Friday, May 30, 2014
Friday, April 4, 2014
Thursday, December 8, 2011
My Plan for the New MLB Schedule Format for 2013 and Beyond
Well, against all odds, MLB was successful in realigning the leagues to ensure an equitable schedule format for all teams starting in 2013, capitalizing on a "perfect storm" of circumstances. Houston sucked beyond belief this season and the team was put up for sale. Also, Houston plays in the 6-team National League Central--the one that had to be reduced to five--and didn't have the long history that the Cubs and Cardinals share, or that of Cincinnati and Pittsburgh. Furthermore, the Milwaukee-Chicago rivalry is a perfect geographical fit for both the Cubs and Brewers, and unless the Royals were willing to move to the AL West, the Brewers aren't going back to the AL. (The Brewers are the most recent NL Central champs, too.) So Bud Selig was given this gift and eagerly took advantage. Now the Astros and Rangers will play more than their usual six and, if the Astros can return to their mid-2000s form, a fierce rivalry will develop between the two pinnacle Texas cities.
Initially, there was real fear that with such a drastic realignment, interleague play--which will now have to have at least one such game every day in which all 30 teams are playing--would be forced to expand, possibly as much to 30 games per team. Turns out all that fevered prognostication was premature. Such people were using the number of days in a season to figure out the math, rather than the number of series. Much smarter people elsewhere have done the math and have figured out that MLB could actually choose to reduce interleague in 2013 if they wanted, not increase.
With that in mind, I have decided to figure out what MLB should do for their new schedule format starting in 2013. It's pretty simple to understand and incorporates ideas from the successful NFL schedule format, such as playing one interleague division a year and determining number of games against other intra-league opponents based on previous divisional finish (or any at all in the more meaningful NFL system).
Here's the basic layout:
72 Divisional Games
18 Games vs. 4 opponents
72 Intra-League Games
9 Games vs. 2 opponents
7 Games vs. 6 opponents
6 Games vs. 2 opponents
18 Interleague Games
3 games vs. 5 opponents
3 games vs. "Natural Rival"
So basically, we're keeping the status quo for the most part, which I suspect is what MLB wants. We get to keep playing 18 games a year against your division foes; we'll still have 18 four and a half hour games between the Red Sox and Yankees. And MLB will keep its 18-interleague slate, just as they like it. So, let's get into specifics. First, my inspiration from the NFL.
Interleague Play
Similar to the NFL, teams will play 15 games against 5 teams from an opposing league division, rotating on a yearly basis. It will be 3-game series and teams will alternate the site every 3 years. That way, every team will play every other team in baseball every 3 years at least and fans will be able to see every team in the other league play in their stadium every 6 years.
So, filling out the 18 game slate, teams will then play their "natural rival" 3 times, with the home team alternating every year. For years in which the divisions match up, it'll just turn into a home-and-home. The Subway Series, the Bay Bridge Series, etc, will all return to their original 3-game series, but the intensity of those games will be increased and fans will still get the customary home-and-home every 3 years.
As for those natural rivals, most of them are pretty obvious and set in stone. Here's my list for how this will work out:
Baltimore Orioles vs Washington Nationals
Boston Red Sox vs Philadelphia Phillies
New York Yankees vs New York Mets
Tampa Bay Rays vs Miami Marlins
Toronto Blue Jays vs Atlanta Braves
Chicago White Sox vs Chicago Cubs
Cleveland Indians vs Cincinnati Reds
Detroit Tigers vs Pittsburgh Pirates
Kansas City Royals vs St. Louis Cardinals
Minnesota Twins vs Milwaukee Brewers
Los Angeles Angels vs Los Angeles Dodgers
Houston Astros vs Arizona Diamondbacks
Oakland Athletics vs San Francisco Giants
Seattle Mariners vs San Diego Padres
Texas Rangers vs Colorado Rockies
As you see, all of them are in corresponding divisions, so for years in which the home-and-home returns, everyone in that division will have a similar schedule. The only real issue arose in the West vs West alignment, as Houston and Texas used to be each other's "natural rival," so I just went with general geography: Houston is on a comparable latitude to Arizona, so they match up. And so forth for Texas and Colorado. Nothing really sexy there, but it had to be even for all.
(And yes, Seattle and San Diego are already considered "natural rivals" as far as MLB is concerned. They share a Spring Training facility or something, which is a rather bizarre reasoning for 6 games a year between these two.)
Also, as much as I love the connection between the Boston Red Sox and the original Boston Braves, Philadelphia has already become Boston's de facto "natural rival" over the years, so I kept it in place. MLB really loves the relatively short distance between the two cities (cheap travel fare) so, even though Toronto and Philadelphia had a great World Series in 1993, the Braves will have to face the Blue Jays every year. (But hey, they faced off in the 1992 World Series, so there's that intrigue.)
So, for the new Subway Series, assuming the Yankees will host the Mets in the first year of the new schedule, and assuming the AL East and NL East don't face off until 2015, here's what it'll look like into perpetuity:
2013: @Yankees
2014: @Mets
2015: @Yankees @Mets
2016: @Mets
2017: @Yankees
2018: @Mets @Yankees
2019: @Yankees
2020: @Mets
2021: @Yankees @Mets
2022: @Mets
So, there'll never be a year in which the Yankees and Mets would play all six possible games at one stadium, and over the course of several years, the schedule would balance out. And the same would be true for all "natural rivalries."
Also, with interleague play expanding to year-long, MLB will be able to spread out all the marquee "natural rivalry" matchups so each one will get its own focus: Cubs-White Sox, Giants-A's, Angels-Dodgers, will no longer have to share the national stage with the Subway Series.
