This year’s major league is different. Beyond the new season, we introduce a new baseball. The pitch clock, which has not been there before, is introduced, and the defensive shifts that have been there are limited. It is also worth noting that the size of the base increases.
Among the new elements that directly intervene in the game, there are also elements that indirectly affect the game. It is the ‘schedule’ that changes drastically for each team. It is expected that the league will fluctuate as the schedule changes significantly compared to the previous one.
It was in 1961 that a major league season was settled at 162 games. The American League, which became 10 teams with the founding of the Minnesota Twins and the Los Angeles Angels, first played 162 games. The following year, the New York Mets and the Houston Colt 45s (Astros) were created in the National League, and the 162 game system of 10 teams began. Later, in 1969, in line with the 100th anniversary of the first professional team, two more teams were added to each league, establishing the so-called ‘division era’. Both leagues were divided into East Division and West Division, each consisting of six teams.
Teams from the same district during this time met 18 games in a season. Including this, 162 games were scheduled with 90 games in the same district and 72 games in other districts, with 12 games each with 6 teams from other districts.
In 1994, the major leagues were reorganized once again. Following the East and West, the Central District was created. There was a transition period caused by the player strike, but as the league expanded, the foundation was laid. And in 1997, the interleague where the two leagues collide in the regular season was introduced, and in 1998, with the birth of the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays (Race), 30 teams were completed. At that time, there were about 12 matches between teams from the same district.
In 2013, the major leagues were all aligned with five teams as Houston moved to the American League West division. Then, the number of head-to-head matches between teams belonging to the same district increased to 19. Teams from the same district faced each other in 76 games, or 46.9% of the total 162 games.
The advantages and disadvantages became clearer as more games were played in the district. You could often see tight rivalries like the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox, the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Francisco Giants in the same district. Regardless of the ranking, they created a strange tension and produced a great match. Just as the taste of knowing and eating is scary, even knowing and watching the game was exciting.
The problem is that as the proportion of the intra-district economy increases, the level within the district stands out. Fierce earth was always fierce, and loose earth was always loose. 메이저사이트 It was unavoidable because the market size was different for each district, but as this phenomenon intensified, there were teams that benefited and teams that suffered disadvantages. Questions have been raised about whether such differentiated competition is fair.
Even last year, there was an unfortunate team. The Eastern Division of the American League is considered one of the major leagues’ most competitive battlegrounds. With traditional famous houses, emerging powerhouses, and even dark horses, there were frequent cases of shrimp backs bursting in whale fights. Last year, in the American League Eastern Division, where four teams with a win rate of 50% were concentrated, the Baltimore Orioles ranked fourth with a record of 83 wins and 79 losses. On the other hand, the Cleveland Guardians, which belonged to the American League Central District, which had relatively low competitiveness, ranked first in the district with a record of 92 wins and 70 losses.
On the face of it, Cleveland’s performance is superior to Baltimore’s. However, when looking at the results of 86 games against teams outside the district, the two teams have a different position. Cleveland is 45-41 (.523 win rate) and Baltimore is 49-37 (.570 win rate). This can be inferred that Baltimore would have had a better chance of advancing to the postseason had it not been for the American League East Division team. In fact, last year’s American League Eastern Division had the highest overall win rate among the six divisions. The upward leveling of the American League Eastern Division, where fierce battles take place every year, is not just yesterday or today.