Has the newness worn off for you yet? Are you tired of seeing pitchers hit or the DH walk to the plate? Has MLB Interleague Play run its course - or, is baseball now just playing too many games?
I know, attendance for Interleague games remains up versus regular league play, but that might be skewed by real rivalry games, such as: Yankees-Mets; Cubs-White Sox; Angels-Dodgers; Giants-A’s; Indians-Reds; Royals-Cardinals; Marlins-Rays. Plus, any National League team relishes a series with the Yankees or Red Sox - the two biggest road-draws for years.
Call me old-fashioned, but I’d prefer waiting for October to see American League versus the National League.
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While I’m on the subject of Interleague Play, I might as well add my two-cents regarding the DH rule. Having lived in an AL city most of my life, I’ve been watching the DH for so long (it was introduced in 1973) that I no longer have interest in watching pitchers hit. Nor does Hank Steinbrenner, especially after losing pitching ace Chien-Ming Wang to a base-running injury. Two sets of rules in one league are ridiculous. Plus, one would think the MLB Players Association would push for the DH in the National League to extend time-served for some aging players.
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Be sure to vote in this weeks www.HOFN.com Poll regarding Interleague Play. Are you for or against?
Here’s another question for you…other than baseball, is there another sport where the defense has the ball?
Here, here. Pitchers batting is such a foolish throwback. What’s next? Leaving gloves in the outfield? Reintroducing the spitball? (Come to think of it, I would like that spitball reversal of fortune). Nothing is more ridiculous than a pitcher killing a rally with a double play, or worse, ending a great comback with an injury from wagging a bat, as happened to Bartolo Colon two weeks ago. The only positive piece of pitchers batting is judgment day: You throw at someone’s head, and your head might pay the price.
Comment by Bostonian — June 28, 2008 @ 8:11 am
The novelty of interleague play wore off very fast for me. Is there anything more
silly than watching an American League pitcher attempt to hit a baseball? Perhaps a liberal trying to
complete a logical thought could compete for absurdity, but that said: Let pitchers pitch and hitters hit.
Comment by Mad Artist — June 29, 2008 @ 7:05 pm
I agree about the interleague having run its course, but disagree about the DH. I prefer the National League for strategy and the usefulness of bench players. Seeing Felix Hernandez and CC Sabathia hit homers recently reminds us that usually growing up pitchers are one of the top athletes and then get hit for in college and in the minors, then into the majors; it just doesn’t make sense. I agree that a pitcher batting provides ownership for what he had done in the field. Hitters were afraid of Bob Gibson, but so were pitchers. This actually hurts credibility of guys like Clemens who didn’t get to hit in the AL (until interleague), but it also hurts his overall play because Clemens would have been a solid hitter. I would prefer baseball doesn’t start to appease every opinion like the other sports have. I still feel wild cards were a bad addition. Soon we will have months of playoffs like basketball.
Comment by Carl Braun — July 17, 2008 @ 12:30 pm