finally result in the same number of teams for each division in baseball. One major benefit for fans, as our own Rob Neyer noted in June, is that the Rangers and Astros would be able to establish a meaningful rivalry.
The last team to switch leagues was the Milwaukee Brewers, who relocated from the A.L. Central to the N.L. Central after the 1997 season.
See how fans are responding to the possible move. Check in with SB Nation's Astros blog, The Crawfish Boxes.
15 comments
Houston Astros Expected To Move To American League As Condition Of Ownership Change
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Comments
November?
How can this league change happen next month with the 2012 schedules already released?
by GBSimons on Oct 12, 2011 11:26 AM EDT reply actions
It should be the Brewers, not the Astros
Last in, first out!
The Astros are not the team in the NL central that has actually represented the AL in a world series. That would be the Brewers.
This is only happening because Selig and friends have leverage over Crane because of the investigation into his past transgressions.
oh god is powerhorse even a term?
by Trei Brundrett on Oct 12, 2011 12:24 PM EDT reply actions
Remember
Milwaukee was an NL city (Braves 1953-65) before it was an AL city.
by HawkeyeEdward on Oct 12, 2011 12:33 PM EDT up reply actions
They're still the last ones to (re)enter the NL in the central divison
And they did it by choice.
There is no reason to force the Astros to move other than a change in ownership that was disputed. Can anyone give me a good reason why it would be Houston?
And creating a rivalry with the Rangers doesn’t count. We’ve been playing them in interleague for several years now and there isn’t even a hint of a rivalry. I understand that playing them more and being in the same division might create one, but I don’t know any Astros or Rangers fans who have been so excited by the matchups that they want a rivalry.
oh god is powerhorse even a term?
by Trei Brundrett on Oct 12, 2011 12:57 PM EDT up reply actions
The Astros are going West regardless
It seems everyone in Houston is upset about this because of the late start games, but the other scenario is for the Diamondbacks to go to the AL and for the Astros to go to the NL West. That will be even worse since they won’t even get the games against the Rangers—only the Rockies in the Mountain Time Zone.
No, the Brewers are not going back to the AL. For one, they don’t want to go to the AL West. Two, the other teams in the NL Central (St. Louis, Chicago, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh) all prefer the short flights to Milwaukee over the long ones to Houston. The Astros have always been the geographic outier.
by Josh Timmers on Oct 12, 2011 1:59 PM EDT up reply actions
Fans prefer the NL West over the AL West. It’s not a geographical issue with most fans it’s the DH issue.
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by Timothy De Block on Oct 12, 2011 2:27 PM EDT up reply actions
I'm looking forward to that new A's-Astros rivalry
by Tyler Bleszinski on Oct 12, 2011 4:26 PM EDT up reply actions
No, it's because
the owners of the other 29 MLB teams (including the Brewers) have veto power over a move. As an incoming owner, Crane doesn’t have that, and MLB can stipulate it as a condition of ownership. They’d do the same regardless of who was buying the team.
It may suck for (some) Astros fans, but it’s in the bylaws, and it’s the only game in town…
Brain: "Pinky, are you pondering what i'm pondering?"
Pinky: "Yes, ... wait, ... no, ... never mind"
by jbg2772 on Oct 12, 2011 3:34 PM EDT up reply actions
"Efforting"??
The most egregious thing about this article is the use of “effort” as a verb.
by bowie_ on Oct 12, 2011 2:52 PM EDT reply actions
Send Bud & the Brewers Back
Why all the talk about the ‘Stros heading to the American League? If the commissioner is looking to return to the alignment of old, move the Brewers back where they belong! After all it was Selig who messed it all up when he held the positions of both Brewers’ owner and MLB Commissioner… a blatant conflict of interest that led to a self-serving move. The Astros will have been a National League team for 50 years as of 2012, while the Brewers have only been in the National League since 1998 when Bud somehow convinced the other MLB owners to screw it all up. Bud lives in Milwaukee… send him and his favorite team back to the American League!
by Cardsfanlifer on Oct 13, 2011 3:13 PM EDT reply actions
ALE – BAL, BOS, MIA, NYY, TB
ALC – CHW, CIN, CLE, DET, PIT
ALW – ANA, HOU, OAK, SEA, TEX
NLE – ATL, NYM, PHI, TOR, WAS
NLC – CHC, MIL, MIN, KC, STL
NLW – ARI, COL, LA, SD, SF
Maybe switch BAL and TOR.
by Jay Sandolfini on Oct 19, 2011 6:47 PM EDT reply actions
As long as we're irreverently shaking things up...
…why not go completely regional, except splitting teams in shared markets? Omitting division names:
American League
1. Boston, NYY, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Pittsburgh
2. ChiSox, Detroit, Milwaukee, Minnesota, Toronto
3. Oakland, Anaheim, SD, Arizona, Seattle
4. ChiCubs, Washington, NYM, Cincinnati, Cleveland
5. St. Louis, Kansas City, Colorado, SF, LA
6. Florida, Tampa Bay, Atlanta, Texas, Houston
It gets a little tough splitting up markets, but that’d be mandatory, and these division markets would be highly regionalized. Obviously none of this is going to happen, except for one NL team’s heading to the AL, but it’s fun to project.
"Anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that 'my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.'"
― Isaac Asimov
by burntorangehorn on Oct 20, 2011 12:35 PM EDT up reply actions
Forgot to take out the "American League" label
The divisions I have there would probably be divided as AL having 1, 2, 3, and NL 4, 5, 6. Granted, that’s heavily in the AL’s favor in terms of markets, but not grossly so. Of course anything like this would require space in the schedule for traditional rivalries, because it’d suck to lose rivalries like Cards-Cubs.
"Anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that 'my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.'"
― Isaac Asimov
by burntorangehorn on Oct 20, 2011 12:38 PM EDT up reply actions
Astros are the Wrong Team to go to the AL
If MLB insists on moving a team to the AL,this is my idea, hear me out… Houston should stay in the NL. Either move Arizona or Colorado to the AL West. Now take the Rangers out of the AL West and put them in the AL Central. Now both West divisions will have 4 teams and both Central Divisions will have 6 teams. This should last for a few years as part of a plan to expand to 32 teams. I prefer a Boston NL team and a Philly AL team, but I’m open to North Carolina, New Orleans or Austin, TX. Now the leagues would be like the NFL, 8 divisions.
NL East: Boston, New York, Philly,Pittsburgh
NL Central: Cincinnati, Chicago, St. Louis, Milwaukee
NL West: San Fran, LA, San Diego, Colorado
NL South: Atlanta, Florida, Houston, Washington
AL East: Toronto, Boston, New York, Philly
AL Central: Cleveland, Detroit, Chicago, Minnesota
AL West: Seattle, Oakland, Anaheim, Arizona
AL South: Baltimore, Tampa, KC, Texas
These divisions make more sense than the NFL that has Dallas in the east and St. Louis and KC in the West.
by BxYankee Fan on Oct 21, 2011 4:33 PM EDT reply actions
They gave you a reason why. To make all the divisions E V E N. Can’t you read?
by Laugh Hammer on Oct 23, 2011 12:32 AM EDT reply actions
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