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Friday, May 16, 2008

Hagen: Interleague play has some redeeming value

So does Pickettywitch...but I ain’t buying a deluxe gatefold sleeve greatest hit package of their crap!

Interleague play has arrived once again as the Phillies prepare to play their natural American League rivals. That, of course, would be the Toronto Blue Jays. While waiting for the first pitch, please select the appropriate video clip from the following menu. Press 1 for Plague of Locusts. Press 2 for Doomsday Thunderclouds. Press 3 for Owners Sitting Around Counting Money.

Just teasing. All the arguments against this no-longer-novel novelty have been outlined before in this tiny little corner of the baseball universe. And yet, it continues. Press 3.

There will be, in fact, one series that just might make the whole thing worthwhile. It will begin tonight, when the Mets visit Yankee Stadium for the first of three games.

That’s always a big deal in New York, where the residents tend to believe that Galileo was wrong and that all things revolve around the Big Apple instead of the sun. But it will be especially piquant this weekend.

Repoz Posted: May 16, 2008 at 08:05 AM | 52 comment(s)
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   1. RMc is the President of the United States Posted: May 16, 2008 at 08:42 AM (#2782956)
Well, it's not like the Phillies and Blue Jays have ever played any important games against each other.
   2. Edmundo(Erstwhile Master of Diagramming Sentences) Posted: May 16, 2008 at 08:54 AM (#2782960)
And they play in spring training all the time because of proximity.
But there is no feeling of rivalry in Philadelphia towards Toronto -- the Phils fans did not expect that team to accomplish anything, much less get to the WS.

EDIT: In fact, the Phils fans focus their mild '93 WS anger on Fregosi, for robomanaging with Mitch Williams. Must use closer, must use closer, don't care if arm has been shot for 2 months, must use closer.
   3. kevin Posted: May 16, 2008 at 08:58 AM (#2782962)
That legendary Tampa/St. Louis rivalry should get a much-need jumpstart tonight. It hasn't been much lately but back in the day...wow.
   4. Edmundo(Erstwhile Master of Diagramming Sentences) Posted: May 16, 2008 at 09:02 AM (#2782965)
meh –adjective
feeling evoked by interleague play
   5. Son of Snigglet Posted: May 16, 2008 at 09:10 AM (#2782972)
Round one of the big Twins/Rockies rivalry gets underway tonight. I hear the umpires are gonna warn both teams before the first pitch. Steve Phillips says it's good for baseball.
   6. The Most Interesting Man In The World Posted: May 16, 2008 at 10:35 AM (#2783075)
Oh yeah, and the White Sox/Giants rivalry, featuring the most and least animated managers in baseball, picks up tonight at Phoneco Park.
   7. rlc Posted: May 16, 2008 at 10:59 AM (#2783090)
I was looking forward to the series between the first place Marlins and the first place Rays, but I see they'll need to maintain their respective division leads for another month to make it happen...
   8. 1k5v3L Posted: May 16, 2008 at 11:02 AM (#2783095)
How did the Tigers become AZ's "natural" interleague rival?
   9. Misirlou in a Gleaming Alloy Air Car Posted: May 16, 2008 at 11:11 AM (#2783101)
That legendary Tampa/St. Louis rivalry should get a much-need jumpstart tonight. It hasn't been much lately but back in the day...wow.


The Cardinals did their spring training in downtown St Pete for 60 years, at the proposed location for the Ray's new digs, so there's something there.
   10. Chip Posted: May 16, 2008 at 11:20 AM (#2783112)
Don't forget that thrilling Red Sox-Brewers matchup!
   11. salvomania Posted: May 16, 2008 at 11:22 AM (#2783114)
And the entire city of St. Louis howled in protest when Al Reyes signed with Tampa Bay. It'll be interesting to see how raw that wound is.
   12. kevin Posted: May 16, 2008 at 11:26 AM (#2783120)
Don't forget that thrilling Red Sox-Brewers matchup!


Whoa, whoa. Wait a minute.

There's a direct historical link there. The Boston Braves moved to Milwaukee in the early fifties. Then, after a while, they moved out of Milwaukee and went to Atlanta. So Milwaukee needed a team and they imported one from Seattle. Which then became the Brewers. Natural historical rival of the Red Sox.

