Interleague play

[JimmyBlueEyes]

I still like this idea. It lets me see teams I would normally not be interested in. However, I think they need to mix it up a little more...Discuss...

[Hasegawa]

There's only few interesting matchups every year.

-Mets/Janquis
-White Sox/Cubs
-A's/Queers (Giants)

The rest is bullshit remakes of World Series'.

[JimmyBlueEyes]

The regional ones like you mentioned are fun to watch. Yankees/Houston with Petite/Clemens pitching could be something even I would watch. St Louis/KC, Arizona/Texas. Shit, Mets/Cleveland next week is piquing my interest..

[Hasegawa]

My A's had an 11-0 lead, then 11-8...now it's 17-8!!!! We can't break our undefeated streak against the NL Central!

[The Brain]

Frankly, they need to stop treating interleague play like it's more exhibition rather than part of the regular season.

Taking the Yankees (for example), wouldn't it be easier to simply schedule a series against the Giants/Dodgers/Padres at the beginning of the season, when the team usually makes its long west coast trip to play Seattle, Anaheim and Oakland? They're already scheduled to be out there, so why make them return in mid-June to play another team (this year, two: Arizona and LA) for one set, and then have to return east?

Treat it like the NFL: one season (hell, I think it was as recent as last year), the Dallas Cowboys (NFC) played the Giants (NFC), then played the Jets (AFC) the following week. It made sense logistically because it's easy on the team's schedule. Less worry about fatigue, travel delays, etc.

The only thing that needs to be considered is the DH-- either make it de facto for both leagues already, or (following Edgar Martinez' retirement, since he is the last pure DH), make the pitcher hit in both leagues. I don't care, pick one rule and stick with it.

Also, because of the unbalanced schedule, interleague play (except against the designated "rival"-- in this case, the Mets) does not include home-and-home sets. Last year, much was made about the Yanks being in Wrigley Field for the first time since 1938. Well, how about those of us who wanted to see Sammy Sosa swinging in Yankee Stadium? Didn't happen. And because the Yanks are facing the NL West now, it won't happen for a few more years, at least, barring a World Series matchup.

[Keyser Soze]

15 innings!!!

[IrishAlkey]

Most uninteresting, unimportant, boring-to-fuck games ever.

[Topper Harley]

Originally posted by The Brain

Treat it like the NFL: one season (hell, I think it was as recent as last year), the Dallas Cowboys (NFC) played the Giants (NFC), then played the Jets (AFC) the following week. It made sense logistically because it's easy on the team's schedule. Less worry about fatigue, travel delays, etc.

do you really think that they will stay on the east coast the entire week? I'd rather fly home so I can sleep in my own bed.

[Jimbo]

I would like a a break sometime from the crosstown rivalries - Yankees/Mets to me has just lost a lot of luster. Other than that, it's just pretty meaningless.

[The Brain]

Originally posted by Topper Harley

Originally posted by The Brain

Treat it like the NFL: one season (hell, I think it was as recent as last year), the Dallas Cowboys (NFC) played the Giants (NFC), then played the Jets (AFC) the following week. It made sense logistically because it's easy on the team's schedule. Less worry about fatigue, travel delays, etc.

do you really think that they will stay on the east coast the entire week? I'd rather fly home so I can sleep in my own bed.

You're absolutely right-- especially since (after hunting down the Cowboys' <a href=http://www.nbc5i.com/nfl066/2091120/detail.html target=new>2003 schedule</a>) they had the benefit of a bye week in between the Giants and Jets games. Yet something tells me that had the games been back-to-back, Parcells would be more inclined to stay in the NYC area, and use the Giants' or Jets' practice facility to prepare for the second game, in lieu of flying back to Dallas, then coming back again on Thursday or Friday.

But baseball being more of an everyday sport, these teams wouldn't have that luxury. So it would be better for them to complete a west coast swing where they faced both AL and NL opponents, then to make a second shorter trip later in the season. Particularly when that trip breaks into the far more important divisional matchups.