Steve SilverThe Daily Northwestern
I’ll be the first one to sign the “Fire Bud Selig” petition when it is created, but this weekend all baseball fans must give the oft-clueless commissioner a round of applause for the marvel that is interleague play.
Today marks the 10th anniversary of interleague competition as 28 teams get set for the first of two three-game series against their arch rivals this season.
I admit, not all of the pairings are true rivals. I’m not from Philadelphia, but I’m pretty sure Philadelphians have nothing against Toronto.
Yet there is no denying that this weekend will showcase some solid baseball amidst a stifling cloud of drama and fans’ emotions. Here is a sampling of the matchups: Cubs vs. White Sox, Yankees vs. Mets, Dodgers vs. Angels, Indians vs. Reds and Twins vs. Brewers.
Apparently I’m not the only one excited about these matchups. Interleague play averaged 34,097 fans per game in 2006, which is about 10 percent more than intraleague games and that number appears to be on the rise. Since its inception in 1997, attendance at interleague games has averaged 32,842 fans, which is about 12 percent more than intraleague games in that same time span, according to MLB.com.
These numbers are to be expected, though. How could you not love interleague play?
Oh wait, do you hear that? It’s that one party pooper whining in the corner. Or if you are from Atlanta, you know him as Chipper Jones.
Chipper was recently found moping to reporters about how interleague play is unfair because the Braves have to regularly face the Red Sox during these series.
“I don’t think there’s any question it’s not fair, but I don’t think Major League Baseball is concerned with fair,” Jones said. “If you play the top teams in the American League and everybody else doesn’t, it’s pretty unfair.”
Should I dial whine-one-one for the whambulance, Chipper? Are you kidding me? You think it’s unfair that the MLB wants to pit the top teams from each league against each other? That’s what competition is all about. You don’t become great by constantly beating up on weaker teams.
Man-up, Chipper, and prove that your team is actually as good as you and the Florida-State-tomahawk-stealing fans in Atlanta always claim it is.
Oh, but wait, Chipper isn’t done.
“This split-it-up and we have to play our rival in the American League East stuff, I don’t get it. It’s unfair for us and the Mets on a year-in, year-out basis to have to play the Yankees and Red Sox when other teams don’t. This is no disrespect to the rest of the teams in the American League East, because Tampa is up and coming, and in two or three years, Tampa might be the class of the American League East and the Florida Marlins are going to have to deal with it.”
First of all Chip, don’t bring the Mets into this. Granted, I’m only a newly-minted Mets fan since my girlfriend is a huge Mets fan. (Don’t roll your eyes, I’m from Pittsburgh and I’ve been dying to find a new team to root for.) But I am certain the Mets have no problem taking a crack at the Evil Empire twice a year.
I’ll actually be at Saturday’s Subway Series game at Shea Stadium and I can only imagine what a circus this clash of ear-splitting accents is going to be.
Secondly Jonesy, do you really have no confidence in your teammates? Do you not want to play the Red Sox because you know you can’t beat them?
Finally Chipster, being a crybaby is one thing, but being stupid is another. Do you really think the Devil Rays are going to be the “class of the American League East” anytime soon?
Chippy might have lost his mind, but I hope you haven’t. No matter who your favorite team is or whether you are watching from Sargent Hall or Shea Stadium, be sure to tune in to the interleague awesomeness this weekend.
