Interleague play is going on in the Majors, as the Seattle Mariners have just taken 2 games from the Dodgers and swept the San Francisco Giants. I have one big complaint--why don't they do this year round instead of at designated times, early in the season.
Interleague play give us the chance that Los Angeles, New York, Bay Area, and Chicago baseball fans have had for decades, the chance to see more baseball teams. Inter conference games go on without any fanfare in the NFL. You know what, the Super Bowl has only become more popular than when NFL teams and AFL teams would not play during the regular season. NBA teams play every other team in the league, and the league is better because of it.
Interleague Baseball is still getting bashed by talk radio, blogs and my peers. Baseball is a game of tradition. I consider myself a traditionalist when it comes to baseball. I also know that there is something real cool about bringing the National League game into SafecoField. It is fun to watch the Mariners play in a National League park and watch the pitcher bat. It is extra special if he can get on base.
So here is to continuing Interleague play and a hope that we someday soon see the Mariners in the biggest interleague game of the year--The World Series!
Bowie Kuhn was commisioner when the DH was instituted. I don't like it because it takes the manager out of the game for the most part. Pitcher may not be a good hitter but he can bunt, be substituted for a pinch hitter, etc. Warren Spahn, Don Drysdale, and Bob Gibson were Hall Of Fame pitcher who could also hit well. Of course they were all National Leaguers. Maybe that is why the Senior circuit did not embrace the DH.
ReplyDeleteI think interleague play is perfect just the way it is. The fact that it is limited makes it special.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree on Seelig. He is so "business" always advocating new stadiums, etc. He cannot grasp the integrity of the game etc. Bowie Kuhn was no genius, but I think he grasped something, I think he know the whole was bigger than the sum of it's parts.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of Bowie Kuhn, the man did have a dark side.
ReplyDelete1. He fought free agency.
2. He threatened to suspend Jim Bouton if he did not say that his book "Ball Four" was totally fictional.