And in case you're wondering how we would align the interleague divisions set to play each other in 2013, we'll simply continue what's already been set into motion years ago. In 2012, the AL East will "generally" play the NL East, the AL Central the NL Central, the AL West the NL West. So, in 2013, we'll shift accordingly: it'll be the ALE vs NLW, ALC vs NLE, and ALW vs NLC. 2014, ALE vs NLC, ALC vs NLW, and ALW vs NLE. And then it goes back. Basically:
2012: ALE-NLE ALC-NLC ALW-NLW
2013: ALE-NLW ALC-NLE ALW-NLC
2014: ALE-NLC ALC-NLW ALW-NLE
So, with that settled, let's move on to how the schedule would work for inside one's own league, aside from divisional play...
The Remaining 72 Games
One of my favorite things about the NFL schedule format is how two games a year are predicated on how well (or how poorly) a team performs in the previous year. If you finish first in your division, next year you'd have to face the division winners in four of the seven other divisions: the two that were already set in stone, and two from your own conference. If you are a last place team, that number drops to two.
This format creates a fascinating scenario in which a team could go three full years without facing a team from its own conference, and even possibly six years in-between playing in a team's stadium.
Obviously, something that drastic is impossible in baseball, but my plan will include something similar. As I laid out earlier, the remaining 72 games in your own league will function like this:
72 Intra-League Games
9 Games vs. 2 opponents
7 Games vs. 6 opponents
6 Games vs. 2 opponents
And, like the NFL, which team you will face 9 times a year vs 6 times a year will be dependent on how teams finish in the regular season. Simply put, division winners will play the other two division winners 9 times, while only playing the two last-place teams 6 times. And so down the line, 2nd place playing 2nd place 9 times, 5th-place playing 5th-place 9 times. Things get messy after that to determine the teams that 2nd, 3rd, and 4th place teams will only play 6 times, but as long as teams are playing their division "matches" 9 times, and division champions are only playing last place teams 6 times, it should be good for baseball.
Now, while I prefer for teams and fanbases to wait until after the regular season (where the "division matches" would be determined) for the next year's schedule to be calculated and released, I understand that MLB has recently been determining those schedules during the baseball season itself and unveiling them in September. This had a lot to do with the mind-numbing trickery they had to perform with the uneven divisions and lack of true "natural rivalries," as well as allowing fans 7 to 12 months advance to book their reservations, etc. MLB will probably want to maintain that, so the rankings from the previous season will have to be used. Hence, the 2011 final standings will the basis for the 2013 season, 2012 for 2014, and so forth. For the purposes of the schedule, last-place Houston will be considered the "5th place" team in the AL West. If the same result doesn't happen in their final year in the NL, their number of wins would be considered in the context of the AL West. Again, this isn't the NFL; we're not talking about the difference between a matchup happening or not. It's 9 games or 6 games. And its allure would be diminished by the increased length of time; NFL fans know the second the regular season is over all 16 opponents for next year. This would not be the case for this system.
As for how we'd schedule the two 6-game series for teams not fortunate (or unfortunate) to finish either 1st or 5th in their divisions, it's fairly complicated and involves a 3-year rotation pattern. I've worked it out on a spreadsheet accounting for all 15 teams per league, and it is possible. I don't know yet how to upload such files to this blogspot, so you won't get to see how incredibly nerdy I can be, but believe me, it can be done for all teams 2 through 4.
As for homefield advantage for some of these games, with two 9-game series and six 7-game series, it will alternate between divisions every year, somewhat similar to what they do in the NFL. Very simply, one year the East divisions will have homefield advantage over the West divisions, while at a disadvantage to the Central divisions. It'd be the reverse the next year.
Now, obviously, the difference between 9 and 6 isn't too significant in baseball, and only schedule nerds like me will care or even wonder why the Red Sox played the White Sox 9 times, or why the Yankees only played the Twins 6 times. But it'll be a system for MLB to easily plug into their computer to figure out next year's schedule and may give last-place teams, just like in the NFL, just a little room to climb out of their hole.
Examples
So, with all this in mind, let's see how my system will determine the 2013 schedule makeup for my team, the Boston Red Sox. Under this scenario, the AL East will play the NL West, and has homefield advantage over AL West teams.
2013 Boston Red Sox Season
AL East
18 Games against Baltimore
18 Games against NY Yankees
18 Games against Tampa Bay
18 Games against Toronto
AL Central
9 Games against CHI White Sox
7 Games against Detroit
7 Games against Kansas City
7 Games against Minnesota
6 Games against Cleveland
AL West
9 Games against Oakland
7 Games against Texas
7 Games against Seattle
7 Games against Houston
6 Games against LA Angels
Interleague
3 Games @ Arizona
3 Games vs Colorado
3 Games @ LA Dodgers
3 Games vs Philadelphia
3 Games @ San Diego
3 Games vs San Francisco
So, as you can see here, since the Red Sox suffered the 3rd worst statistical collapse in baseball history--but easily the most memorable :( --and finished 3rd in 2011, they'd play Chicago and Oakland 9 times in 2013. As for the interleague makeup, I've determined the host site based off of when the Red Sox last played them (Boston will visit Philadelphia AGAIN in 2012). So, let's expand on that further:
2014 Boston Red Sox Season
AL East
18 Games against Baltimore
18 Games against NY Yankees
18 Games against Tampa Bay
18 Games against Toronto
AL Central
9 Games against 2012 Match
7 Games against Team
7 Games against Team
7 Games against Team
6 Games against 2012 Non-match as Determined by Formula
AL West
9 Games against 2012 Match
7 Games against Team
7 Games against Team
7 Games against Team
6 Games against 2012 Non-match as Determined by Formula
Interleague
3 Games vs CHI Cubs
3 Games vs Cincinnati
3 Games @ Milwaukee
3 Games vs Pittsburgh
3 Games @ Philadelphia
3 Games @ St. Louis
And now 2015...
