[TSmith1969]

The major leagues added four expansion teams in 1969, bringing the total number of teams to 24. What if, instead of starting divisional play and creating the League Championship Series, MLB had split into upper and lower divisions and introduced promotion/relegation? I decided to create an alternate history league in OOTP15 to find out.

Here are the basics
12 teams in Division 1, top 4 make the playoffs, bottom 2 are relegated
12 teams in Division 2, no playoffs, top 2 are promoted
No interleague play between divisions. 154 game balanced schedule
No rookie draft -- all rookies enter as free agents and clubs bid on them

Initial setup:
Division 1 will be made up of the top 6 finishers from the AL and NL in 1968:
AL - Detroit, Baltimore, Cleveland, Boston, NY Yankees, Oakland
NL - St. Louis, San Francisco, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati, Atlanta, Pittsburgh

Division 2 - bottom 4 from AL, bottom 4 from NL, 4 expansion teams
AL - Minnesota, Chicago White Sox, California, Washington
NL - Los Angeles, Philadelphia, NY Mets, Houston
Exp - Kansas City, Montreal, San Diego, Seattle

I will quickplay each season and report on things like World Series winners, award winners, player movements, promotion/relegation battles.

First up, 1969!

League setting changes every offseason
1 edit league structure - promoted/relegated teams
2 number of games - 154
3 use balanced schedule
4 customize playoffs - 1,2,3,4 in Div1
5 create schedule