FanGraphs Audio: Brandon Warne on Realignment
Episode 101
Today we consult FanGraphs Audio’s impressive Mail Sack and find a question regarding the Astros’ pending move to the AL West. Contributor Brandon Warne provides the salient details of said move — including, for example, its effects on the field. Also discussed: hot dish as haute cuisine.
Don’t hesitate to direct pod-related correspondence to @cistulli on Twitter.
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Audio on the flip-flop. (Approximately 18 min. play time.)
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Carson Cistulli has published a book of aphorisms called Spirited Ejaculations of a New Enthusiast.
Ok I’m sorry but the lack of knowledge of the Astros’ roster and farm system is embarrassing. This really adds nothing.
yeah that’s probably fair, a little more prep work ect., but warne is a great guest overall and cistulli, as always, has a great way of mixing the fun and thoughtful, certainly knows his baseball.
Re: divisional changes. In 1992, there was a 12 team NL and a 14 team AL. This predates interleague, so each league needed to have an even number of leagues. The next year they added Colorado and Florida, and put them both in the NL to even up the two leagues. In 1994, they switched to a 3 division setup. The western divisions had 4 teams, the other 4 divisions had 5.
In 1998, they added Tampa Bay to the AL East and Arizona to the NL West. Detroit moved from the AL East to the AL Central, and Milwaukee moved from the AL Central to the NL Central, because at the time, they didn’t want to have interleague games all year round, which is what’s going to happen now. Bud Selig had just given up his ownership interest of the Brewers in 1998 (when he transferred from acting commissioner to commissioner), and the Brewers were owned by his daughter Wendy Selig-Prieb.
Great info!