2015 Boston Red Sox Season
AL East
18 Games against Baltimore
18 Games against NY Yankees
18 Games against Tampa Bay
18 Games against Toronto
AL Central
9 Games against 2013 Match
7 Games against Team
7 Games against Team
7 Games against Team
6 Games against 2013 Non-match as Determined by Formula
AL West
9 Games against 2013 Match
7 Games against Team
7 Games against Team
7 Games against Team
6 Games against 2013 Non-match as Determined by Formula
Interleague
6 Games against Philadelphia
3 Games @ Atlanta
3 Games vs Miami
3 Games vs NY Mets
3 Games @ Washington
Figuring out the interleague host sites for 2015 proved more difficult than the others, but such is the case being hindered by the schedule inequity currently in place. And now, completing the interleague cycle, 2016...
2016 Boston Red Sox Season
AL East
18 Games against Baltimore
18 Games against NY Yankees
18 Games against Tampa Bay
18 Games against Toronto
AL Central
9 Games against 2014 Match
7 Games against Team
7 Games against Team
7 Games against Team
6 Games against 2014 Non-match as Determined by Formula
AL West
9 Games against 2014 Match
7 Games against Team
7 Games against Team
7 Games against Team
6 Games against 2014 Non-match as Determined by Formula
Interleague
3 Games vs Arizona
3 Games @ Colorado
3 Games vs LA Dodgers
3 Games @ Philadelphia
3 Games vs San Diego
3 Games @ San Francisco
Now, to give the Red Sox's rival, and, *clenches fists* defending AL East champs, the New York Yankees, a look at what their 2013 schedule would look like:
2013 New York Yankees Season
AL East
18 Games against Baltimore
18 Games against Boston
18 Games against Tampa Bay
18 Games against Toronto
AL Central
9 Games against Detroit
7 Games against Cleveland
7 Games against CHI White Sox
7 Games against Kansas City
6 Games against Minnesota
AL West
9 Games against Texas
7 Games against LA Angels
7 Games against Oakland
7 Games against Seattle
6 Games against Houston
Interleague
3 Games vs Arizona
3 Games @ Colorado
3 Games vs LA Dodgers
3 Games vs NY Mets
3 Games @ San Diego
3 Games @ San Francisco
Conclusion
So, there you have it. The best possible MLB schedule for the realigned leagues starting in 2013, one that keeps the current system just the way MLB likes it: 162 games, 72 divisional games, 72 non-divisional intra-league games, and 18 interleague games. It maintains the natural interleague rivalries and ensures all teams from both leagues face each other regularly. And it determines the makeup of the remaining 72 games by using the final standings from two seasons prior, more or less ensuring recently good teams play each other the maximum 9 times.
I know the real MLB schedule makers--the nerds like me--are hard at work at this and have had experience researching this the last time the 15-team league was proposed. So I put this to their consideration and hope they make the right decision for whatever format they choose.
Initially, there was real fear that with such a drastic realignment, interleague play--which will now have to have at least one such game every day in which all 30 teams are playing--would be forced to expand, possibly as much to 30 games per team. Turns out all that fevered prognostication was premature. Such people were using the number of days in a season to figure out the math, rather than the number of series. Much smarter people elsewhere have done the math and have figured out that MLB could actually choose to reduce interleague in 2013 if they wanted, not increase.
With that in mind, I have decided to figure out what MLB should do for their new schedule format starting in 2013. It's pretty simple to understand and incorporates ideas from the successful NFL schedule format, such as playing one interleague division a year and determining number of games against other intra-league opponents based on previous divisional finish (or any at all in the more meaningful NFL system).
Here's the basic layout:
72 Divisional Games
18 Games vs. 4 opponents
72 Intra-League Games
9 Games vs. 2 opponents
7 Games vs. 6 opponents
6 Games vs. 2 opponents
18 Interleague Games
3 games vs. 5 opponents
3 games vs. "Natural Rival"
So basically, we're keeping the status quo for the most part, which I suspect is what MLB wants. We get to keep playing 18 games a year against your division foes; we'll still have 18 four and a half hour games between the Red Sox and Yankees. And MLB will keep its 18-interleague slate, just as they like it. So, let's get into specifics. First, my inspiration from the NFL.
Interleague Play
Similar to the NFL, teams will play 15 games against 5 teams from an opposing league division, rotating on a yearly basis. It will be 3-game series and teams will alternate the site every 3 years. That way, every team will play every other team in baseball every 3 years at least and fans will be able to see every team in the other league play in their stadium every 6 years.
So, filling out the 18 game slate, teams will then play their "natural rival" 3 times, with the home team alternating every year. For years in which the divisions match up, it'll just turn into a home-and-home. The Subway Series, the Bay Bridge Series, etc, will all return to their original 3-game series, but the intensity of those games will be increased and fans will still get the customary home-and-home every 3 years.
As for those natural rivals, most of them are pretty obvious and set in stone. Here's my list for how this will work out:
Baltimore Orioles vs Washington Nationals
Boston Red Sox vs Philadelphia Phillies
New York Yankees vs New York Mets
Tampa Bay Rays vs Miami Marlins
Toronto Blue Jays vs Atlanta Braves
Chicago White Sox vs Chicago Cubs
Cleveland Indians vs Cincinnati Reds
Detroit Tigers vs Pittsburgh Pirates
Kansas City Royals vs St. Louis Cardinals
Minnesota Twins vs Milwaukee Brewers
Los Angeles Angels vs Los Angeles Dodgers
Houston Astros vs Arizona Diamondbacks
Oakland Athletics vs San Francisco Giants
Seattle Mariners vs San Diego Padres
Texas Rangers vs Colorado Rockies
As you see, all of them are in corresponding divisions, so for years in which the home-and-home returns, everyone in that division will have a similar schedule. The only real issue arose in the West vs West alignment, as Houston and Texas used to be each other's "natural rival," so I just went with general geography: Houston is on a comparable latitude to Arizona, so they match up. And so forth for Texas and Colorado. Nothing really sexy there, but it had to be even for all.
