The Filibuster
It's that time of year again. Interleague play. I seem to remember you
guys aren't big fans of it. Is that still true?
Matt
Trenton, NJ
____________________________________
Interleague play is a weird phenomenon but after surviving more than a decade, I think it's pretty safe to say it's here to stay. And this is probably a good thing.
Jeff is the hardcore traditionalist out of the two of us. He still makes the sign of the cross and spits to ward off the evil eye whenever he hears the words "Live Ball Era." Me, I'm a realist. Maybe interleague play belongs only to the World Series but baseball survives because people are willing to spend money on coming to games. And the reason they come to games is to be entertained.
Let's face it, interleague play is entertaining. Outside of the artificial milieu of the All-Star game, it's our only chance to see how the two leagues match up against each other. It allows for natural rivalries that we probably wouldn't get to see otherwise. When is the next time the Reds and Indians are going to face each other in a World Series? Yeah, not freakin' likely.
Like I said earlier, baseball runs on money and interleague play definitely makes money. There are special jerseys, commemorative bric-a-brac and god knows what else to go along with these series. Add in all the hype from places like ESPN who are practically falling over themselves to broadcast the Mets and Yankees and you have the recipe for some serious dough.
So I say keep it coming. Sure, it takes away from important divisional games and maybe it distorts the full effect of the World Series. But it also pays for the Nationals to put in Ben's Chili Bowl at their ballpark and there ain't nothing wrong with that.
-A
Matt
Trenton, NJ
____________________________________
Interleague play is a weird phenomenon but after surviving more than a decade, I think it's pretty safe to say it's here to stay. And this is probably a good thing.
Jeff is the hardcore traditionalist out of the two of us. He still makes the sign of the cross and spits to ward off the evil eye whenever he hears the words "Live Ball Era." Me, I'm a realist. Maybe interleague play belongs only to the World Series but baseball survives because people are willing to spend money on coming to games. And the reason they come to games is to be entertained.
Let's face it, interleague play is entertaining. Outside of the artificial milieu of the All-Star game, it's our only chance to see how the two leagues match up against each other. It allows for natural rivalries that we probably wouldn't get to see otherwise. When is the next time the Reds and Indians are going to face each other in a World Series? Yeah, not freakin' likely.
Like I said earlier, baseball runs on money and interleague play definitely makes money. There are special jerseys, commemorative bric-a-brac and god knows what else to go along with these series. Add in all the hype from places like ESPN who are practically falling over themselves to broadcast the Mets and Yankees and you have the recipe for some serious dough.
So I say keep it coming. Sure, it takes away from important divisional games and maybe it distorts the full effect of the World Series. But it also pays for the Nationals to put in Ben's Chili Bowl at their ballpark and there ain't nothing wrong with that.
-A
