This Week in Baseball 5/14 - 5/20

[sfaJack 0]

And I question how much the regional rivalries thing matters even. It makes Mets/Yanks and Cubs/White Sox fun, but Royals/Rockies and Padres/Mariners aren't even real regional rivalries. And just speaking from experience, even one that you think might have some heat, Astros/Rangers, draws a very mild reaction from fans on both sides.

[Guest Smues]

I will forever and always love interleague play because it allowed me to see the Braves in Seattle in 2003.

[Guest George's Box]

I want interleague limited to crosstown/regional rivalries. Once we get the American League up to 16 teams, which will eventually happen, we'll be at 16 and 16 and can pair everyone up. There shouldn't be more than 6 interleague games per year.

 

sfaJack, why doesn't the Texas series matter? Do people just follow both teams down there?

[Dobbs 3K 0]

I love interleague play, and wish there was more of it. I think the artificial divide between the AL and NL is silly. Screw integrity of schedule...I personally get sick of seeing so many Brewers games against teams like the Reds and Pirates.

 

Heck, at the very least, even up the leagues so there's at least one interleague series all the time. Yeah, it could lead to a scenario like "The Yankees are a half game behind the Red Sox in the standings, and have to finish out the season against the Braves." Tough. Interleague play is exciting.

[Guest George's Box]

No, it's not exciting, you're wrong, shut up, go neuter a redneck. I've never enjoyed a non-crosstown interleague game (and even most of those just make me mad). They're meaningless games. What's inherently exciting about the Rockies playing the Royals? Seriously.

[Dobbs 3K 0]

It's something different. I think being able to beat different teams from across the league shows a team's real worth, not just if they can beat their same bottom tier division rivals over and over again across the course of a season. (Yes, I realize this can be applied to the Brewers right now, negatively).

[Guest George's Box]

I don't think it proves anything for the Red Sox to clean up on some crappy NL teams. The disparity between the NL and AL does bother me, however. It's ridiculous that it's gotten this bad. The National League is the league that matters. It shouldn't be a punchline.

[Guest]

The only interleague matchups that don't suck are Yankees-Mets, Giants-A's, Cards-Royals, Cubs-Sox, Dodgers-Angels, Angels-Padres (I guess), Astros-Rangers, Indians-Reds, Nats-O's and yeah that's it.

[Guest George's Box]

Is Nats-Orioles that big of a rivalry yet? For some reason, I envision Orioles fans just flooding RFK.

[Guest]

When the Nats get the new ballpark, it'll be different. I didn't put down Rays-Marlins because nobody's ever going to care about either of those teams.

[Guest George's Box]

Very true. Baseball in Florida was such a boneheaded expansion move.

 

Here's a series that does matter, though. Okay, North Siders, let's win this and give the trash something to talk about.

[devo 0]

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20...sp&c_id=mlb

 

It's a pretty cool idea and a really clever way to give the Mets/Yankees rivalry a tangible importance. Winner of the series can at least symbolically claim control over the city.

[Guest George's Box]

That's kind of cool. There should be a mayor's/governor's trophy for all of the annual series, don't you think?

[vivalaultra 0]

Clearly the Rangers/'Stros series is the most important interleague rivalry in all of baseball. I mean, they play for a freakin' Silver Boot, for God's sake! I like Mike Lamb's idea of how to make the 'Stros/Rangers rivalry more of a rivalry than just another three-game series built up to be intense if only because the two teams are located in the same state:

 

"Maybe we should have a brawl in the stands to spice it up", Lamb theorized. "Get a ring out on Crawford Street and have ultimate fighting between Rangers and Astros fans."

 

Hell yeah. I'd make them Arlington sumbitches tap out, yo.

[Guest George's Box]

I think we need to up the ante this year and have somebody clock Ozzie.

 

Hey Lilly, throw strikes.

[sfaJack 0]

sfaJack, why doesn't the Texas series matter? Do people just follow both teams down there?

No, it's not that. Speaking from the Houston perspective, it's more because the Rangers, being in the AL and not having been much good throughout their history, haven't been on the radar of Houston sports fans, well, ever. Thus, unlike in football, where Houston fans are jealous of the Cowboys because they've actually won something in their history, there's no real reason for either fanbase to get fired up towards the other. As far as they're concerned, the other team is just the other Texas team in that other league.

 

Well, except Drayton McLane. He thinks winning the silver boot means something. But he's the only one. Even the players say that the silver boot means nothing to them.

[Dobbs 3K 0]

I think we're due for an interleague bench clearing brawl. That would make the games mean more.

[Guest George's Box]

sfaJack, why doesn't the Texas series matter? Do people just follow both teams down there?

No, it's not that. Speaking from the Houston perspective, it's more because the Rangers, being in the AL and not having been much good throughout their history, haven't been on the radar of Houston sports fans, well, ever. Thus, unlike in football, where Houston fans are jealous of the Cowboys because they've actually won something in their history, there's no real reason for either fanbase to get fired up towards the other. As far as they're concerned, the other team is just the other Texas team in that other league.

 

Well, except Drayton McLane. He thinks winning the silver boot means something. But he's the only one. Even the players say that the silver boot means nothing to them.

Here's my second question. As a long distance Cubs fan, exempt from the socioeconomic implications and bragging rights of the crosstown series, how much do these games with the White Sox mean to you?