(And yes, Seattle and San Diego are already considered "natural rivals" as far as MLB is concerned. They share a Spring Training facility or something, which is a rather bizarre reasoning for 6 games a year between these two.)
Also, as much as I love the connection between the Boston Red Sox and the original Boston Braves, Philadelphia has already become Boston's de facto "natural rival" over the years, so I kept it in place. MLB really loves the relatively short distance between the two cities (cheap travel fare) so, even though Toronto and Philadelphia had a great World Series in 1993, the Braves will have to face the Blue Jays every year. (But hey, they faced off in the 1992 World Series, so there's that intrigue.)
So, for the new Subway Series, assuming the Yankees will host the Mets in the first year of the new schedule, and assuming the AL East and NL East don't face off until 2015, here's what it'll look like into perpetuity:
2013: @Yankees
2014: @Mets
2015: @Yankees @Mets
2016: @Mets
2017: @Yankees
2018: @Mets @Yankees
2019: @Yankees
2020: @Mets
2021: @Yankees @Mets
2022: @Mets
So, there'll never be a year in which the Yankees and Mets would play all six possible games at one stadium, and over the course of several years, the schedule would balance out. And the same would be true for all "natural rivalries."
Also, with interleague play expanding to year-long, MLB will be able to spread out all the marquee "natural rivalry" matchups so each one will get its own focus: Cubs-White Sox, Giants-A's, Angels-Dodgers, will no longer have to share the national stage with the Subway Series.
And in case you're wondering how we would align the interleague divisions set to play each other in 2013, we'll simply continue what's already been set into motion years ago. In 2012, the AL East will "generally" play the NL East, the AL Central the NL Central, the AL West the NL West. So, in 2013, we'll shift accordingly: it'll be the ALE vs NLW, ALC vs NLE, and ALW vs NLC. 2014, ALE vs NLC, ALC vs NLW, and ALW vs NLE. And then it goes back. Basically:
2012: ALE-NLE ALC-NLC ALW-NLW
2013: ALE-NLW ALC-NLE ALW-NLC
2014: ALE-NLC ALC-NLW ALW-NLE
So, with that settled, let's move on to how the schedule would work for inside one's own league, aside from divisional play...
The Remaining 72 Games
One of my favorite things about the NFL schedule format is how two games a year are predicated on how well (or how poorly) a team performs in the previous year. If you finish first in your division, next year you'd have to face the division winners in four of the seven other divisions: the two that were already set in stone, and two from your own conference. If you are a last place team, that number drops to two.
This format creates a fascinating scenario in which a team could go three full years without facing a team from its own conference, and even possibly six years in-between playing in a team's stadium.
Obviously, something that drastic is impossible in baseball, but my plan will include something similar. As I laid out earlier, the remaining 72 games in your own league will function like this:
72 Intra-League Games
9 Games vs. 2 opponents
7 Games vs. 6 opponents
6 Games vs. 2 opponents
And, like the NFL, which team you will face 9 times a year vs 6 times a year will be dependent on how teams finish in the regular season. Simply put, division winners will play the other two division winners 9 times, while only playing the two last-place teams 6 times. And so down the line, 2nd place playing 2nd place 9 times, 5th-place playing 5th-place 9 times. Things get messy after that to determine the teams that 2nd, 3rd, and 4th place teams will only play 6 times, but as long as teams are playing their division "matches" 9 times, and division champions are only playing last place teams 6 times, it should be good for baseball.
Now, while I prefer for teams and fanbases to wait until after the regular season (where the "division matches" would be determined) for the next year's schedule to be calculated and released, I understand that MLB has recently been determining those schedules during the baseball season itself and unveiling them in September. This had a lot to do with the mind-numbing trickery they had to perform with the uneven divisions and lack of true "natural rivalries," as well as allowing fans 7 to 12 months advance to book their reservations, etc. MLB will probably want to maintain that, so the rankings from the previous season will have to be used. Hence, the 2011 final standings will the basis for the 2013 season, 2012 for 2014, and so forth. For the purposes of the schedule, last-place Houston will be considered the "5th place" team in the AL West. If the same result doesn't happen in their final year in the NL, their number of wins would be considered in the context of the AL West. Again, this isn't the NFL; we're not talking about the difference between a matchup happening or not. It's 9 games or 6 games. And its allure would be diminished by the increased length of time; NFL fans know the second the regular season is over all 16 opponents for next year. This would not be the case for this system.
As for how we'd schedule the two 6-game series for teams not fortunate (or unfortunate) to finish either 1st or 5th in their divisions, it's fairly complicated and involves a 3-year rotation pattern. I've worked it out on a spreadsheet accounting for all 15 teams per league, and it is possible. I don't know yet how to upload such files to this blogspot, so you won't get to see how incredibly nerdy I can be, but believe me, it can be done for all teams 2 through 4.
As for homefield advantage for some of these games, with two 9-game series and six 7-game series, it will alternate between divisions every year, somewhat similar to what they do in the NFL. Very simply, one year the East divisions will have homefield advantage over the West divisions, while at a disadvantage to the Central divisions. It'd be the reverse the next year.
Now, obviously, the difference between 9 and 6 isn't too significant in baseball, and only schedule nerds like me will care or even wonder why the Red Sox played the White Sox 9 times, or why the Yankees only played the Twins 6 times. But it'll be a system for MLB to easily plug into their computer to figure out next year's schedule and may give last-place teams, just like in the NFL, just a little room to climb out of their hole.
Examples
So, with all this in mind, let's see how my system will determine the 2013 schedule makeup for my team, the Boston Red Sox. Under this scenario, the AL East will play the NL West, and has homefield advantage over AL West teams.
