Does Interleague Play Hurt Good Teams?
Interleague play has generated excitement for fans, but it may compromise the ebb and flow of the pennant races in the American and National leagues. The San Diego Padres had won 15 of 18 games before losing three straight to the Seattle Mariners over the weekend. The Mariners had lost 10 of 15 before sweeping the Padres. The Colorado Rockies had dropped six of eight before taking three games from the Toronto Blue Jays, who had won seven of 10 before being swept in Coors Field. Teams don't often scout and seldom see interleague opponents. Does this help neutralize the difference in talent between teams or hurt teams that have been going well against familiar opponents?
Comments
Any time a hitter is facing a pitcher he doesn't know, the pitcher has the advantage. So one could expect to see less scoring in interleague games. Teams that have been hot at the plate are hurt by the interleague interlude.
The current interleague games structure is also very unfair to teams like the Cubs, who have to play the World Champions six times while the Cardinals are playing the laughingstock Royals, a baseball team run like a Wal-Mart.
Posted by: Madisonian | May 25, 2006 3:40 PM
The Sox hitters had little trouble measuring Cubs' hurlers Maddux, Hill, and Zambrano, scoring 17 runs in the 3-game series.
Cards come a-calling to US Cellular June 20-22.
Posted by: Chick Evanstonian | May 26, 2006 12:56 PM