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KevinTMC · 06-18-2007, 09:56 PM

That is indeed an interesting tidbit. I hadn't heard of that proposal before.

I can see taking those strongest AA/IL teams and promoting them to the majors. I still have a little trouble with the idea that all 8 PCL teams, as-is, could have constituted a major league. It was my impression that some of them weren't nearly as strong (and rich) as the others, and that that was one of the roadblocks.

An intriguing, key question remains with four leagues: the post-season. I'm presuming that the first round would have AL vs. NL as usual in one series, and the two new leagues against each other in the other. Would AL vs. NL still be called the "World Series"? Would it be considered a continuation of the same old "World Series" for record purposes? Or, would the final matchup become the "World Series", and those games be added to the historical record of past Series (as happened when moving to divisional play...though that was an easier call since the same two leagues were involved)?

Hmm...if the latter were the case, you could have AL vs. PCL, and NL vs. IL, in the first round, with an eye to the same old friends meeting up in the final World Series more often than not...but not always!

While if the former were the case, what would you call a Series that was one step beyond the World Series?

By the way, the most informative thing I have found so far on the PCL, "Open Classification", and major league status is an article that appeared in NINE:

Steve Treder
Open Classification: The Pacific Coast League's Drive to Turn Major
NINE: A Journal of Baseball History and Culture - Volume 15, Number 1, Fall 2006, pp. 88-109

I was able to download the PDF and peruse it for free thanks to University database access. If there are folks here who would love to read it but don't have such access, you are welcome to send me a PM.

06-18-2007, 09:56 PM	#4
KevinTMC Minors (Single A) Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Georgia, USA Posts: 55	That is indeed an interesting tidbit. I hadn't heard of that proposal before. I can see taking those strongest AA/IL teams and promoting them to the majors. I still have a little trouble with the idea that all 8 PCL teams, as-is, could have constituted a major league. It was my impression that some of them weren't nearly as strong (and rich) as the others, and that that was one of the roadblocks. An intriguing, key question remains with four leagues: the post-season. I'm presuming that the first round would have AL vs. NL as usual in one series, and the two new leagues against each other in the other. Would AL vs. NL still be called the "World Series"? Would it be considered a continuation of the same old "World Series" for record purposes? Or, would the final matchup become the "World Series", and those games be added to the historical record of past Series (as happened when moving to divisional play...though that was an easier call since the same two leagues were involved)? Hmm...if the latter were the case, you could have AL vs. PCL, and NL vs. IL, in the first round, with an eye to the same old friends meeting up in the final World Series more often than not...but not always! While if the former were the case, what would you call a Series that was one step beyond the World Series? By the way, the most informative thing I have found so far on the PCL, "Open Classification", and major league status is an article that appeared in NINE: Steve Treder Open Classification: The Pacific Coast League's Drive to Turn Major NINE: A Journal of Baseball History and Culture - Volume 15, Number 1, Fall 2006, pp. 88-109 I was able to download the PDF and peruse it for free thanks to University database access. If there are folks here who would love to read it but don't have such access, you are welcome to send me a PM.