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Interleague
Play
As
I suffer through another week of meaningless interleague games (like
Detroit vs. Cincinnati), the thought occurred to me . . . I better
get used to this crap. That's right folks, I said get used to it.
This is the fifth season with interleague play.
If
you haven't checked the numbers, Major League Baseball has. And the
attendance numbers are showing that YOU like it. (Of course, I stress
YOU because I hate it). The average attendance for INTERleague games
is 11.7 percent greater than the INTRAleague average. To the league's
bean counters and schedule makers, this is a good thing because, as
we all know, money drives EVERYTHING. They say that you like the
geographic rivalries. Huh? Why do fans in Cincy care about Detroit?
There is not a rivalry there, especially since they only see them
once or twice a year. Heck, most fans don't know the other
INTRAleague teams, let alone the interleague teams.
One
of the biggest reasons why I hate interleague play is that it's
unfair to the American League teams. The National League pitchers bat
every game, the AL pitchers ONLY bat in NL parks. The NL pitchers
take batting practice several days a week ALL SEASON LONG. Most AL
pitchers have not seen live pitching since high school or college. In
other words, the average AL pitcher has about the same chance as you
or I at getting a hit. Now I'm not trying to debate the designated
hitter rule -- which I am against -- that's a whole other story. My
point is that until both leagues play by the same set of rules at all
times, it's not fair to play without the DH.
There
are other reasons not to like whole interleague schedules . . .
like losing the mystique of the World Series. Part of the deal is
that you are playing the other league champion -- someone that you
have NEVER faced -- so that there are no familiarity advantages for
either team. Last year's so-called "Subway Series" was a
farce since the Yankees had already faced the Mets in the middle of
June. They knew their pitchers, they knew their hitters. It wasn't
truly a unique situation like previous World Series in which the
teams never faced each other.
Why
not make the season 15 days shorter so that people in the rust belt
don't have to watch early and late season games with a threat of
snow? Less games?! What are you, a communist? We can't loose the
revenue, belly ache the owners. It's crap, I tell you. I predict that
interleague attendance will decrease as the novelty wears off. But,
in the hunt for the all mighty buck, apparently no one cares about
the fans or the game.
Locker
Room is written by Michael Skordeles
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