Interleague Play: Still Cool or Had Enough?

[bakes781]

Personally I think it's run it's course. It was exciting when it initially started years ago, but now it's just an annoyance IMO. What do you think? Would you be in favor of tweeking it some how?

[AutographCollector]

Well I personally am not fond of it.
The Mets Yankees series? Yeah, it's all right... but the Mets Red Sox? The Mets play the A's this year? Umm... yeah, I'm not fond of it. But then again I am not fond of the DH either. (Mainly because I am a NL type of guy)

[milladrive]

I've always been against it. Not as strongly as I'm against the DH, of course, but there's still a part of me that feels the leagues should play amongst themselves until the postseason (or in meaninigless exhibition). It had already become tough to see enough of our league rivals during the regular season. Having to fit in a few series against teams from the other league makes it even more difficult.

:twocents:

[AutographCollector]

I've always been against it. Not as strongly as I'm against the DH, of course, but there's still a part of me that feels the leagues should play amongst themselves until the postseason (or in meaninigless exhibition). It had already become tough to see enough of our league rivals during the regular season. Having to fit in a few series against teams from the other league makes it even more difficult.

:twocents:

But it is always funny to watch a pure AL pitcher go to bat in a NL park.
:laugh

[west coast orange and black]

i have not been a fan of n v al games 'til the world series.
it has been fun though, to watch the giants play in al parks, and to have al teams visiting.
but i'd rather not see interleague during regular season.

[Colorado Express]

I must preface what I'm about to say with "I'm OK with interleague play", BUT I prefer to see it go away. I loved the fact that MLB basically ran to parallel leagues that determined which was the best in their respective leagues, then came together to crown one champion. As much as I enjoy being able to see teams from both leagues, the lack of it would not affect the number of games I'd attend or watch in a season.

[duckydps]

I like the rivalries, such as this weekend with the Yankees/Mets and the White Sox/Cubs series...

The rest could go away and I would not be disappointed.

[Red Sox Rule]

I quite like watching Interleague games. Gives the season a bit more variety instead of playing the same teams over and over

[NewEnglandAmazins]

I like Interleague Games because it's a long season and it breaks up the monotony of the schedule. However I would prefer rotating schedule like the NFL uses. I'm also ok with one annual Mets vs Yanks series as opposed to the current two series.

[Erik Bedard]

I like the "natural rivalries", Cubs-White Sox, Yanks-Mets, O's-Nats, A's-Giants, etc. However, I think that one home-and-home series is enough.

[Mr. Pinstripes]

I think IL play needs a breathe of fresh air. I do like the "natural rivalries" part of it, like many, but I would like to see MLB mix it up and rotate divisions.

If there were an even number of teams in each division it would be perfect. Even though there's not, it could still work out, but there would be some lop-sided schedules.

[Food]

The A's-Giants rivalry out here is quite nice to see, as I'm sure it is in Chi, NY, and LA. Fans have a great time with it, and it's good to see. I wonder how much the fans in Bal-DC are into it.

For cities whose rivalries are totally arbitrary and unemotional, like Sea-SD, Tor-Phi, and Atl-Bos, I can't imagine it fires fans up too much.

Question for residents of Texas, Florida, Missouri, and Ohio: Do the intrastate rivalries of Hou-Tex, Fla-TB, Stl,-KC, and Cin-Cle, respectively, generate much passion from the fans?

[KCGHOST]

I enjoy the real rivalry games, but not the forced event activities. I also enjoy when a good team from the other league comes to town. I would be cool with a home-and-away set-up with the natural rival and three games against four other teams (maybe on a divisional rotation basis). Two of the series would be at home and two on the road.

[SDL]

But it is always funny to watch a pure AL pitcher go to bat in a NL park.
:laugh

For me, it's to see who the NL teams will use as a DH in the AL parks. And yes, I AM a big proponent of the DH...

[SDL]

Now one series I'd love to see is when the Rangers play the Nationals in DC. It would be the baseball equivalent of Colts @ Ravens or Ravens @ Browns....

[Erik Bedard]

... except there's no real bad blood between the Rangers and DC citizens, primarily because the Senators were never any good, and there was never any feeling that they had been "stolen" in the middle of the night by a Mayflower van, whereas when the Colts came to town back in January, "Beat Indy" became the semi-official town motto for a week.

[Seattle1]

I like it.

[Mr. Yankee]

There's some good "natural rivalries" out there but then there's some that leave a lot to be desired.

Playing in other parks and stadiums and against some of the better teams and players in other leagues, many of whom will never see each other in a World Series is nice.

[STLCards2]

I quite like watching Interleague games. Gives the season a bit more variety instead of playing the same teams over and over

I am a traditionalist at heart and hated interlegue play when it started, but I have to admit that I agree with the above statement. I have gotten a chance to see in person Alex Rodriguez, Randy Johnson (after he went to N.Y.), Griffey (before he came to Cin.) Rivera, Thome, Ramirez, and other guys I hadn't seen or couldn't see otherwise. I get tired of watching the Cardinals play the Brewers (before the Brewers improved and the Cardinals went down the toilet), Reds, and Pirates 8,000 times a year. The last thing I want to see is those three team an extra 10 times. The fact that the Cardinals played the Tigers in the regular season last year had an absolutle 0% impact on my excitement of the World Series. I think many would agree with me. Hate to say it, but I kind of like I.P.!:shrug: :hp :( :shhh: :noidea :think: :crazy

[natsnsoxfan]

I can't begin to understand what the big deal with this is one way or another. As far as I'm concerned its just another regular season series.

