Time for Interleague Play to Go

Now that Interleague Play ’09 concluded Sunday, can we please put it behind us and get rid of it altogether?

IP has without a doubt lost its luster.

Interleague Play was a cute little gimmick designed to spark fan interest after the ’94 baseball strike. And it was highly effective. IP, in addition to the softball scores provided by the steroid era, put butts back into ballpark seats. People wanted to see new and exciting matchups: Mets-Yankees; Cubs-White Sox; Braves-Red Sox; Reds-Indians; Astros-Rangers. The idea was to create new rivalries. Logic said these rivalries would prevail; however, logic was wrong.

These synthetic “rivalries” have not really taken off. The main problem is because the games have very little significance. They obviously affect teams’ overall schedule, but they are played in the first few months of the season. If MLB wanted to add some spice to IP, they should schedule some of the rivalry series in Sept., that way each game carries a lot more weight.

MLB has instead marketed interleague series by giving them a catchy name and a shiny trophy. For instance, the Reds and Indians now play for the Ohio Lottery Ohio Cup. The Rangers and Astros battle for the prestigious Silver Boot Trophy.

In terms of popularity and attendance, baseball is back. IP may have been a factor in this, but now that MLB is stable, it should abandon it. Here are the reasons why:

First off, IP creates an unbalanced schedule, with rotations set by division and “natural rivalries.” This is extremely advantageous for teams scheduled to play weaker interleague opponents and whose natural rival stinks. Take the St. Louis Cardinals for example. Their “natural rival” is the Kansas City Royals. This means they get to play one of the traditionally worst teams in MLB home-and-home every season while the Chicago Cubs have to play the White Sox twice per year. This makes a huge difference in the standings at season’s end and erases any type of parity.

Second, some of the interleague matchups are just plain horrendous. Who in the world is interested in the Rockies playing the Tigers? Or the Reds playing the Royals? How about the Rays vs. Padres? It may have been really cool to watch a team who previously never visited your hometown team, but that coolness has definitely worn off. There is almost no excitement for fans when they are indifferent towards an opponent.

Third, playing these teams really takes away the nostalgia of the World Series. Before interleague play, there was a deep sense of pride between the National and American leagues. It was pennant winner vs. pennant winner. The two teams fortunate enough to make it to the World Series were fully representing their leagues and wanted to prove which league was better. Now that interleague Play is in effect, the idea of the two leagues competing against each other has vanished. The feeling now is simply Team A vs. Team B.

Fourth, IP has taken away the emotion from the intraleague rivalries. There was once a time when fans knew every player on every opposing team and were familiar with who they were rooting against because the opposing team visited more frequently. The more familiar you are with an opponent, the easier it is to dislike and cheer against them. This is how solid rivalries are created. (Think Dodgers vs. Reds back in the 1970s.)

Now that MLB is back on the map and has a steady streamline of attendance and revenue, it is time to disband Interleague Play. League and divisional rivalries will grow, as will parity.