Plus, when you fly to Seattle from Boston, you often have to catch a connecting flight in Chicago, which then flies over Milwaukee on the way there.

I can't believe you missed that, Chip.
   13. The Jerry Royster Experience Posted: May 16, 2008 at 11:33 AM (#2783126)
There are two series that are keeping interleague play going - Yankees/Mets, and White Sox/Cubs. All other interleague matchups lost their novelty factor years ago.
   14. TerpNats Posted: May 16, 2008 at 11:36 AM (#2783131)
There are two series that are keeping interleague play going - Yankees/Mets, and White Sox/Cubs. All other interleague matchups lost their novelty factor years ago.
Arte Moreno, people who ride BART, and commuters on the B-W Parkway might disagree. (Okay, the last one hasn't reached sellout stage yet, but give Cuban Pete some time.)
   15. SouthSideRyan(roots for dreck) Posted: May 16, 2008 at 11:37 AM (#2783132)
That legendary Tampa/St. Louis rivalry should get a much-need jumpstart tonight. It hasn't been much lately but back in the day...wow


Yeah this game's gonna be #### compared to Tampa's usual heated rivalry games.
   16. Alex Gordon's #1 Fan Posted: May 16, 2008 at 11:38 AM (#2783133)
JEREMY HERMIDA! MARK TEAHEN! JORGE CANTU! MARK GRUDZIELANEK! All the big names come out to play when the Royals face off in interleague action against the hated Florida Marlins, TONIGHT on Fox Sports Kansas City!
   17. bunyon Posted: May 16, 2008 at 11:42 AM (#2783138)
Interleague has certainly lost its novelty, but they're still baseball games. I mean, Royals v. Marlins has as much interest to me as Royals v. Mariners or Marlins v. Padres. I understand thinking too much is made of interleague, but I don't get not liking that there are games being played.
   18. Bob Dernier Ressort Posted: May 16, 2008 at 11:45 AM (#2783143)
The above posts are RDF. I think interleague play is pretty stupid, but I do have to admit that the Astros and Rangers both putting together hot streaks in May makes this weekend's series more than usually interesting. There is an extremely lukewarm but genuine rivalry between the two clubs – not on account of the Silver Boot or whatever the heck they give the winner, but just because it is all intrastate, and both teams' TV regions comprise the whole state. If the Rangers aren't on I am likely to be watching an Astros game, and it's decent fun to see the two teams play each other.
   19. Barry`s_Lazy_Boy Posted: May 16, 2008 at 11:47 AM (#2783145)
Interleague should drop to 6 games a year, so that the "real" rivalries can be played, but all the other BS ones are limited.
   20. Alex Gordon's #1 Fan Posted: May 16, 2008 at 11:48 AM (#2783148)
I find it silly that the Royals will play more games this year against the Cardinals than they will against the Angels.
   21. ellsbury my heart at wounded knee Posted: May 16, 2008 at 11:52 AM (#2783155)
Maybe I'm the only one who kinda likes interleague play. It gives me a chance to see my team play against guys I've heard of but haven't really seen that much. It's cool just to see that. Not everything has to be a heated rivalry.
   22. bunyon Posted: May 16, 2008 at 11:52 AM (#2783156)
Silly, perhaps, but good for the Royals.
   23. Robert in Redondo Posted: May 16, 2008 at 11:54 AM (#2783159)
It's Braves-A's tonight in the "Thanks for giving us Tim Hudson for three shiny buttons" series. Can't wait!
   24. Belfry Bob Posted: May 16, 2008 at 11:59 AM (#2783163)
and commuters on the B-W Parkway might disagree. (Okay, the last one hasn't reached sellout stage yet, but give Cuban Pete some time.)

Will never happen. DC fans don't care enough about their OWN team, much like a rivalry with the Orioles. This one's never gotten off the ground and never will. DC fans care about their own division, and the O's fans care about the Yanks and Sox...not each other.

At least the Phillies' fans aren't coming to Camden any more. That's a blessing.
   25. Barry`s_Lazy_Boy Posted: May 16, 2008 at 12:04 PM (#2783169)
Maybe I'm the only one who kinda likes interleague play. It gives me a chance to see my team play against guys I've heard of but haven't really seen that much. It's cool just to see that. Not everything has to be a heated rivalry.

