Enough is enough, time for interleague to go

I liked inter-league play when it began in 1997. Maybe that's because I was 12 years old and I thought it was cool. I am now 24 and it is far from cool. Unfortunately the powers that be still think it's the bee's knees. The reasons they cite in support this are trite, misguided and to an extent, flat out myths which are based on money and fan excitement. On the other hand, aside from the fact that the World Series match ups were much more exciting when the teams never saw each other, there are practical reasons of detraction which actually affect baseball pennant races.

The wrongdoings of interleague
Attendence: The main reason interleague is unfortunately here to stay. Major League Baseball will tell you that thanks to interleague play, attendance is way up. If there is money to be made, interleague games will be played. How true is this really though? The biggest series, the subway series, features two teams that will sell between three and four million tickets during the season regardless of if they play each other six times. The places where attendance really skyrockets where it is way down. No one draws bigger crowds than the Yankees and Red Sox, so those two teams visiting National League cities will bring in sellout crowds, thus being very good for those less prosperous National League teams. But doesn't this hurt a team like the Royals? If they only get one visit each from the Sox and Yanks, don't they lose out big time financially? I don't think that having the Brewers and Reds come in instead is going to replace the Yankee/Red Sox crowds.

Wild Card: Fact A- It is possible that the Red Sox and the Twins will be competing for the AL wild card spot. Fact B- After their current series in the Metrodome, they will not see each other again this season having played only six games. Fact C- It is May. Instead they get to play their respected NL "geographic rivals" and other nonsense games against teams that they in no way are competing with.
Hell, the Yankees play the Mets six times! Who benefits the most? Ticket scalpers and sports radio banter.

National League ball is different from American League ball- The rules are different because the teams are not meant to play each other. They are especially not meant to play 18 games against each other each season. Every time a pitcher hits in an NL park, they are at risk of injury. Exhibit A- Chien-Ming Wang. The ex-Yankee ace, current Yankee circus act, may have ended his career thanks to interleague play. Last year he hurt his foot running the bases in Houston. Since returning, his ERA is 25.00. It is yet to be seen if he will ever regain the form that won him 19 games in back to back years.

"Fans get to see stars they wouldn't normally see"- This is one of the biggest arguments made in favor of interleague. It is also one of the dumbest. The year is not 1960. In fact, it is 2009. Baseball fans can watch every single game on television and on the internet. There are 30 ballparks around the country too. If someone in Cleveland wants to see Albert Pujols play that badly, take a vacation and go Cincinnati when they play the Cards. Or hell, go to St. Louis, see Busch Stadium, check out the Budweiser brewery and have deep fried macaroni, or whatever it is they eat there. Make a weekend out of it!

Ok so I understand that as badly as I'd love to see interleague go, it ain't gonna happen anytime soon. I can meet in the middle somewhere. How about having it once every other year? This would keep the concept fresh at least. Also cut down the amount of games played, 18 is way too many. Cut it in half so teams could play each other in their own league more. Please, do anything, it's time for change.


Bud Selig only listens when money talks

People who used steroids to help become rich and powerful that aren't professional baseball players

They took shortcuts too

My first trip to Yankee Stadium

Last night I attended the Boston Red Sox first trip to the new Yankee Stadium and sat through the two-hour delay. My seats were $90 to be 20 rows back in fair territory right next to the left-field foul pole. Ok, 90 bucks for a seat to a ball-game should put you right behind the plate, but the ticket price issue has been beaten to death so I won't bitch any further about that. Here are some observations from the game and the new park.
-As a whole the stadium is beautiful. It's really an architectural marvel. The frieze that crowns the upper-deck as in the original, post renovation park, looks great. The open concourse that wraps around the park is awesome, you can always see the field when strolling to the bathroom and concessions. The bathroom access is superbly convenient, I never missed a pitch taking three trips to the bathroom in between innings throughout the game.
-The upper-deck is pulled back, not as steep and much less imposing than in the old park. Unfortunately I guess I'm in the minority with the opinion that the old way of being on right on top of the field was far better. Its hard to say for sure, but it seems the less-enclosed feel will damage the intensity of the atmosphere in big games to come.
-The obstructed view seats in the centerfield bleachers are as bad as advertised. It's easy to see from any point in the stadium that those seats are flat out awful. I'd rather watch the game from my couch.
-The Daily News reported hundreds of fans were told by stadium staff during the delay that the game was canceled, left, and were not allowed back in. I can verify this to the extent that the staff did tell us the game was canceled and we should leave. However I was not so foolish to believe them and waited for an official report.
-There seems to be a lot of good (and highly priced of course) food at the park. I ordered three sliders from the regular concession however, and they were the worst burgers I've ever ate in my life. They tasted like rubber, I spit them up. I later ordered a hot dog once the game started which was quite satisfying, as stadium dogs always are.
-By start time at 9:20 on a cold and wet night, there were probably only 10,000 fans left in the park. With Lester dominating and Hughes struggling in the early innings, the energy was completely zapped. The place felt completely asleep. However when Damon and Teixeira went back-to-back in the fifth, the place woke up and the stadium pretty hard rocked despite being one-quarter full. A small crowd can be a good one if everyone is a good fan.
-A couple years ago Mike Francesa said that Lester is a nice pitcher, but he's not Hughes, putting great emphasis on Hughes to make it sound like he is truly a God sent from the heavens to take the mound. He was wrong.
-The scoreboard is overwhelming and quite a piece of technology. It almost draws too much attention. You get what you pay for.
-The fat guy dancing guy who looked like David Wells is gone. Now there is a fat dancing guy who looks like Brian Knobs of the wrestling tag team The Nasty Boys. It's not the real Brian Knobs, he is a Rays fan.