The What-If Thread

[Guest]

Calvin Giffith, who owned the Washington Senators and then moved them to Minnesota where they became the Twins, nearly signed a young Cuban pitcher, but decided against it. He even asked this question: What if he had signed Fidel Castro?

Except none of that ever actually happened.

http://www.snopes.com/sports/baseball/castro.asp

[pmoehrin]

What if the AFL had continued their war for players and draft picks against the NFL. Would the NFL have folded, and how much different would the sport of professional football look today?

You're joking, right?

That merger was going to happen. There was simply too much money to be made to not do it. The one thing every owner in pro sports can agree on is players make too much money and they are going to do anything and everything they have to do to keep salaries down. It was just more beneficial for them to merge and not compete as much with each other then not communicate and have bidding wars over guys.

The only reason it didn't happen sooner was because the NFL didn't take the AFL seriously until around '64 when they started signing big name guys like Joe Namath right out of college for far more money then the NFL was offering. Once the NFL took notice though, it was just a matter of time before the two worked the differences out and became one league.

[Discrim]

football: what if the Oilers didn't have a defensive meltdown against the Bills?

baseball: what if the Braves never left Milwaukee?

[The Six]

I didn't write this, but it's too good not to share.

Because I'm getting nauseated with all the Mariano Rivera is the Paragon of Virtue nonsense in the wake if his getting the All Time Saves record, what if instead of happening in Panama, the accident that claimed the lives of Rivera's wife's cousin and that man's son happened here in the States somewhere?

First off, there is no way the investigation is as short as it was. Guarantee you that at least the national media would be all over this story more, sniffing out every single angle possible.

Chances are good that Rivera is held back from Spring Training 2005 due to the distraction the impending legal case would bring. Soooo, Yankees need a closer.

Oh and yes, there would be a trial. At least charges of negligent manslaughter based on the electrical wiring being :censored:ING LETHAL! Along with questions about why Rivera would be so intent in killing, rather than scaring off would be intruders or wild dogs from his pool.

To say nothing about a civil suit brought on by Rivera's wife's family, no doubt leading to the couple divorcing.

In other words, Saint Mariano had better thank his lucky stars that it happened in a country, and married into a family where he is the meal ticket. Because his perfect image would be forever tarnished, and it should be actually, if the accident happened here in the States.

[BLUELANDbeliever]

baseball: what if the Braves never left Milwaukee?

DONT EVEN JOKE ABOUT THAT!

[The_Admiral]

Then they would've been a middling team better than the Brewers tended to be but never reaching the heights of the Atlanta team, which were largely fueled by Ted Turner.

[pmoehrin]

If the Braves had stayed in Milwaukee, Atlanta would have probably been granted an instead of either Seattle or Montreal for the '69 season. I'd bet if push came to shove it would have been Seattle considering the problems they had from day one, and how badly MLB wanted to get into Canada.

No way MLB was turning down a market the size of Atlanta that had a state of the art stadium such as they did at the time.

What they would have been called, I'm not really sure, but I don't know how much would have changed. Ted Turner would have still bought the new Atlanta team at some point. Bud Selig would have taken over the Milwaukee Braves in all likelyhood as well. The Braves would probably have a much better history prior to 1991. That '82 team basically had to be built from scratch. The Milwaukee Braves are the only team in MLB history never to have a losing season. I think they would have had a much easier time transitioning into the late 70's/early 80's and may even have another World Series title or two under their belts. Turner's seen as a great owner now, but for a long time he really held back the Braves from being a great team.

[B-Rich]

If the Braves had stayed in Milwaukee, Atlanta would have probably been granted an (expansion team) instead of either Seattle or Montreal for the '69 season....

It may have happened earlier-- I wouldn't be surprised, given this scenario, if Charlie Finley would have moved his Kansas City A's to Atlanta rather than Oakland following the 1967 season, if Atlanta was a possibility... Finley had long been looking to move the A's. In 1962, he formally requested to move the team to the Dallas-Fort Worth area, but his request was denied by a 9?1 vote. In 1964, prior to the season's start, he was shot down by the same 9?1 vote on two requests for relocation: one to Louisville, and one to Oakland. After the 1967 season, the other AL owners finally gave him permission to move (to Oakland).