My biggest issue with the "eh, interleague games that are semi-interesting", is that they still run into the DH/non-DH issue. There needs to be a good reason to play these games, IMO.
   26. ohboyjjf Posted: May 16, 2008 at 12:08 PM (#2783177)
I love inter-league play !! Whenever going to the ballpark ( Fenway ) I try to catch different teams ( esp. the National League ). Here is my chance to see ball players that normally we do not get a chance to see in person. I usually go to 3 games a year and make it a point to see one National League team per year. Being a fan of baseball I've also visited Phil, NYM and Cubs recently. Enjoy it while you can !!
   27. Rodder Posted: May 16, 2008 at 12:14 PM (#2783190)
I agree with ellsbury. I live in SoCal so I can see all the teams anyway, but I imagine in places like Seattle, Denver, Phoenix or KC that it is a great opportunity to see the other teams.

Did a quick calculation of total attendance the first Friday of interleague play last year (462,202) with the closest in time Friday game of each of the same 14 home teams (438,826). The total increase was about 6%, but obviously could have been affected by weather, other promotions, etc. Oak, Mil and the Mets saw the biggest increases; in the other cities the differences were negligible.

edited to remove numbers from one national league matchup
   28. The Jerry Royster Experience Posted: May 16, 2008 at 12:20 PM (#2783197)
I understand thinking too much is made of interleague, but I don't get not liking that there are games being played.

It's not like if there were no interleague play, they would just be taking the time off. They'd still be playing baseball.
   29. The Jerry Royster Experience Posted: May 16, 2008 at 12:22 PM (#2783200)
Arte Moreno, people who ride BART, and commuters on the B-W Parkway might disagree.

Dodgers/Angels and Giants/A's aren't real rivalries. I live in San Francisco, and nobody I know gets excited for the Bay Area series.
   30. Rodder Posted: May 16, 2008 at 12:27 PM (#2783205)
Dodgers/Angels and Giants/A's aren't real rivalries. I live in San Francisco, and nobody I know gets excited for the Bay Area series.

I am a former resident of the Bay Area, and agree with you on the A's/Giants, but I know plenty of people down south here who are very interested in the Dodgers/Angels series. For the Angels, I would say it slightly surpasses interest in their matchups with the Red Sox and Yankees, and greatly surpasses all other series.
   31. villageidiom Posted: May 16, 2008 at 12:27 PM (#2783206)
There's a direct historical link there. The Boston Braves moved to Milwaukee in the early fifties. Then, after a while, they moved out of Milwaukee and went to Atlanta. So Milwaukee needed a team and they imported one from Seattle. Which then became the Brewers. Natural historical rival of the Red Sox.

The Boston Braves started in the National Association as the Boston Red Stockings. The Orioles started out as the Milwaukee Brewers, then moved to St. Louis where they became the Browns before moving on to Baltimore, from where an Orioles team moved long ago to New York, eventually becoming the Yankees.

So, any matchup between any two of New York, Boston, Atlanta, Milwaukee, Baltimore, St. Louis, and Seattle can be considered Red Sox / Yankees.

Throwing out the first pitch, Kevin Bacon.
   32. Justin T Posted: May 16, 2008 at 12:28 PM (#2783208)
JRE, they're just as much rivalries as Yankees/Mets and Cubs/White Sox, meaning none of them are rivalries. I don't see the same level of vitriol between the fanbases, but there's definitely interest and I want the A's to kick the Giants heads in more than I want every other NL team to do the same.

Nevertheless, when I get home tonight I'm gonna watch the archive of Pittsburgh/Chicago Cubs.

Or, I would if it wasn't going to be 100 degrees in my house until 1am. So I'm actually gonna get trashed at some air conditioned bar. There goes the stimulus check I got today.
   33. The Jerry Royster Experience Posted: May 16, 2008 at 12:30 PM (#2783212)
And I'll add that I personally don't like any of the interleague matchups. I'm a White Sox fan, and I dread the seties against the Cubs. People in Chicago act like morons during those series.
   34. Alex Gordon's #1 Fan Posted: May 16, 2008 at 12:36 PM (#2783221)
And I'll add that I personally don't like any of the interleague matchups. I'm a White Sox fan, and I dread the seties against the Cubs. People in Chicago act like morons during those series.

