Realigning Opinion of Angels

Baseball realignment scares a good many people, most of them cellular phone-toting, CD-listening, PC-hacking, fax machine-owning, self-described “traditionalists.”

I used to ask why--no sport being in greater need of new juice than the old National Past-Its-Time--but that was before I did some research.

You know what the traditionalists fear?

The Angels.

According to the proposal just rubber-stamped by baseball’s owners, both leagues are headed for a three-division format, complete with wild-card playoff entrant, modeled after the NFL.

The 1994 or 1995 American League, for example, would look like this:

West--Angels, Oakland, Seattle, Texas.

Central--Chicago, Detroit, Kansas City, Milwaukee, Minnesota.

East--Baltimore, Boston, Cleveland, New York, Toronto.

Immediately, this configuration would appear to bode well for Oakland, which lost Dave Stewart and Mike Moore, but also the White Sox and the Twins; for Milwaukee, which would have been a division champion in 1992; and for Cleveland, which will never again finish lower than fifth.

But suppose the American League had adopted this alignment the last time it expanded, in 1977, when Toronto and Seattle joined the mix. A 15-year scan of the results (strike-shortened 1981 was thrown out) fairly rattles some long-held perceptions about certain franchises, scrambling the notion of winners and losers and tilting the balance of power as it has been commonly accepted.

Under the two-division format, Texas is Team Also-Ran, never a playoff participant in an existence dating back to 1961.

Under the three-division format, Texas is three-time champion of the AL West (‘77, ‘83, ‘91) and co-champion in ‘78, giving the Rangers more divisional titles than Minnesota (two) and as many outright titles as Boston, Baltimore and New York.

Two-division format: The Brewers have one moment of glory, their lone World Series appearance--and defeat--in 1982.

Three-division format: The Brewers make five playoff appearances in 15 years, winning the AL Central four times (‘78, ‘79, ‘82, ‘92) and earning a wild card in ’87.

Two-division format: The Angels, circa 1993, are the laughing stock of major league baseball.

Three-division format: The Angels, circa 1978-1989, are a major league baseball mini-dynasty. They are five-time champions of the AL West, plus owners of a co-championship in ’78. They win three titles in a row (‘84, ‘85, ‘86) and five in eight seasons (add ’79 and ’82.) Throw in a wild card in ’89 and the Angels reach the playoffs six times for sure and maybe seven, depending how that ’78 tie with Texas is broken.

If it’s seven, the Angels and the Blue Jays share the lead for most AL playoff appearances from 1977-1992. At seven, the Angels would have more playoff appearances than Oakland (six), New York (six), Kansas City (five), Boston (five), Baltimore (five) and Minnesota (three).

To put it another way, under a three-division format, the Angels are as dominant as any American League team has been over the past 15 seasons.

No wonder Jackie Autry voted for realignment.

The reshuffling of baseball history is something to behold--and, if you’re a Royals fan, something to send shivers down your spine. In real life, the ’78 Angels (87-75) finished five games behind Kansas City (92-70). But in realigned life, the Angels tie the Rangers for first place in the AL West while Kansas City misses the playoffs altogether, finishing behind AL Central champion Milwaukee (93-69) and wild card Boston (99-64).

It gets worse.

In real life, the ’84 Royals won the West with a record of 84-78, three games in front of the 81-81 Angels. But in realigned life, the .500 Angels win the West and the Royals place 20 games back in the Central, sucking the exhaust of 104-game winner Detroit.

The greatest travesties, though, occur in the ’83 and ’87 seasons, which produce one playoff field with a sub-.500 division winner and another that snubs the eventual World Series champion.

Three divisions in 1983 would have meant Texas winning the AL West with a record of 77-85--a .475 winning percentage. Chicago, the actual West champion in ‘83, takes its 99 victories over to the AL Central.

And in 1987, World Series champion Minnesota fails to even qualify for the playoffs. Move the Twins, who finished the regular season 85-77, to the Central and they finish 13 games behind Detroit (98-64). Oakland wins the West by merely breaking even (81-81). And Milwaukee, at 91-71, earns the wild card.

Imagine: Les Straker never pitches in the World Series.

Society today would be that much more diminished.

However, three-division baseball would have righted some historical wrongs, most strikingly the “choke” of the ’78 Red Sox. Up by 14 games on July 17, the Red Sox lost all of that lead during the final 2 1/2 months, forcing a one-game playoff with the Yankees, which the Red Sox also lost.

Had there been three divisions then, Boston comes away with the wild card and millions of New England kids get to snuggle in their beds, their peaceful sleep undisturbed by 3 a.m. screaming jags of “Bucky Dent! Bucky Dent! Oh no, not Bucky Dent!”

For that reason alone, realignment is worth a consideration. Consult the 1980 Baltimore Orioles if you disagree. The 1980 Orioles went 100-62--and missed the playoffs by three games. Where, Earl Weaver would like to know, was the wild card when he needed it?

It’s coming now, due for arrival by 1995 at the latest. The Angels can hardly wait, and who can blame them?

“Fourth place” sounds so much better than “last.”