Under this scenario, we'd have the Atlanta A's, a a great alliterative name.

What they would have been called, I'm not really sure....

Interesting question. If it wasn't the A's and instead the 1969 expansion franchise that became the Seattle Pilots/Milwaukee Brewers, what would have been the name?

I think you could safely rule out them going the San Diego route and naming them after the minor league team. 1969 in the south was not a good time to call a team the "Atlanta Crackers". Then you could go with the "next good name" theory: by this time, Atlanta already had the Falcons and Hawks; the next major team in line was the 1972 NHL Atlanta Flames. "Flames" just doesn't seem to be a good baseball name. However, I think the name of Atlanta's second NHL incarnation may have fit. Continuing the avian trend of that time for Atlanta's pro teams, we may have seen the NL "Atlanta Thrashers" in Fulton County Stadium in 1969.

[Coast2CoastAM2006]

What if Peyton Manning became a bust instead of a future hall of fame QB? what impact does this have on future drafts?

[BLUELANDbeliever]

What if Peyton Manning became a bust instead of a future hall of fame QB? what impact does this have on future drafts?

What if he went to Ole Miss like the rest of the family?

[winghaz]

Then Peyton Manning would have been a dominating QB for Ole Miss instead of Tennessee.

[pmoehrin]

Then Peyton Manning would have been a dominating QB for Ole Miss instead of Tennessee.

Pretty much. He was going to work out in the NFL and in college no matter what barring injury.

That much talent combined with a work ethic like he has will result in success almost every single time. Most guys at the pro level and college level only have one going for them. Peyton is one of the few I've seen to have both.

[Saintsfan]

What if Peyton Manning became a bust instead of a future hall of fame QB? what impact does this have on future drafts?

Impossible to project something that complicated, but a more interesting sub question would be what happens to Eli if Peyton doesn't make it, for whatever reason, in the NFL? Was there enough in his college career to make him such a big name in his draft without the lustre that the Manning name had given him by then?

[Chawls]

What if Dale Earnhardt didn't die in that accident?

What if Doug Williams lost in the Super Bowl?

What if Ernie Davis didn't die from leukemia at 23 years of age?

What if Brock Lesnar, Bill Goldberg, and Kurt Angle had all succeeded in their pro football careers?

I'd love some answers.

[NEW.ERA]

What if Dale Earnhardt didn't die in that accident?

What if Doug Williams lost in the Super Bowl?

What if Ernie Davis didn't die from leukemia at 23 years of age?

What if Brock Lesnar, Bill Goldberg, and Kurt Angle had all succeeded in their pro football careers?

I'd love some answers.

Probably would have waited a bit longer for the massive safety changes that were so sorely needed. Dale might have been a player in that 2001 title chase and you'd think Kevin Harvick would have still been apart of RCR, and possibly stepped into the #3 a year or two later. I always ask this question everytime the 500 rolls around.

RIP3

[JTernup]

Then Peyton Manning would have been a dominating QB for Ole Miss instead of Tennessee.

He would've never replaced Todd Shelton who may have stuck with football and never been a Rockie or a HOFer

[TrueYankee26]

For the Yanks:

What if Aaron Boone didn't get injured before 2004 season?

What if the Yankees had pulled the trigger and traded Jesus Montero to Seattle for Cliff Lee?

What if Steinbrenner never was suspended in the early 90s?

[knnhrvy16]

What if Todd Helton played for New York or Boston? Where would he rank among this era's greats?

It's truly shocking to look him up and see what his stats really are. He's quietly been a consistently incredible hitter, but you'd never know it because of the small-market effect.

[Unocal]

What if the 1998 Vikings that went 15-1 had faced the 49ers instead of the Falcons in the NFC Championship Game?

[BigMac12]

What if Mariano Rivera got the Game 7 save in 2001 World Series?