That's another reason why I don't like the "regional" rivals. Too many visiting fans in our stadium. Kauffman gets flooded with Cardinals fans. I'm sure US Cellular gets flooded with Cubs fans. I know, I know, if we filled up our own stadium, we wouldn't have this problem. Still, its annoying.
   35. scotto Posted: May 16, 2008 at 12:39 PM (#2783228)
People in Chicago act like morons during those series.

If you've ever checked out Chicago Craigslist rants and raves section, you'll find evidence that this is true before, during and after the IL series.

You'll also find plenty of other crap that will make you despair for the fate of humankind.
   36. bads85 Posted: May 16, 2008 at 01:11 PM (#2783260)
Dodgers/Angels and Giants/A's aren't real rivalries.


What the hell is a real rivalry then? One in which fans get shot in the parking lot? The Angels/Dodgers rivarly in Southern California is quickly catching the dulling Giants/Dodgers rivalry. Unlike decades past, Moreno's Angels have staked major territorial claims in the Southland. Recently, Dodger fans can't ignore the Angels anymore.
   37. Greg Pope Posted: May 16, 2008 at 01:32 PM (#2783281)
Interleague has certainly lost its novelty, but they're still baseball games. I mean, Royals v. Marlins has as much interest to me as Royals v. Mariners or Marlins v. Padres. I understand thinking too much is made of interleague, but I don't get not liking that there are games being played.

I'd have to agree with this. Where are all of the howling protests when the Twins play the Marlins? Are teams supposed to have A)Rivalries with every team that they play, or B)Only play teams that they have rivalries with? I mean, sure some people would like to see 162 Yankees vs. Red Sox games, but not most.
   38. Boots Day Posted: May 16, 2008 at 02:17 PM (#2783327)
I live in SoCal so I can see all the teams anyway, but I imagine in places like Seattle, Denver, Phoenix or KC that it is a great opportunity to see the other teams.

The Twins are in Colorado tonight, and it's not any bigger (or lesser) deal than when the Astros or Braves are here. The one time interleague play made a difference was when the Yankees were in town last year: All three weekday games sold out very quickly.

And of course the Rockies swept the series.
   39. TerpNats Posted: May 16, 2008 at 02:19 PM (#2783332)
Interleague has certainly lost its novelty, but they're still baseball games. I mean, Royals v. Marlins has as much interest to me as Royals v. Mariners or Marlins v. Padres.
Isn't it interesting that citations such as this almost inevitably refer to post-expansion teams? How about substituting "Phillies vs. Cardinals" as a non-interleague example? Ever since they no longer play in the same division, the only juice in this rivalry came from J.D. Drew, and later Scott Rolen. And aside from 1964, was there really much juice beforehand?
   40. Edmundo(Erstwhile Master of Diagramming Sentences) Posted: May 16, 2008 at 02:24 PM (#2783333)
And aside from 1964, was there really much juice beforehand?
There was a certain juice in playing a team 22 times a year. You got pretty familiar with your in-league foes. And since you only saw the AL (in my case) at the AS and WS games and possibly the Game of the Week, the other league was a mystery.
But with the doubling of the number of teams, your own league is not that familiar any more so the diff between interleague and a non-division game is close to nil. That's why I check the "Meh" box on the ESPN poll about how I fell about interleague play.
   41. Declino DeShields Posted: May 16, 2008 at 02:31 PM (#2783343)
Will never happen. DC fans don't care enough about their OWN team, much like a rivalry with the Orioles.


Leaving aside whether DC fans care enough about their own team -- or whether O's fans have been lulled to death by a decade of suck -- the fanbases have a common enemy in Angelos. A good rivalry doesn't really rise up by way of enemy-of-your-enemy-is-your-friend.
   42. Bob Dernier Ressort Posted: May 16, 2008 at 02:37 PM (#2783358)
There was a certain juice in playing a team 22 times a year. You got pretty familiar with your in-league foes

This got even more concentrated in the 1970s. You only played intradivision rivals 18 times, but there were only five of them, and the entire month of September was intradivision. I really liked that arrangement. And I sort of like the current imbalanced schedules, as one of the least bad of many options for a 30-team MLB.
   43. Edmundo(Erstwhile Master of Diagramming Sentences) Posted: May 16, 2008 at 02:41 PM (#2783372)
#42, agree with the unbalanced schedules. They focus me in on the divisional race and having a heavy slate of divisional games in Sept. helps too.
   44. Jamey Carroll Wojtyła (Dan Lee) Posted: May 16, 2008 at 02:48 PM (#2783380)
Interleague play has some redeeming value

Sure it does...it gives me 3+ more hours of free time per day to get things done.
   45. Rusty Priske Posted: May 16, 2008 at 02:49 PM (#2783384)
Not that I dispute what you are saying (living FAR from teh Bay Area) but WHY wouldn't the Giants/A's have a rivalry?

