Interleague play in the Major Leagues started in 1997 as a way to get people interested in baseball again after the 1994 strike. It started out with teams from the same geographic divisions playing each other, like the Yankees vs. the Mets, the White Sox vs. the Cubs, and the Indians vs. the Reds. This year there doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason as to which teams are playing each other, and it seems like there are more interleague games than ever. Personally, I think teams from the National League should not play teams from the American League unless it's the All-Star Game or the World Series. Now, if two teams who played each other in interleague play face each other in the World Series, the mystery of never having faced a particular pitcher or batter is lost. It'll be old news, like "Oh, I faced this guy earlier this season; I know what pitch to trow to him." That makes the World Series less unique and more predictable. Another reason I don't like interleague play is that the Designated Hitter rule (which I don't like to begin with) applies when playing in an American League park. This is all well and good when the NL visits, because their pitcher doesn't have to bat and you can use a good hitter from the bench. It's easier to manage - no double-switch, no lineup issues. But when the games are in the National League park, the Designated Hitter does not get to play as a starter, and the "Big Papi"s and "Vladi"s of the world just sit there on the bench, unused (except for the occasional pinch hit appearance).
So it's interleague time again, this time with some match ups that don't make much sense. The Mets are hosting the Angels, the Yankees are playing at Wrigley Field, and the Blue Jays are playing in Cincinnati. Really, is Target Field in Minnesota going to have more fans in attendance because the last-place Padres are in town? Does anybody care that the White Sox are in Arizona? Yes, it will be nice for fans at Fenway to get a glimpse of Prince Fielder and the Brewers; but wouldn't it be more exciting to experience that during a World Series instead of during a hot day in June? Luckily the Nationals and Orioles have kept their "beltway rivalry" alive because of interleague play; those are two teams that are so unlikely to face each other in a World Series that if you don't watch them during interleague play, you'll never get to see them play each other!
(I wonder what Kenesaw Mountain Landis would think of interleague play if he were alive today. Don't know who Judge Landis was?! Google him - you'll find out what an interesting life he had!)
Anyway, I'm not going to talk about the results of today's games (or yesterday's or the day before's), for fear of jinxing a certain team who has won 8 games in a row. I will give you my opinion and analysis of this streak when it's over, but in the meantime, I will remain silent regarding this matter. My lips are sealed! (Actually, I'm on my way to my son's Little League championship game - my lips won't remain sealed for very long!)
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