[Mr KLC]

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[Mr KLC]

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[Mr KLC]

Am I the only one who thinks it was odd during the divisional play era and before the 90s realignment that the Reds and Braves were in the NL West? Geographically it seems obvious they ought to have been in the NL East, especially with the Eastern division Cubs and Cards playing further west of them. Standings image is from late in the ‘75 season.

[Mr KLC]

[Mr KLC]

[Mr KLC]

[Mr KLC]

[ChuckyTheGoat]

Am I the only one who thinks it was odd during the divisional play era and before the 90s realignment that the Reds and Braves were in the NL West? Geographically it seems obvious they ought to have been in the NL East, especially with the Eastern division Cubs and Cards playing further west of them. Standings image is from late in the ‘75 season.

Yes, KLC. I always paid attention to what looked like geographic irregularities in Divisional play. Divisional play started with four expansion teams coming into the league in 1969, found this on Wikipedia:

Division play

As part of the 1969 expansion, each league was to be split into two divisions of six teams each, with each league holding a best-of-five League Championship Series to decide the pennant. The AL was divided purely along geographic lines, but when it came to assign divisions in the NL, the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals insisted on being placed in the same division with the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies, on the basis that a schedule with more games with eastern teams would create a more lucrative schedule. Thus, Atlanta and Cincinnati were placed in the NL West. This alignment also addressed concerns that putting the league's three strongest clubs at the time—St. Louis, San Francisco, and the Cubs—in the west would result in divisional inequity.
Doesn't really make any sense. If the Cubs/Cardinals stood to make more money by playing Mets/Phillies...what about the Braves/Reds?

Watching games on TBS, it never made sense to me how Atlanta (and Cincinnati) could be in the NL West. I know the Braves being in the NL West led to some strange travel situations. In particular, the trip from ATL to San Francisco is a very long one. In a perfect world, that trip is preceded by an Off Day for travel. But the Braves did in fact have situations where they would play a Home Game in ATL and play in San Francisco on the very next day.

[ChuckyTheGoat]

What a great photo. Looks like those guys are having fun. Can't fake smiles like that.

Underrated player in that photo = Clifford Ray. Had good mobility, good defense. Awesome rebounder.

[Mr KLC]

Yes, KLC. I always paid attention to what looked like geographic irregularities in Divisional play. Divisional play started with four expansion teams coming into the league in 1969, found this on Wikipedia:

Division play

As part of the 1969 expansion, each league was to be split into two divisions of six teams each, with each league holding a best-of-five League Championship Series to decide the pennant. The AL was divided purely along geographic lines, but when it came to assign divisions in the NL, the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals insisted on being placed in the same division with the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies, on the basis that a schedule with more games with eastern teams would create a more lucrative schedule. Thus, Atlanta and Cincinnati were placed in the NL West. This alignment also addressed concerns that putting the league's three strongest clubs at the time—St. Louis, San Francisco, and the Cubs—in the west would result in divisional inequity.
Doesn't really make any sense. If the Cubs/Cardinals stood to make more money by playing Mets/Phillies...what about the Braves/Reds?

Watching games on TBS, it never made sense to me how Atlanta (and Cincinnati) could be in the NL West. I know the Braves being in the NL West led to some strange travel situations. In particular, the trip from ATL to San Francisco is a very long one. In a perfect world, that trip is preceded by an Off Day for travel. But the Braves did in fact have situations where they would play a Home Game in ATL and play in San Francisco on the very next day.

Atlanta teams pretty much got screwed, in general. The Falcons were in the NFC West. I'm assuming that was because of the rivalries that existed between teams in the NFC East and the NFC Central.

