We already mentioned it a few days ago that next year could be the last season in the German Baseball-Bundesliga with 16 teams. Due to the apparent competitive difference between the north and the south division, some clubs would like to erase division-play and get a one-league format in the near future. On November 15 at the general assembly the clubs in Germany will vote on a petition to change the format of the Baseball-Bundesliga.
Main points of the concept:
- Following the 2010 season the seventh and eighth ranked clubs in each division will get relegated automatically (right now only the eighth) and the sixth would have to play a relegation series (right now only the seventh) against a 2nd Baseball-Bundesliga team.
- Starting in 2011 six teams would play in each division. They would play the usual double round robin within the division, plus an interleague round against the respective other division after the first half of the season is finished. The top four teams in each division qualify for the playoffs. The sixth-ranked club has to play a playdown round against the two top-ranked teams from the 2nd Baseball-Bundesliga with the winner securing a Baseball-Bundesliga spot for the following year.
- The current format with nine-inning doubleheaders each game day remains the same.
This could be the first step towards a one-division league, but we’ll have to wait, if the petition receives the necessary number of votes.