2013 Boston Red Sox Season
AL East
18 Games against Baltimore
18 Games against NY Yankees
18 Games against Tampa Bay
18 Games against Toronto
AL Central
9 Games against CHI White Sox
7 Games against Detroit
7 Games against Kansas City
7 Games against Minnesota
6 Games against Cleveland
AL West
9 Games against Oakland
7 Games against Texas
7 Games against Seattle
7 Games against Houston
6 Games against LA Angels
Interleague
3 Games @ Arizona
3 Games vs Colorado
3 Games @ LA Dodgers
3 Games vs Philadelphia
3 Games @ San Diego
3 Games vs San Francisco
So, as you can see here, since the Red Sox suffered the 3rd worst statistical collapse in baseball history--but easily the most memorable :( --and finished 3rd in 2011, they'd play Chicago and Oakland 9 times in 2013. As for the interleague makeup, I've determined the host site based off of when the Red Sox last played them (Boston will visit Philadelphia AGAIN in 2012). So, let's expand on that further:
2014 Boston Red Sox Season
AL East
18 Games against Baltimore
18 Games against NY Yankees
18 Games against Tampa Bay
18 Games against Toronto
AL Central
9 Games against 2012 Match
7 Games against Team
7 Games against Team
7 Games against Team
6 Games against 2012 Non-match as Determined by Formula
AL West
9 Games against 2012 Match
7 Games against Team
7 Games against Team
7 Games against Team
6 Games against 2012 Non-match as Determined by Formula
Interleague
3 Games vs CHI Cubs
3 Games vs Cincinnati
3 Games @ Milwaukee
3 Games vs Pittsburgh
3 Games @ Philadelphia
3 Games @ St. Louis
And now 2015...
2015 Boston Red Sox Season
AL East
18 Games against Baltimore
18 Games against NY Yankees
18 Games against Tampa Bay
18 Games against Toronto
AL Central
9 Games against 2013 Match
7 Games against Team
7 Games against Team
7 Games against Team
6 Games against 2013 Non-match as Determined by Formula
AL West
9 Games against 2013 Match
7 Games against Team
7 Games against Team
7 Games against Team
6 Games against 2013 Non-match as Determined by Formula
Interleague
6 Games against Philadelphia
3 Games @ Atlanta
3 Games vs Miami
3 Games vs NY Mets
3 Games @ Washington
Figuring out the interleague host sites for 2015 proved more difficult than the others, but such is the case being hindered by the schedule inequity currently in place. And now, completing the interleague cycle, 2016...
2016 Boston Red Sox Season
AL East
18 Games against Baltimore
18 Games against NY Yankees
18 Games against Tampa Bay
18 Games against Toronto
AL Central
9 Games against 2014 Match
7 Games against Team
7 Games against Team
7 Games against Team
6 Games against 2014 Non-match as Determined by Formula
AL West
9 Games against 2014 Match
7 Games against Team
7 Games against Team
7 Games against Team
6 Games against 2014 Non-match as Determined by Formula
Interleague
3 Games vs Arizona
3 Games @ Colorado
3 Games vs LA Dodgers
3 Games @ Philadelphia
3 Games vs San Diego
3 Games @ San Francisco
Now, to give the Red Sox's rival, and, *clenches fists* defending AL East champs, the New York Yankees, a look at what their 2013 schedule would look like:
2013 New York Yankees Season
AL East
18 Games against Baltimore
18 Games against Boston
18 Games against Tampa Bay
18 Games against Toronto
AL Central
9 Games against Detroit
7 Games against Cleveland
7 Games against CHI White Sox
7 Games against Kansas City
6 Games against Minnesota
AL West
9 Games against Texas
7 Games against LA Angels
7 Games against Oakland
7 Games against Seattle
6 Games against Houston
Interleague
3 Games vs Arizona
3 Games @ Colorado
3 Games vs LA Dodgers
3 Games vs NY Mets
3 Games @ San Diego
3 Games @ San Francisco
Conclusion
So, there you have it. The best possible MLB schedule for the realigned leagues starting in 2013, one that keeps the current system just the way MLB likes it: 162 games, 72 divisional games, 72 non-divisional intra-league games, and 18 interleague games. It maintains the natural interleague rivalries and ensures all teams from both leagues face each other regularly. And it determines the makeup of the remaining 72 games by using the final standings from two seasons prior, more or less ensuring recently good teams play each other the maximum 9 times.
I know the real MLB schedule makers--the nerds like me--are hard at work at this and have had experience researching this the last time the 15-team league was proposed. So I put this to their consideration and hope they make the right decision for whatever format they choose.
My Thoughts on the Republican Presidential Race
Oh yes, finally, the clown known as Herman Cain was forced out of the race, although true to that nutty Republican establishment, it was only when allegations of infidelity--a consensual affair--came out, instead of allegations of SEXUAL ASSAULT. But he was always in this race for the money; a true vanity campaign to position himself as a "black conservative" in order to sell books, get speaking gigs, and maybe sign with Fox News for a TV show. He was never meant to get this much attention, and scrutiny, and with the "Cain Train" already slipping in the polls after the SEXUAL ASSAULT accusations, he was finally convinced by prominent Republicans behind the scenes (who knew the truth about his "candidacy") to move on. So, in true "Cain Wreck" style, he announced his "suspension" at the opening of a new campaign office (?) and was still in the bus when he was introduced. And so the wild arc of Cain's candidacy came to a close: a vanity campaign to frontrunner, the Anti-Romney of the desperate Republican base, and now moving on to his original second phase: speaking circuit.
