Settling a Score.. That may be, no more.
By Jack Jablin
Forget Marvel vs DC, Homicide meeting Law and Order, WCW Invading WWE. . .The world’s greatest crossover happens (up to) eight times a year! When the MLB’s American League, takes on the National League, for superiority in the world of Baseball.However, since the recent addition [1997] of inter-league play, the battle for dominance has been reshaped, forever.The question is: were any of these changes made for better, or for worse?
There was once a day when interleague play was seen as a phenomenon in the MLB. Despite sharing a similar origin to the NFL or the NBA, the MLB is one of the rare organizations that finds it "special" to match up teams from both of their two divisions. While the Philadelphia Eagles (NFL’s NFC) could play the San Diego Chargers (NFL’s AFC) on a drab Sunday morning, any week of the season, the New York Yankees (MLB’s AL) can only play the New York Mets (MLB’s NL) within the span of one month in the summertime.
It only seems fair that teams from both divisions should be forced to square off; to defend their honor, more than (up to) seven games, under the dreary October moon. But until 1997, the only time that the AL would clash with the NL, was during that best-of-seven series, to crown baseball’s champion.
The history of inter-league play truly begins with the first World Series, between my famed Boston Red Sox and Pittsburgh’s Pirates. Boston won this series 5-3, back when the fall classic was a best-of-nine series.. For 30 years, this was the only interleague event..
But then came the All-Star game!
For years, thought of as the ‘end-all, be-all’ of sporting contests, the All-Star game reached levels of amusement only rivaled by the fall classic itself.. Until 1950, when the National League decided to grab the Major’s by the horns.
From 1950 to 1980, the National League won the mid-summer dream 29 times.. Losing six times, and tying once (the only All-Star tie until 2002’s controversial finish). During this time of "national dominance", the interest in all-star play died dramatically, despite the addition of such ‘bells and whistles’ as "Double-Header" seasons (where the All-Star game was played twice a year, once in July, once in August – this lasted from 1959 to 1962).
In a time when the fans started to lose interest, the American League lost a majority of it’s prestige.. The desperation of the American League reached tremendous heights, with the National League consistently having the better players and the American League having terrific flaws.. Soon, however, much to the admiration and gratitude of the American League and it’s die-hard fans, the addition of free agency began to turn the ‘tides of war’.
By this time, however, the All-Star game had reached it’s pinnacle (until the 2004 "home-field advantage" stipulation was implemented). It was no-longer seen as a proving ground, as much as a stomping ground, forcefully occupied by the soldiers of July.. Interleague play, became anything other than ‘eventful’..
Sadly, since the induction of the MLB, my father’s childhood dreams of seeing the Kansas City royals battle their rival St. Louis Cardinals, only had the chance to come true once a year.. It should be noted that this dream only came true once, in 1985, when Kansas won their only World Series, with my father in attendance..
Then, it happened… In 1994, an event occurred that would alter sports off-the-field, forever-more. The MLB players association went on Strike, causing the cancellation of baseball’s 91st World Series.. To equate this tragedy to those who were not around to witness it, it was the NHL lock-out times ten..
This event, while critical to the budgets that most teams in the MLB have today, almost completely destroyed ticket sales in every stadium around the country. For the next two years, the yes-men would sit in their tower, contemplating how to re-package and re-market The "American Pastime".
The solution to this problem came in 1997, when the MLB officially ‘turned on’ regular season interleague play.. The first game of this stunning resurrection, occurred on June 12th of 1997: when the Texas Rangers hosted the San Francisco Giants, at "The Ballpark" in Arlington.
Since the implementation of interleague play, the format has been re-modeled three times. From the original "Division-Fueds" format (where the AL east would play the NL East et. all) to the "Mixed-Fueds" format (where AL East plays NL West and so on, and so forth) to the current "Rivalry" format.. The current "rivalries" are --
Boston Vs Atlanta (The Boston/Boston fued)
Oakland Vs San Fran (Golden Gate Bridge Series)
New York Yankees Vs New York Mets (Subway Series)
Kansas Vs St Louis (I-70 series) [Note: The only geographical feud that isn’t played every season]
Baltimore and Philadelphia (Supposedly, as of 2006, Baltimore’s largest Rival will be recognized by the MLB, to be: Washington).
Toronto Vs Washington (Used to be the battle of Canada when Washington played in Montreal, now it’s probably the Battle of the Metric System)
Minnesota Vs Milwaukee (Was the best AL Central feud, until Milwaukee switched leagues)
Florida Marlins Vs Tampa Devil Rays (Citrus Series – Or just the battle of Fillet O’ Fish)
Texas VS Houston (Lone Star Series)
Anaheim Vs LA (Freeway Series)
Since their infamous clash of ‘85, the Royals have played 149 inter-league games and the Cardinals have played 115 (including an NL leading 11-1 record in 2004). Only 13 teams have winning records (as of the start of the 2005 season), including the Chicago White Sox, who also lead interleague play home-run history, with 184.
Since 2000, -- when the Mets fell in four to the Yankees in the World Series -- more and more "throw-away games" have been injected into the line-up of giants.. The sight of a Kansas City / Florida Marlins game never fails to set my TiVo to "destroy".. Sadly, these "throw away games" have influenced many sports writers and fans to steer away from the interleague spectacular, in-lieu of an "enough is enough" stance (which has made interleague play the single-most controversial topic in baseball, that doesn’t involve Steroids, Betting or Curses.)
Whether or not interleague play boosts your appeal to the majors, is completely a singular issue to be decided by every fan on their own.. But if you ask this writer, interleague play has not only rejuvenated an almost lost sport.. But it has fueled the fire that burns, under the powers that be. More power to it..
Be sure to tune in to the great match-ups in store for us this month as interleague play comes to a conclusion.
Cheers,
Jack Jablin