 

I think we're due for an interleague bench clearing brawl. That would make the games mean more.

But you're the same guy that said interleague is inherently more exciting, so why do we need a brawl to make them mean more? They're already so great. So which is it?

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

I'm a White Sox fan, and beating up perennial losers in the Cubs doesn't mean much to me.

[sfaJack 0]

Here's my second question. As a long distance Cubs fan, exempt from the socioeconomic implications and bragging rights of the crosstown series, how much do these games with the White Sox mean to you?

For me personally, not too much. My not being from Chicago and thus missing out on the daily interaction between the fanbases and the media coverage of both teams is obviously a big reason for that, but I don't view them as "big" games or anything special. I don't really have a reason to hate the White Sox. However, I do enjoy the sniping that goes on between the fans and all the drama that comes out of it when, say, Michael Barrett punches A.J. Pierzynski right in the face, even if it was a stupid thing to do. The closest I've ever gotten to Sox hate was when this asshole vendor who was selling Sox gear on the street outside Wrigley was getting right in my face and repeatedly screaming "CUBS SUCK!" to me when I came up for the Cardinals series last August. But even then, that was more me hating that guy than the Sox.

 

A good example of my feelings was the '05 World Series. I was much more excited about the Astros (whom I hate and personally view as the Cubs' #1 rival) losing the series than I was angry about the Sox winning, if that makes any sense. Aside from it being the "wrong" Chicago team taking home the trophy, it didn't bother me that the Sox won. I seem to remember you and other Cub fans not having the same reaction.

[sfaJack 0]

I'm a White Sox fan, and beating up perennial losers in the Cubs doesn't mean much to me.

As if one good season out of 88 exempts the Sox from "perennial loser" status?

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

I'm a White Sox fan, and beating up perennial losers in the Cubs doesn't mean much to me.

As if one good season out of 88 exempts the Sox from "perennial loser" status?

 

No it doesn't. That's my point. There's no reason to get excited anymore about the rivalry. Both teams has sucked at times, it has been a long time since both teams entered interleague play with a winning/good record. Same thing with Bears/Packers. The rivalry is a deep one, but has lost some luster.

[Dobbs 3K 0]

sfaJack, why doesn't the Texas series matter? Do people just follow both teams down there?

No, it's not that. Speaking from the Houston perspective, it's more because the Rangers, being in the AL and not having been much good throughout their history, haven't been on the radar of Houston sports fans, well, ever. Thus, unlike in football, where Houston fans are jealous of the Cowboys because they've actually won something in their history, there's no real reason for either fanbase to get fired up towards the other. As far as they're concerned, the other team is just the other Texas team in that other league.

 

Well, except Drayton McLane. He thinks winning the silver boot means something. But he's the only one. Even the players say that the silver boot means nothing to them.

Here's my second question. As a long distance Cubs fan, exempt from the socioeconomic implications and bragging rights of the crosstown series, how much do these games with the White Sox mean to you?

 

I think we're due for an interleague bench clearing brawl. That would make the games mean more.

But you're the same guy that said interleague is inherently more exciting, so why do we need a brawl to make them mean more? They're already so great. So which is it?

 

They are great, but a brawl would make people like you care about them.

[Guest George's Box]

No, "PEOPLE LIKE ME" still won't care. Regional rivalries are for regions. I don't care if the Nationals and Orioles have a brawl, a shootout, and a bear on a unicycle. It's not my series. I care about the Cubs and White Sox because I like to see the White Sox lose.

[sfaJack 0]

No it doesn't. That's my point. There's no reason to get excited anymore about the rivalry. Both teams has sucked at times, it has been a long time since both teams entered interleague play with a winning/good record. Same thing with Bears/Packers. The rivalry is a deep one, but has lost some luster.

Fair enough. I misinterpreted your earlier comments as being condescending Sox fan crap.

[Boon 0]

No, "PEOPLE LIKE ME" still won't care. Regional rivalries are for regions. I don't care if the Nationals and Orioles have a brawl, a shootout, and a bear on a unicycle. It's not my series. I care about the Cubs and White Sox because I like to see the White Sox lose.

At least you have a series you care about. Interleague play means nothing in Boston but a chance to smack the shit out of some lesser teams, which at this point they can get by playing their entire division.

[World's Worst Man 0]

Who is Toronto's NL rival now? I guess it's Philly because that's who they're playing today, but I don't really know. I thought it was just going to be Washington, since they were born from the Montreal franchise, but are they paired with the Orioles now?

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Interleague play does nothing for me. I'd like to see MLB move to a intra-league, balanced schedule. Meaning NL teams would only play NL opponents, but more games against other divisions. I'm tired of seeing the Nats, Mets and Marlins 19 times a year while we barely see the cross state Pirates.

 

Also, you should win stuff by watching.

[treble 0]

Who is Toronto's NL rival now? I guess it's Philly because that's who they're playing today, but I don't really know. I thought it was just going to be Washington, since they were born from the Montreal franchise, but are they paired with the Orioles now?

They don't have one. Last year on this weekend, they played Colorado.

[Longdogger_Pete 0]

MLB.com actually referred to the Braves as Boston's "natural rivals." Please.

 

I believe Boston played Philly this time last year.