Meanwhile, the Republican primary continues to reel from the lack of true "credible alternatives" to Romney, such as Mitch Daniels or Mike Huckabee, and now we see the curious case of Newt Gingrich. He is incredibly the FOURTH candidate to rise from obscurity to run-away frontrunner in this wild, unpredictable race, and it's surprising, but also a bit telling, the Republican base didn't "look to him" earlier. On the surface, he sounds moderate, seems to be intelligent, accepts climate change, and is acceptable to the Republican establishment (he's part of it to a degree.) But underneath that surface, it's quite ugly. Just like with Cain, Gingrich never thought he had a realistic change and treated this as a vanity campaign. (He decided to take a long vacation in Greece for crying out loud.) But his intentions are actually a lot more seedier than Cain's: for years, Gingrich has been using his name recognition to actually scam people out of their money for his own personal wealth. It's complicated to explain, but basically, Gingrich offers "awards" over e-mail to lots of people but the only way to accept the award is to attend a $5,000 "awards dinner" or something like that. And that's not even the end of it. Rachel Maddow has been doing a lot of research (wait, journalists with an open bias can actually do research and report on it? Who knew?) and has detailed the vileness, so for more information, check her stuff out.
As with Cain, and Perry, and Bachmann, the media will dig through it all and hopefully his underreported scam operation will come out, but with Iowa quickly closing it, there may not be enough time for all of Gingrich's hypocrisy, HUGE baggage from the 90's, etc, to derail his momentum. That Republican base is clamoring for the alternative to Mitt "I Was Pro-Choice Until I Wasn't Exactly One Week After The 2004 Election" Romney and Gingrich may just be it. And that concerns me somewhat. I know many Democrats would love to see Obama face off against Gingrich, another aged Republican leader who's been around awhile, and there are serious pitfalls for Gingrich in the general: his scam, his haughty, arrogant demeanor, and his penchant for suggesting wild things such as poor children becoming janitors for their school. I can see the ads already. But again, he can pull a Reagan and act all moderate and reasonable, despite his extreme positions, and also has a knack for classy moves: he once debated John Kerry way back in 2007 over how to solve climate change in a true Lincoln-Douglas fashion, and he has proposed 3-HOUR debates with the President over the economy. So, Gingrich may be easy to demolish on certain points, but he scares me.
So yeah, if President Gingrich happens, I'm seriously moving to Canada the next day.
Meanwhile, the Republican primary continues to reel from the lack of true "credible alternatives" to Romney, such as Mitch Daniels or Mike Huckabee, and now we see the curious case of Newt Gingrich. He is incredibly the FOURTH candidate to rise from obscurity to run-away frontrunner in this wild, unpredictable race, and it's surprising, but also a bit telling, the Republican base didn't "look to him" earlier. On the surface, he sounds moderate, seems to be intelligent, accepts climate change, and is acceptable to the Republican establishment (he's part of it to a degree.) But underneath that surface, it's quite ugly. Just like with Cain, Gingrich never thought he had a realistic change and treated this as a vanity campaign. (He decided to take a long vacation in Greece for crying out loud.) But his intentions are actually a lot more seedier than Cain's: for years, Gingrich has been using his name recognition to actually scam people out of their money for his own personal wealth. It's complicated to explain, but basically, Gingrich offers "awards" over e-mail to lots of people but the only way to accept the award is to attend a $5,000 "awards dinner" or something like that. And that's not even the end of it. Rachel Maddow has been doing a lot of research (wait, journalists with an open bias can actually do research and report on it? Who knew?) and has detailed the vileness, so for more information, check her stuff out.
As with Cain, and Perry, and Bachmann, the media will dig through it all and hopefully his underreported scam operation will come out, but with Iowa quickly closing it, there may not be enough time for all of Gingrich's hypocrisy, HUGE baggage from the 90's, etc, to derail his momentum. That Republican base is clamoring for the alternative to Mitt "I Was Pro-Choice Until I Wasn't Exactly One Week After The 2004 Election" Romney and Gingrich may just be it. And that concerns me somewhat. I know many Democrats would love to see Obama face off against Gingrich, another aged Republican leader who's been around awhile, and there are serious pitfalls for Gingrich in the general: his scam, his haughty, arrogant demeanor, and his penchant for suggesting wild things such as poor children becoming janitors for their school. I can see the ads already. But again, he can pull a Reagan and act all moderate and reasonable, despite his extreme positions, and also has a knack for classy moves: he once debated John Kerry way back in 2007 over how to solve climate change in a true Lincoln-Douglas fashion, and he has proposed 3-HOUR debates with the President over the economy. So, Gingrich may be easy to demolish on certain points, but he scares me.
So yeah, if President Gingrich happens, I'm seriously moving to Canada the next day.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
24: Alternate Day Four Fanfiction: 4:00 P.M. - 5:00 P.M.
I was much more pleased and content with 24's Day 4 when it premiered in 2005. The first half of the season was nearly flawless and its best run since Day 2. But, something happened midway through, and the season endured a 6-hour stretch of mediocrity and disconnect. For the first time in the show's history, an episode felt just like that: an episode, with no real plot flow from one to the next. They fortunately rebounded with the return of President Palmer, Paul Raines's death, and a nice twist to the rehashed nuclear bomb threat from Day 2. But it was still a lost quarter of a season.
The real problem, in my opinion, was the decision to elevate Marwan to the main villain of the final 12 hours. It's been said that Arnold Vosloo was only supposed to appear in six episodes but his role was expanded after they were "impressed with his performance," which only makes you wonder what the original plan was for the second half.
Regardless, Marwan as a character simply was not compelling enough to deserve main villain status, even though the attacks he was carrying out were. Navi Araz at least had the family element, and the actor delivered. Vosloo did not.
So, I'm of the opinion that Marwan was not supposed to be the main villain that occupied Jack's and CTU's attention for the final 13 hours, but rather it was supposed to be McLennan-Forster. Why else the strong focus on them for those two hours? Why the EMP?