[wvkeeper]

Interleague is a joke. Attendence at Interleague games used to be a big deal but now they are only 8% more than ususal. The schedule is lopsided as well. For example for the 4th time we play the Yankees and for the 4th time we play the Yankees in New York. I guess 1960 scared them so bad they will never come back to da 'burgh...

[soberdennis]

When I was growing up on Long Island, my classmates and I used to argue which league is better. I always insisted that you can't really tell with the small sample size of the ASG and WS, especially back then when the AL often dominated the WS but the NL dominated the ASG. I said to truly be able to determine this you needed Interleague play.
I would tweek it though. I would like the teams a team plays aternate like in football.

[Candlestick60]

Keep Interleauge play do away with the DH!!! C60

[DownUnderDodger]

There should be more of it - in fact, as I always say....why are there two leagues with different rules for exactly the same game??!!

[four tool]

I like the idea of interleague play because I never understood the complete separation of NL and AL--baseball should be baseball with teams getting a chance to play each other sooner or later, the fans gettting as chance to see all the great players--when would someone in Seattle ever see Bonds or Maddux?--and both leagues having the same rules.

[bakes781]

I think it's definitely time to due away with the natural rival crap. Maybe instead of rotating each division have the best teams from last season face each other with the worst teams facing each other & so on, which is similar to how the NFL does it within their conferences.

[bakes781]

Any other ideas? :noidea

[four tool]

If intwerleague is going to work, it needs to send Bonds and Ichiro and ARod, etc. to every park sooner or later, so that has to be figured in.

[Yankeebiscuitfan]

I think that they should get rid of it.

I think it is a special match up when the winner of the AL plays the winner of the NL in the Worldl Series. I like the strategy with the use of a DH.

They should have kept it that way.

The games between AL and NL teams have lost their charm thanks to the IL play.

[Dodgerfan1]

OOPS! I screwed up my choice. I meant to take C: Make some adjustments. I accidentally chose B. Can someone please correct it for me? Thanks!

[The Kid]

Although I think the MLB should schedule the "natural rivalries" like Mets-Yanks and Giants-A's, I think the MLB has worn out IL play. Maybe two weeks worth of it, but even that is going a bet over the edge, IMO.

[four tool]

To all who are sick of interleague play:

Why don't you want to see the other league's superstars in person? I just don't understand why anyone wouldn't want that option.

[bigtime39]

If you had two leagues of 16 teams in four team divisions, and if you had a balanced schedule, I'd be in favor of interleague play on a rotating divisions basis.
The combination of unbalanced leagues and an unbalanced schedule creates too many oddities (ie, why do the Yankee$ get to feast on the Pirates, while the Orioles get six with the D-backs and three with the Padres?).
I'd even be OK with doing away with the DH, if ML rosters were expanded to, say, 28 players.

[Lucifer]

I absolutely love interleague play. However, it would be a lot better/more sensible if you could have every team play eachother, or some other way to make the schedules more balanced.

[brewers96]

What is the big deal with interleauge play? It would get boring playing the same team 10 series a year.

[Richmond Hill Phoenix]

I would love to take it out, but MLB won't do it. So they should at least make it fair, by making it a rotational thing each year. When teams play different teams (like one team plays the Dodgers, the other plays the Nationals) it's entirely unfair. And I would lessen it as well, make it 4 series instead of 6.

[Reed Johnson]

I love interleague play! :D

[Knick9]

I love interleague play! :D

I hate interleague play! :nod:

I hope some MLB officials are reading these boards, because I'm telling them right now...scrap interleague play forever. It's tired and has been dragged along for some time now. What really makes it interesting for MLB other than the fact it makes them some extra ca$h? It's still about money and attendance. Not having to see any team from an opposing league was a tradition that I liked and I believe they should never have started this mess. Terrible.

[four tool]

Knick, I'd rather have a chance to see all the superstars in persaon than just watch them on TV, so I alsao hope MLB is reading these boards and realizes they are right, fans to want to see ALL the ballplayers.

[Knick9]

Knick, I'd rather have a chance to see all the superstars in persaon than just watch them on TV, so I alsao hope MLB is reading these boards and realizes they are right, fans to want to see ALL the ballplayers.

And that's your opinion, but in the old days, you'd never see this. I'm just saying that it was a tradition that shouldn't have been dumped. I don't care, dump interleague play, it's modern, and it's dragged out, hear me out.

[bluezebra]

I hated Interleague Play when it was proposed, and I hate it more now. It's inequitable, which makes it unfair. If every team in the NL played every team in the AL the same number of times, then it would be equal, but that can never happen.

Bob

[four tool]

And that's your opinion, but in the old days, you'd never see this. I'm just saying that it was a tradition that shouldn't have been dumped. I don't care, dump interleague play, it's modern, and it's dragged out, hear me out.

It's tradition that needed to be dumped--I don't follow the old days just for the sake of the old days reasons, mostly because most people don't apply that reasoning to improvements they like.