Interleague starts today....

jdip9 · May 20, 2011 6:49AM

and you know what that means?.....more lame "fixes" for interleague play. Stark and Verducci both wrote articles today claiming interleague is unfair...and they are spot on...yet neither proposes the only equitable solution - MORE interleague games, not less. IF you are going to have interleague (and I'm not convinced we need it), and it as "popular" as MLB claims it is (although Verducci shoots this down in his piece), then why not have all teams play each other? Move a NL Central team to the AL West so every division has 5 teams.

(1) 3 game series vs. 15 teams from opposite league = 45 games
(2) 3 games series vs. 10 teams in league outside of division = 60 games
remainder of games vs. division opponents (approximately 14-15 vs. each)

makes too much sense for MLB to ever employ though.

RoarIn84 · May 20, 2011 7:12AM

I hate interleague play. It's just another money grubbing gimmick and furthermore makes no sense. The National League has the clear advantage because their pitchers are used to hitting. The players hate it, managers hate it and most fans are on the fence. The novelty of interleague play was good enough with just the AllStar game and the WS....

melvin289 · May 20, 2011 1:23PM

By the time the Super Bowl rolls around every year you usually have two teams playing each other that have already met in the regular season. Why would baseball, a much superior game, try to copy this. Part of the aura of the World Series was that it pitted two teams that maybe played each other in spring training. In baseball one league plays baseball, two teams of nine players each........, against each other. The other league uses ten players. It's a television thing to make more money. I hate interleague play.

Ron

stevek · May 20, 2011 2:20PM

I understand the comments and I am a conservative, and by nature i like tradition and things such as that. However i happen to like interleague play and like it a lot. In my view it added interest and excitement to the game, and should have been done many years before they finally did it.

But back to traditional form...I've never liked the Designated Hitter, and never will...to me an interesting and exciting baseball game doesn't have to mean some possible extra hits or runs...the strategy and beauty of the game in the National League is the best.

melvin289 · May 20, 2011 2:52PM

The Player's Association will never ever let the DH go. It allows another player to get paid for doing something, even if it is an overweight, shoulda retired 3 years ago former slugger that can no longer play defense.

Ron

Garabaldi · May 22, 2011 11:07PM

I like interleague play most of the times. I enjoy seeing teams that the Sox have not played in awhile, but they should try to reduce the number of series in a season.

Brick · May 23, 2011 12:23AM

I enjoy interleague games however I would like one set of rules for everyone. Either use the DH in both Leagues or not at all.

jdip9 · May 23, 2011 1:37AM

<<>>

I don't know why this has to be limited to interleague. Nobody wants to see the pitchers hit. I think the NL should adopt the DH full time.

stevek · May 23, 2011 1:51AM

<< <<>>

I don't know why this has to be limited to interleague. Nobody wants to see the pitchers hit. I think the NL should adopt the DH full time. >>

Yea, and who remembers some hit a DH got? But a pitcher getting a key hit or even once in awhile a HR adds excitement, fun and enjoyment to the game...and is the way the game is supposed to be played...which is a game of strategy and conversation...a wonderful slow paced summer game which is still the best despite the stinkin' DH. The game is definitely better without the DH and I'm glad the NL sees it that way, and not the way of the junior circuit league.

You want more scoring and home runs by basterdizing the game, then why not change the game to underhand pitching only and allow hitters to use fungo bats?

Garabaldi · May 23, 2011 2:56AM

<< 

<< <<>>

I don't know why this has to be limited to interleague. Nobody wants to see the pitchers hit. I think the NL should adopt the DH full time. >>

Yea, and who remembers some hit a DH got? But a pitcher getting a key hit or even once in awhile a HR adds excitement, fun and enjoyment to the game...and is the way the game is supposed to be played...which is a game of strategy and conversation...a wonderful slow paced summer game which is still the best despite the stinkin' DH. The game is definitely better without the DH and I'm glad the NL sees it that way, and not the way of the junior circuit league.

You want more scoring and home runs by basterdizing the game, then why not change the game to underhand pitching only and allow hitters to use fungo bats? >>

Is it really great strategy? You usually have a pitcher in the 9th spot and he is a .200 hitter. You pitch around the 8th spot to get to the worst hitter. Yeah, every once in a while you have a pitcher who is a decent hitter, but majority of times it is not the case. I am not saying that the NL or AL is better, it is just that I have always watched the AL because of the Sox. I prefer a little more offense than an automatic out or having to pull a pitcher one inning earlier because you need the bat to push a run across.

stevek · May 23, 2011 4:03AM

<< 

<< 

<< <<>>

I don't know why this has to be limited to interleague. Nobody wants to see the pitchers hit. I think the NL should adopt the DH full time. >>

Yea, and who remembers some hit a DH got? But a pitcher getting a key hit or even once in awhile a HR adds excitement, fun and enjoyment to the game...and is the way the game is supposed to be played...which is a game of strategy and conversation...a wonderful slow paced summer game which is still the best despite the stinkin' DH. The game is definitely better without the DH and I'm glad the NL sees it that way, and not the way of the junior circuit league.