The evidence is even stronger when you watch a deleted scene in which Forbes, the man who captured and questioned Curtis in Hour 10, admits that he works for McLennan-Forster. Their intentions are left cryptic, and it is implied from the commentary that they were trying to work out the defense contractor's role in the story. And, as it appeared, they tried, but it didn't satisfy them, and they gave up, settling into the easier yet more clunky plot of more terrorist attacks by Marwan, even though they effectively broke the real-time conceit in the process.
In my fanfiction, I corrected all that by having McLennan-Forster be the sponsors of Marwan and his cells, therefore making the trial of Heller and the meltdowns the only pre-planned actions of Day 4. The second half thus becomes a desperate struggle by treasonous CEO Gene McLennan to escape the country and cover his tracks, but when things go horribly wrong, the rest of season follows his attempt to deliver a fatal blow to the country that destroyed everything he had built.
So, for the purposes of publishing this fanfiction, unlike Day 3, the first nine hours of Day 4 were perfect in my opinion and don't need any changes. It was only in Hour 10 that the solid ground of the season started to shift. There's only a small tinkering here, but things will get different after Hour 11.
Enjoy! :)
24: Day 4: Hour 10: 4:00 P.M. - 5:00 P.M.
Previously on 24...
The San Gabriel Island nuclear reactor begins to melt down. An engineer contacts Counter Terrorist Unit and explains that the radiation would spill into the atmosphere and spread until the core exhausted itself.
Paul Raines confronts Audrey Raines about her relationship with Jack. Paul says he thought they were trying to work things out, but she says he kept putting it off. Audrey reveals to Jack that she told Paul she was filing for divorce
While being interrogated by Erin Driscoll, Sarah Gavin insists that she had been set up.
Jack Bauer and Tony tracks down Henry Powell, the man who helped the terrorists obtain the Dobson Override Device. As soon as they take Powell into custody, he is killed by a sniper. They trace a number from Powell's cellphone
to the hotel where Dina is hiding with Behrooz, who has gone to a hospital to get pain medication for her gunshot wound. Dina agrees to help CTU find the override in exchange for immunity for Behrooz.
Navi arrives at the hospital and takes Behrooz hostage. Dina reminds Jack that she is only helping him to save Behrooz. She warns him that if Navi kills Behrooz, she will happily let the reactors melt down.
4:00 P.M. - 5:00 P.M.
The real problem, in my opinion, was the decision to elevate Marwan to the main villain of the final 12 hours. It's been said that Arnold Vosloo was only supposed to appear in six episodes but his role was expanded after they were "impressed with his performance," which only makes you wonder what the original plan was for the second half.
Regardless, Marwan as a character simply was not compelling enough to deserve main villain status, even though the attacks he was carrying out were. Navi Araz at least had the family element, and the actor delivered. Vosloo did not.
So, I'm of the opinion that Marwan was not supposed to be the main villain that occupied Jack's and CTU's attention for the final 13 hours, but rather it was supposed to be McLennan-Forster. Why else the strong focus on them for those two hours? Why the EMP?
The evidence is even stronger when you watch a deleted scene in which Forbes, the man who captured and questioned Curtis in Hour 10, admits that he works for McLennan-Forster. Their intentions are left cryptic, and it is implied from the commentary that they were trying to work out the defense contractor's role in the story. And, as it appeared, they tried, but it didn't satisfy them, and they gave up, settling into the easier yet more clunky plot of more terrorist attacks by Marwan, even though they effectively broke the real-time conceit in the process.
In my fanfiction, I corrected all that by having McLennan-Forster be the sponsors of Marwan and his cells, therefore making the trial of Heller and the meltdowns the only pre-planned actions of Day 4. The second half thus becomes a desperate struggle by treasonous CEO Gene McLennan to escape the country and cover his tracks, but when things go horribly wrong, the rest of season follows his attempt to deliver a fatal blow to the country that destroyed everything he had built.
So, for the purposes of publishing this fanfiction, unlike Day 3, the first nine hours of Day 4 were perfect in my opinion and don't need any changes. It was only in Hour 10 that the solid ground of the season started to shift. There's only a small tinkering here, but things will get different after Hour 11.
Enjoy! :)
24: Day 4: Hour 10: 4:00 P.M. - 5:00 P.M.
Previously on 24...
The San Gabriel Island nuclear reactor begins to melt down. An engineer contacts Counter Terrorist Unit and explains that the radiation would spill into the atmosphere and spread until the core exhausted itself.
Paul Raines confronts Audrey Raines about her relationship with Jack. Paul says he thought they were trying to work things out, but she says he kept putting it off. Audrey reveals to Jack that she told Paul she was filing for divorce
While being interrogated by Erin Driscoll, Sarah Gavin insists that she had been set up.
Jack Bauer and Tony tracks down Henry Powell, the man who helped the terrorists obtain the Dobson Override Device. As soon as they take Powell into custody, he is killed by a sniper. They trace a number from Powell's cell
Navi arrives at the hospital and takes Behrooz hostage. Dina reminds Jack that she is only helping him to save Behrooz. She warns him that if Navi kills Behrooz, she will happily let the reactors melt down.
4:00 P.M. - 5:00 P.M.
4:00 P.M.
Jack briefs Heller, Driscoll and Audrey over the phone on the situation. He asks for a thermal SAT to scan the underground part of the building for two bodies.
4:03 P.M.
Navi drags Behrooz through the tunnels to a hospital laundry room. He calls Marwan to tell him that Dina has been captured by government agents who are surrounding him. He thinks she won't tell them anything as long as he has Behrooz hostage. Marwan says he needs an hour or two to melt down the remaining plants because CTU is blocking him from doing them all at once.
4:04 P.M.
Driscoll tells Jack that two thermo readings have popped up in the laundry room of the hospital. There's a chute that leads to that room from the third floor. Jack requests a rappelling harness.
4:05 P.M.
Upset over his mother's death, Edgar becomes lax in his work but Driscoll says that she is depending on him. Edgar thinks his programmers can slow down the Override but they cannot stop it completely.