[ChuckyTheGoat]

Yes, KLC. I did some more research on the early NFL divisional alignment:

1) Falcons were also being pursued as an expansion team by the AFL. NFL brought the Falcons in a year early to start in 1966. Falcons were placed in the Eastern Conference but played a balanced schedule. They played each of the 14 other teams once. Odd number of teams (15) necessitated a Bye week, so 14 games in 15 weeks.
2) No full merger until 1970, so the AFL/NFL never played any crossover games for four years. Only AFL vs NFL game was the Super Bowl. Saints come in for 1967.
3) 16 teams lead to 4x4 divisions. No wildcards, only four division winners advance to the Playoffs. The divisional aligments for 1967 thru 1969 were very strange. The "NFL Coastal" division even lined up the Baltimore Colts with the west-coast teams (Niners, Rams). But this was a temporary situation.
* I think the Rams got hosed in 1967. Home field decided on a rotation basis. Not the best Packer team, maybe the best Ram team, game is played in Milwaukee (and the Packers win).

4) Full merger came in 1970. Colts, Steelers and Browns were shifted to the new AFC to balance the conferences at 13 teams each.
5) Read that the NFC alignment was very contentious. As you say, Dall/StLouis are much further west than Atlanta. Final alignment was selected from a hat with five proposed plans: https://www.nytimes.com/2000/02/27/s...nfc-teams.html.

[Mr KLC]

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[Roscoe_Word]

LMAO.....great stuff as usual..............

[Mr KLC]

[ChuckyTheGoat]

KLC, did you know that Earl threatened suit against Topps for use of his likeness on their cards?

He showed up on the 1979 rookie and I believe a Record Breaker and Team card in the same year. After that, Campbell did not appear on another Topps card. Topps didn't want to risk lawsuit.

[Mr KLC]

[Mr KLC]

KLC, did you know that Earl threatened suit against Topps for use of his likeness on their cards?

He showed up on the 1979 rookie and I believe a Record Breaker and Team card in the same year. After that, Campbell did not appear on another Topps card. Topps didn't want to risk lawsuit.

I remember when in 1981 I kept buying Topps football cards looking for the Earl Campbell card. It was a decade later that I learned about this story. I should have known something was up when I got their Oilers leaders card and Earl Campbell, and his rushing yards, were not included on it.

[Mr KLC]

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[ChuckyTheGoat]

Picture tells a 1,000 words. Too cute.

[Mr KLC]

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[ChuckyTheGoat]

That's your guy. 1986 still has to go down as the most dramatic post-season ever:

*AL Championship: Dave Henderson hits the HR off Donnie Moore. Red Sox come back from down 3-1. Moore kills himself a few yrs later.
*NL Championship: So many close games. Mets are furiously trying to avoid Gm7, which would be another start against Mike Scott. Mets win Game 6 in extra innings, w/ Orosco running on fumes.
*World Series: Red Sox franchise had the LONG draught. Clemens picks up the blister in Game 6. It's hard to imagine the Mets coming back to win that game without Clemens going out. Goes to extra innings, Red Sox score two in top of the inning, up 5-3. Bottom of the inning, Hernandez hits it well but flies out to deep center.

Keith goes into the clubhouse, cracks open a beer in Davey's office, now watching the game on TV. "The Kid" fights it off, singles. Kevin Mitchell is calling his travel agent to book an early flight, gets called out to pinch-hit, he singles. Ray Knight bloops a single over the infield.

"The Kid" scores, 5-4. Bob Stanley in to put the fire out. So many Red Sox fans still think the Buckner ground ball would have locked up the series. No, the key play was the Passed Ball where Gedman gets crossed up. Mitchell scores, tied at 5-5.

Nubbed ground ball by Mookie, handcuffs Buckner. Surely, an injured Buckner was worried about getting beat to the bag. Rolls between his legs. Mets win, 6-5.

Game 7 is Rained out. Oil Can Boyd was ready to go, he gets scratched for Bruce Hurst. Hurst had left his glove at Fenway, thinking his season was over. They had to drive Hurst's glove to Shea for Game 7.

Red Sox leading again. Hernandez gets the key hit. And I'll always remember the MAJESTIC shot that Strawberry hit to seal it.

Might be the longest Home Run TROT on record. Ray Knight called him out on it at home plate, b/c Ray must have thought he was going to get plunked.

[Mr KLC]