That sounds like pretty incompetant marketing if they can't get the fans fired up about that!
   46. TWO!-OH!-OH!-OH! CLAP!-CLAP!-CLAP!CLAP!CLAP! Posted: May 16, 2008 at 02:53 PM (#2783388)
Isn't it interesting that citations such as this almost inevitably refer to post-expansion teams? How about substituting "Phillies vs. Cardinals" as a non-interleague example?

The difference being that Phillies/Cardinals isn't presented as part of some bold daring visionary plan to Save Major League Baseball in the same way that Interleague Plague is spun.
   47. The Jerry Royster Experience Posted: May 16, 2008 at 02:55 PM (#2783392)
Not that I dispute what you are saying (living FAR from teh Bay Area) but WHY wouldn't the Giants/A's have a rivalry?

Part of it is geography - A's fans and Giants fans usually don't rub elbows. While there's a bit of overlap, for the most part, the fans stay on their respective side of the Bay.

Part of it is that there are a lot of transplants in the Bay Area. It's harder to get tickets to see the A's play the Red Sox or the Yankees than it is to see them play the Giants.

And part of it is the general culture about professional sports on the West Coast. It just isn't the same as it is back East for whatever reason.
   48. Random Transaction Generator Posted: May 16, 2008 at 03:04 PM (#2783411)
All this interleague stuff means absolutely ####-all if there isn't a trophy involved.
   49. standuptriple Posted: May 16, 2008 at 03:10 PM (#2783417)
Does nobody from the Bay Area remember those God-awful half A's-half Giants caps? Those things were everywhere when I was growing up. I agree though, that there isn't a huge rivalry. More like a Big Brother, Little step-brother rivalry. We are coming up on the 20th Aniv of the Bay Bride Series (thought about that and Loma Prieta/50' span falling on the way in this AM).

I'd accept a home/home vs rival and maybe adding a 4 game set every other year or something. Right now though, the races are just starting to get interesting and this rears it's ugly head.

I'm curious about some of the more wild conspiracy-based theories about Interleague.
   50. Son of Snigglet Posted: May 16, 2008 at 06:19 PM (#2783622)
I mock interleague play, but yeah, it's still baseball--I just find it kind of obnoxious how the media and MLB act like it's anything more than a marketing ploy.

The Minnesota/Milwaukee series does have some old rivalry leftover from when the Brewers were in the AL. My mom still makes the drive from Minneapolis to Milwaukee every summer to see the Twins play there, just as she has since the early 80s.
   51. Son of Snigglet Posted: May 16, 2008 at 06:58 PM (#2783659)
Also, if not for interleague play, AJ would have never gotten punched by Michael Barrett.
   52. Belfry Bob Posted: May 17, 2008 at 09:15 AM (#2783996)
the fanbases have a common enemy in Angelos.

Oh, please. The guy is supposedly hated by the 'vast' Nats fanbase for trying to protect his turf, and by O's fans for hiring a bunch of boobs to run his team/meddling with said team. Now the Nats' fans have their team (not that most of them can be bothered with actually going to see it, mind you), and he's hired good people in his front office and has butted out.

So now he's being blamed for putting a damper on the interleague series?

As far as I can tell, the problem is that a lot of Nats' fans were O's fans for a long time, so they can't work up a good lather (this is obviously excepting the 'Boswell Bunch' who decided that Angelos is the Anti-Christ for not wanting another team 40 miles from his)...plus, there's just no history; it's just not like Chicago or NY.

Besides, when you attend a Redskins game and hear the resounding 'O' during the National Anthem, it pretty much tells you that a 'rivalry' isn't about to break out anytime soon.
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