Is it time to End Interleague play ??

Question

The World Series and All-Star game are robbed of some of their mystique that used to result from the two leagues playing completely exclusive schedules during the regular season.

Only good series matchups :
Mets Vs Yankees
Giant(steriods) vs. Athletics
Royals vs. Cardinals
Rangers vs. Astros
Twins vs. Brewers
Orioles vs. Nationals
Dodgers vs. Angels

There are many series that are not considered compelling; for example, series between currently poor-performing teams with no historical or geographic connections. :
Marlins vs. Devil Rays
Nationals vs. Blue Jays
Royals vs. Rockies
Seattle vs. Marlins
etc.....

every team has played the teams in the opposite league at least 3 series in the last 10 years..

Answer 1

I'm giving this one a big, fat YES.

Interleague play in 1997 was a neat idea and it served the purpose of bringing fans back to the game of baseball after the 1994 strike.

But now, fans are back and I think the whole concept has passed its usefulness. It's like a "break" in the season. When it comes along, I just can't wait until they get back to the "real" games within their own league.

The one cool thing that I always loved about baseball is that when you got to the World Series, you had two teams that had not faced each other all year. And no common opponents either. Any predictions on how the series would go was pure speculation.

Like anything else, you can get sick of too much of a good thing.

I say, treat interleague play like the Olympics: once every four years. The other three years, replace those interleague games with more inter-divisional matchups.

Just my two cents...

Answer 2

Being a met fan -- i love the subway series. However, it has kind of lost its luster after all these years. I think interleague play should be scaled back but not eliminated. One of the things that made it great when it first came about was the novelty of it. For that reason, I think interleague play should only happen once every four years -- like the olympics. That would bring the novelty back to it.

Plus interleague play causes an unfair schedule to be played by some teams. The mets play the yankees 6 times every year -- thats as many times as many AL teams play them, while the Marlins play the Devil Rays 6 times basically giving them an advantage in years the two teams (Mets and marlins) are battling for position in the NL east.

Answer 3

Here in Chicago, with the Cubs and Sox the hype just isn't up to what is expected anymore. It merely only a rivalry because they're so geographically close to each other. Besides that it's like a meeting between the Giants and Braves, as in who cares. It's just as if you're playing someone from the same league but different division 5-7 times a year one series at home another is away. It gets boring. And the only thing it proves is the year's bragging right. Even with all that. It seems sad to see it end. But will resume next year.

Answer 4

I wouldn't miss it.

But, accepting that it's not going to go away, I'd settle for having it trimmed back from some 18 games (over 10% of the season) to 6-8 games. Have one series against The Big (Marketable) Rival Team, two two-game series against some other teams, and get back to the interesting games.

That, or put it on a three-year cycle. Idioterleague games in three seasons, for one full rotation of divisional matchups, then three years (or maybe only two) without it.

Finally, if the point (and it's not, making munny is, but this is the lip service MLB pays to the concept) is to have fans get to see teams they normally do not, shouldn't the DH be used based upon the visiting team's rules?

Answer 5

First of all you failed to mention the Braves vs. Red Sox and the Braves vs. Tigers series', in which the Braves have the strongest interleague schedule in the MLB and that they are an exciting, flashy, and historic team to watch. But, NO interleague series' are only second to the race for the pennants/wild card in the regular season.Nah man Braves Fan bud!!

Answer 6

I like interleague, but I knew when the 2nd year that it wouldn't be what I thought. If they played each team in twice every 4th year it would be great, basiclly what it was suppose to be, which is for example the NL east played home and away against the AL east, the next year played the AL central, and 3rd year played the AL west that would be cool, and make it special. But the Yankees playing the Mets, and Cubs/White sox every year it is all about making the rich richer, and the poor poorer.

Answer 7

It is a good thing to see the inter league match ups. But Jeez rotate the series. Look at the Braves, Boston, Mets, Yanks Why is it fair to have the best teams beat up on each other. Just simply rotate the divisions. Everybody will play each other over a few years.
Let the Red Sox's play at Bush Stadium or let the Rockies play in Yankee stadium. This would keep the interest alive. By the way I hate the Red Sox and Yanks playing 19 times in one season. Doesn't this weaken the rivalry a little bit. It does to me.

Answer 8

Every time the Mets play the Yankees and the Dodgers play the Angels, they play in front of capacity cowds. The fans still want those series'. If you end interleague play, how do you take away Mets/Yankees, and roughly 330,000 guaranteed ticket sales for the 6 games???

Answer 9

Im in between. Its good to see older teams like the cubs play the yankees maybe or the redsox playing the cubs. But i agree with Chipper Jones when he said that they got screwed with the difficult schedule they have to play. interleague games can affect whether or not you make the playoffs.

Answer 10

Yes, it was time to end it many years ago. But, if it is continued, i would like it to be changed so that pitchers bat at AL stadiums and DH is used in NL stadiums. This would give the ticket-buying fans a different view of the game.