4:06 P.M.
Curtis wheels the dead body of Powell into the interrogation room where Marianne is being held. He tells her that the same people want her dead. Marianne agrees to talk, but she doesn't know any facts about Powell or the terrorists. She does know that Powell kept the names of his contacts on his office computer. However, her thumbprint is the only thing can access it.
4:09 P.M.
Jack tells Dina that Behrooz is still alive. They need her to call Navi to distract him.
4:10 P.M.
Jack rappels upside down into the laundry chute, trying not to make any noise. When he's halfway down, he radios Tony to have Dina make the call. She tells Navi that she will keep her mouth shut until he releases Behrooz.
4:11 P.M.
Jack lands in the laundry room from the chute. As the rappelling rig is retracted up into the chute, it clangs on the metal duct. Navi hears this and goes out to investigate. Jack knocks the gun from Navi's hand, but Navi fights back. Jack is forced to head butt him to get him off.
4:13 P.M.
Jack tries to take Navi hostage, but he and Behrooz get into a brawl over his gun. Behrooz fires at Navi, who is hit in the chest. Before he dies, Navi takes the same gun and shoots at Behrooz. Tony barges into the room and checks on Behrooz's condition.
4:14 P.M.
Dina is brought in and she sees her son is alive but in need of immediate medical attention. Jack demands that she tell him where the Override is, but she doesn't know. She gives him an address in the Valley where she last saw the men who took possession of the Override device. Jack orders an advance team to the site, and he has the agents bring Dina with them until they can confirm the story. Behrooz will stay at the hospital.
--Commercial Break--
4:19 P.M.
Curtis briefs the team about Marianne's claims. Although Driscoll wants Curtis to remain at CTU, Heller and Audrey feel that he should accompany Marianne to the computer site.
4:20 P.M.
Driscoll goes to see Sarah, who is recovering in the clinic. Although Driscoll believed she was innocent, she was forced to act upon the evidence from Heller. Sarah wants to go back to work.
4:21 P.M.
Curtis places a tracking chip on Marianne's ankle.
4:22 P.M.
Heller sends Audrey out to assist the local Defense Department office, which is overwhelmed.
4:23 P.M.
Sarah returns to her workstation and Edgar brings her up to speed on the Marianne situation.
4:24 P.M.
Jack and Tony arrive at the address that Dina provided, meeting up with the CTU backup team. They raid the house, which is empty. Jack finds a hidden basement that contains schematics of the nuclear power plants, passenger manifests from the train that was bombed and surveillance photos of Heller and Audrey. Jack is in the background of one of these photos.
--Commercial Break--
4:31 P.M.
Sarah learns that the owner of the building where Jack found the hidden basement is owned by a company called Galaxy Financial.
4:32 P.M.
Sarah calls Jack to tell him that the CFO of Galaxy is Paul Raines – Audrey's husband. Sarah patches Jack through to Audrey, who doesn't believe that Paul had any part in her kidnapping. Jack wants Audrey to get Paul on his cell, but she can't give away what has been discovered.
4:35 P.M.
Audrey calls Paul, who is about to check out of his hotel. Audrey lies about rethinking their divorce and she asks him if she can come over. He gives her his room number.
4:36 P.M.
Jack orders a full forensic search of the building. He asks Tony to take Dina back to CTU, but Tony isn't sure he wants to return to where he was fired. Jack says that he has seen Tony come back to life while working on this case, and his assistance could help him get reinstated. Tony is moved, and accepts the offer.
4:37 P.M.
Audrey calls Jack and says that she must go meet Paul at his hotel. Jack insists that he meet her there.
--Commercial Break--
4:42 P.M.
Driscoll agrees with Heller approving Tony's reinstatement. Driscoll lets him know about Paul Raines's connection to the terrorists. Heller is furious when he finds out that Audrey is going alone to meet Paul at his hotel.
4:44 P.M.
En route to Powell's office, Curtis is briefed by CTU on Paul. He asks Marianne if she is knows anything about Paul, but she claims ignorance.
4:45 P.M.
As she arrives at the hotel, Audrey gets an angry call from her father. Audrey doesn't believe that Paul would try to hurt her because he is under the impression there is a chance to get back together. She hangs up on Heller.
4:46 P.M.
Tony enters CTU with Dina and assures her that Behrooz will recover. Driscoll gives Tony a badge and welcomes him back. She agrees to let Tony head up the interrogation. Driscoll walks away from Tony and asks Sarah to keep an eye on him in case he goes off protocol along with Jack. Sarah accuses Driscoll of only being nice to her to keep her as an ally. She believes Driscoll feels forced out of power by Jack and Tony. Sarah demands a promotion and her arrest expunged in return for her help. Driscoll agrees.
4:48 P.M.
Audrey arrives at Paul's room. He pours champagne and inquires about her change of heart. "I'd hate to think you were playing some kind of game with me," he says.
--Commercial Break--
4:53 P.M.
As he speeds to the hotel, Jack calls Driscoll. He requests that backup move in quickly to protect Audrey from Paul.
4:54 P.M.
Marianne and Curtis arrive at Powell's office with their backup. Curtis is suspicious, and the agents sweep the room.
4:55 P.M.
Marianne enters her thumbprint into the computer and she becomes alarmed when it asks for a second password. Suddenly, three armed men enter the room after killing the other agents. Marianne pleads that the files are still secure. They shoot her anyway, and remove Curtis's gun. An American man named Forbes questions Curtis on how far along CTU is with the investigation. Curtis doesn't answer, and the men knock him unconscious.
4:57 P.M.
As Audrey stalls for time, Paul grows suspicious and becomes violent. Jack barges in with his gun at the ready. "You set me up!" Paul yells to Audrey. Jack says that he wants answers. When Paul refuses, Jack punches him.
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