Split season, instead of tanking.

John Smoltz on MLB Network today again advocated a split season. I agree that this would be much better than many teams jumping on the current band wagon: completely blowing up a team in order to rebuild. Hey, it worked for the Astros and Cubs. It works, except when it doesn't.

In 1981 there was a shutdown in the middle of the season in a dispute between the team owners and the players association. To make the remainder of the season meaningful and interesting, the leagues declared a split season, with the winners of each half qualifying for the post season. Each league had two divisions, east and west. Half winners:
AL East: Yankees, Brewers
AL West: Athletics, Royals
NL East: Phillies, Expos (Reds best record overall: 66-42)
NL West: Dodgers, Astros (Cardinals best record overall: 59-43)

The NL had the oddity of neither the Cardinals or Reds qualifying because nether team won either half. The rules were made up on the fly in 1981 and this could be handled better this millennium.

It was the precursor of the current tournament with that short first round. It worked pretty well in 1981 but they haven't had the basic common sense to consider it since that semi emergency situation.

I don't know if Smoltz got his idea from that real life 1981 experience or if he borrowed it from a minor league or if he dreamed it up. It makes more sense than teams tanking in July with more than one third of the season remaining.

I have long advocated banning trades during the season. That would also prevent in-season tanking. But a split season has added benefits.

If an otherwise good team is way down in the standings due to injuries, that team can regroup in the second half, if its injured players return, and still qualify for the tournament.

Obviously, almost all teams should be able to be competitive for half a season. Pitchers could be rested in the second half if a team had already qualified. Even if in-season trades were still allowed, hardly any teams would need or want to tank. Their fans would not find tanking acceptable, if the team could simply regroup in the second half ... or at least give it a try.