You want more scoring and home runs by basterdizing the game, then why not change the game to underhand pitching only and allow hitters to use fungo bats? >>

Is it really great strategy? You usually have a pitcher in the 9th spot and he is a .200 hitter. You pitch around the 8th spot to get to the worst hitter. Yeah, every once in a while you have a pitcher who is a decent hitter, but majority of times it is not the case. I am not saying that the NL or AL is better, it is just that I have always watched the AL because of the Sox. I prefer a little more offense than an automatic out or having to pull a pitcher one inning earlier because you need the bat to push a run across. >>

The game wasn't designed for a DH. The game was "perfect" the way it was...there was no reason to tamper with it other than the greedy owners who equated more offense with more fan interest meaning more money in their pockets. BTW...it's clear the owners "looked the other way" during the steroid era for the exact same reason...they perceived that more home runs would create more fan interest, putting more money in their pockets, and it actually did for awhile...but how did that work out in the long run?

Why not make the basket bigger in basketball, why not widen the net in hockey, why not put 12 players on offense and keep only 11 on defense in football...all that would create more scoring...but it wouldn't make for a better game. in my viewpoint, the DH, which creates more offense and scoring, does not make for a better game.

jdip9 · May 23, 2011 4:22AM

<<<Yea, and who remembers some hit a DH got?>>>

I can think of about 30-40 hits that I remember David Ortiz getting over the past 8 years.

My larger point is that inequities are the norm in baseball, and for some reason are perfectly acceptable. It's almost as if MLB goes out of their way to create unfair advantages for certain teams, and they do so purely for money. Every decision made over the past 10 years has been driven by cash, and every one has made the game worse, with the exception of the Wild Card. Of course, they are about to ruin that good deed by adding another Wild Card team.

I'll be curious to see what MLB does to create more scoring over the next couple of years, as it is becoming clear that pitchers are getting the upper hand on hitters for the first time in about 20 years, as steroids have been phased out of the game.

Garabaldi · May 23, 2011 9:40AM

<< 

<< 

<< 

<< <<>>

I don't know why this has to be limited to interleague. Nobody wants to see the pitchers hit. I think the NL should adopt the DH full time. >>

Yea, and who remembers some hit a DH got? But a pitcher getting a key hit or even once in awhile a HR adds excitement, fun and enjoyment to the game...and is the way the game is supposed to be played...which is a game of strategy and conversation...a wonderful slow paced summer game which is still the best despite the stinkin' DH. The game is definitely better without the DH and I'm glad the NL sees it that way, and not the way of the junior circuit league.

You want more scoring and home runs by basterdizing the game, then why not change the game to underhand pitching only and allow hitters to use fungo bats? >>

Is it really great strategy? You usually have a pitcher in the 9th spot and he is a .200 hitter. You pitch around the 8th spot to get to the worst hitter. Yeah, every once in a while you have a pitcher who is a decent hitter, but majority of times it is not the case. I am not saying that the NL or AL is better, it is just that I have always watched the AL because of the Sox. I prefer a little more offense than an automatic out or having to pull a pitcher one inning earlier because you need the bat to push a run across. >>

The game wasn't designed for a DH. The game was "perfect" the way it was...there was no reason to tamper with it other than the greedy owners who equated more offense with more fan interest meaning more money in their pockets. BTW...it's clear the owners "looked the other way" during the steroid era for the exact same reason...they perceived that more home runs would create more fan interest, putting more money in their pockets, and it actually did for awhile...but how did that work out in the long run?

Why not make the basket bigger in basketball, why not widen the net in hockey, why not put 12 players on offense and keep only 11 on defense in football...all that would create more scoring...but it wouldn't make for a better game. in my viewpoint, the DH, which creates more offense and scoring, does not make for a better game. >>

Who said the game was "perfect". I guess I can turn the argument around and say the game is harder in the AL without the almost automatic out in the 9th spot. I would be all for having the pitchers bat if they were good at it.

melvin289 · May 23, 2011 12:48PM

You spoke of hits remembered. Somewhere along about 3 AM one evening back in '85 I think in the 14th inning in Atlanta. The game was tied with the mets and the pitchers spot was due. Rick Camp was the last pitcher in the Brave's Bullpen. He had to bat for himself and hit the only homerun of his career. This brought the house down and sent the game on into the night for a few more innings. The game ended with the Braves losing to the Mets in the 19th inning, but the most memorable game I ever attended. I was also there on July 6, 1986 when Horner hit 4 homeruns against Montreal. Horner was supposed to hit homers, Camp wasn't.

Ron

Edited to add ticket stub from that game.

stevek · May 23, 2011 1:09PM

<< You spoke of hits remembered. Somewhere along about 3 AM one evening back in '85 I think in the 14th inning in Atlanta. The game was tied with the mets and the pitchers spot was due. Rick Camp was the last pitcher in the Brave's Bullpen. He had to bat for himself and hit the only homerun of his career. This brought the house down and sent the game on into the night for a few more innings. The game ended with the Braves losing to the Mets in the 19th inning, but the most menorable game I ever attended. I was also there on July 6, 1986 when Horner hit 4 homeruns against Montreal. Horner was supposed to hit homers, Camp wasn't.

Ron >>

To me, that's the beauty of the game...strategy...contemplation...figuring what the dimwit or brilliant manager may do...and see what the results bring...then discussion of stats and performance, really unlike any other game. The DH to me takes a fair amount of the fun out of the game, but as mentioned, I still immensely enjoy MLB, yes even AL games.

Interleague starts today....

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