Swap Washington and Tampa.

First in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen.

That's Washington, the father of his country.

First in war, first in peace, and last in the American League.

That's Washington, the baseball team for over 50 years.  Washington was considered so bad by the 1950s that the team is used in the hit Broadway musical "Damn Yankees" based on the Douglass Wallop novel "The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant".  A long suffering fan of the hapless Washington Senators sells his soul to the devil so that he could become a slugger (Shoeless Joe From Hannibal, Mo) who leads the Senators to the pennant over the Yankees.

Can you imagine someone in Tampa selling his soul for the baseball team?

Since the merger of the old leagues in 1999 into what I call the Major Baseball League (MBL), two teams have been moved from one conference to the other:
- Milwaukee to the National
- Houston to the American.

Moving the Milwaukee Brewers in 1998 made a little sense as the Boston Braves stopped in Milwaukee long enough (1953-1965) on their way to Atlanta to win two pennants (1957, 1958).  Moving Houston ... well what can you say about a team that paid it's players less than $15 million in 2013, about as close to the minimum as you can get by paying near rookie level money to 25 players.

So what the heck?  Why not another switch, one that makes some sense.

Obviously, Washington belongs in the American Conference, back in the same division with its old nemesis, the Yankees, especially now that the teams are experiencing a reversal of fortune.

Tampa would be in the same division as Miami.

Saturday, September 28, 2013  Why does Florida have teams and other comments on attendance.

Tampa and Miami are last in their respective conferences in attendance per game...

Miami has an excuse: the worst record in the National Conference (NC).  Tampa is tied with Cleveland for the two American Conference (AC) wild card spots in the upcoming tournament with Texas one game behind and two games remaining.  What gives with Tampa?  Miami, when it was still called Florida, won the tournament in 1997 and 2003 only to disband both times and leave its fans with losing teams.
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Obviously, Florida should not have teams but as long as the MBL insists, they might as well be in the same division, not in entirely different conferences.  Even though they are not close:

http://www.distance-cities.com/distance-miami-fl-to-tampa-fl

There are 203 miles from Miami and Tampa and 280 miles by car.

Miami and Tampa are 4 hours 33 mins far apart (by car).
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You never know. Maybe some sort of Florida rivalry might emerge.  If not, so what?  No harm.  Washington would likely benefit.  The other division teams would definitely benefit, avoiding those long trips to Tampa to play before small crowds.  Baltimore and Washington would develop a natural rivalry.  And Boston.  OK, not Toronto but what the heck is Toronto doing with a team anyway?

Maybe the owners will be struck by lightening at their upcoming meeting and select a replacement for the late MBL commissioner Allen Huber "Bud" Selig.  Why waste another year waiting for Bud to finally vacate?  Get him the heck out of there and try reversing all the damage over which Bud presided.