Michael Kay takes surprising stance on MLB’s potential realignment
Yankees broadcaster Michael Kay chimed in on realignment, the hottest topic in baseball, and he appeared more open than others to the idea.
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred mentioned the idea of geographic realignment during ESPN’s broadcast of the Little League Classic between the Mets and Mariners on Sunday and said that potential expansion would provide the opportunity for it.
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Naturally, it sparked all sorts of reactions from baseball fans, including anger from some who would not want to see the National League and American League format baseball has used for more than a century go away.
However, Kay believed that the idea could pay off for the league, though he still expressed some hesitation.
“This would be the biggest thing that Rob Manfred does other than if he can get a salary cap at the next collective bargaining agreement, Kay said on his ESPN radio show on Monday. “So the sport that your kids are going to grow up watching, like my son Charlie, is going to be completely different from the one I grew up with. Completely different. Is it for the better?
“I think it could be for the better if they knock off interleague play. Because all of those rivalries that you dream about, they are in the same division now.”
Kay pointed out teams like the Mets, Yankees, Dodgers and Angels wouldn’t need interleague play anymore because they would likely occupy the same division.
He also suggested that it could lead to a renewed interest in events like the All-Star Game.
“Maybe if you did that, the All-Star Game would mean something again. And more importantly, the World Series would mean something,” Kay added. “Because that may be the first time that you face that team. It’s worth a try. I’m not saying the game is broken, because you know I love the game. But you could tweak it a little bit, and it might make it a little bit better than what you love.”
Others have not been as open to the idea of realignment, which has included Mets broadcaster Howie Rose and former major leaguer Cameron Maybin.
Manfred’s comments were vague on details on what a possible realignment would look like in baseball, but it’d mostly likely be based on geography.
Expansion would be the first step of the process, and to even get to that point, MLB is reportedly waiting for the Athletics and Rays stadium situations to be handled first.
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