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Bud Selig wants to change inter league play
MLB, Interleague play

Bud Selig just doesn't even TRY to make sense anymore

7/11/12 in MLB   |   Pat   |   4514 respect

April 4, 2012; Miami, FL, USA; MLB commissioner Bud Selig in attendance before the opening day game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Miami Marlins at Marlins Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-US PRESSWIRERight now, interleague play is already a controversial issue, with fans of each league believing that their system is the best, and lamenting the existence (or lack) of a DH in the other league's parks.

Now, MLB commissioner Bud Selig wants to just lose all semblance of order, and flip the script in the most nonsensical way imaginable.

Selig's grandiose idea is to use the DH in interleague play in NL parks, and then let the pitchers bat in AL parks.

For those of you who have been living under a rock since 1973, that's the exact opposite of how it has been for almost 4 decades.

Currently, the DH rule for interleague play is based on whatever is normally played at the home park. For games in AL parks, there's a DH. In NL parks, the pitcher hits.

The way it is right now, it makes sense.

Much like the rest of his tenure as commissioner, however, Selig doesn't really care about making sense, he just cares about leaving some sort of legacy. It apparently doesn't matter if it's a legacy of pure garbage, as long as he can look back and say "look at all the changes I've made!" and feel like he has accomplished something.

Sorry, Bud, but you're missing the mark on this one. It just doesn't make sense, and you're tweaking something that has no need to be tweaked right now.
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7/12/12   |   w_g_walters   |   176 respect

ML31 wrote:
Moving Houston to the AL is just stupid.  There's no other way to put it.  It is the result compounding stupid decisions with more stupid decisions.  In the case, it goes back to the '98 expansion (which never should have happened to begin with).  In that expansion they stupidly put one team in the AL and the other in the NL when they both should have gone to one or the other.  (Preferably the AL)  Then they realized the folly of that decision and instead of making one of the new teams join the other in the same league (the smart and responsible thing), they looked for an existing team to swap leagues (The stupid and irresponsible thing).   The Brewers.

Then, after years of 14-16 League baseball, MLB stupidly decided to move the Astros.  Why Houston?  It was the only team they could force to.  They made the move a condition of the sale.  

I could keep going here but I think I'll just stop.  The whole thing just turns me off to MLB.

MLB has asserted too much influence over the teams. The Astros' move is just the highlight of the last ten years, amid the Brewers, Expos, and Dodgers. I even emailed the Astros' new management to complain, and they just offered one of those meaningless "anything we can do" responces.

Seriously, I'm thinking of going to the last Astros home game with a sign I unfold after it's over, expressing my displeasure, and leaving it there. I just don't know exactly what it would say.

7/12/12   |   ML31   |   3526 respect

w_g_walters wrote:
There wouldn't really be a need for half a week off. The schedule can be adjusted so a new series starts or ends almost every day. The problem with *that*, of course, is that five teams would switch opponents on a weekend, which would break one long-standing tradition and add travel on the days when it's more expensive.

As for interleague, I think it needs to be tweaked because you have teams that face the same rivals twice each year (Cubs/WSox, Yankees/Mets, Dodgers/Angels) while playing other opponents who change each year. This REALLY never made sense to me because the schedule, itself, it can affect the final standings. If you're going to have interleague, make it so the divison has more evening of opponents since there aren't many WC spots.

IL play was yet another example of owners doing something stupid (with the complicity of the MLBPA, BTW) and doing the dumbest thing possible with it.  You are correct.  The IL schedule makes no sense whatsoever.  There is no reason the so-called "geographic rivals" HAVE to play each other 6 times every season.  Further, when the AL West is playing the NL Central in a particular year for example, it's not even all inclusive.  The A's could very well be scheduling games against the Snakes or Mets while the rest of the AL west doesn't get either of those teams.  It really makes no sense...

And don't get me started on what idiocy next year's schedule will bring.  Who wants to be the lucky teams who get to start, or worse END the season against a team from the other league?

7/12/12   |   ML31   |   3526 respect

Burrellfan1 wrote:
There is no need to tweak interleague play because it is too late to do anything about it since the Astros are moving to the AL.  MLB cannot get rid of interleague play now because it makes no sense to give a team two to four days off when everyone else is playing.

Moving Houston to the AL is just stupid.  There's no other way to put it.  It is the result compounding stupid decisions with more stupid decisions.  In the case, it goes back to the '98 expansion (which never should have happened to begin with).  In that expansion they stupidly put one team in the AL and the other in the NL when they both should have gone to one or the other.  (Preferably the AL)  Then they realized the folly of that decision and instead of making one of the new teams join the other in the same league (the smart and responsible thing), they looked for an existing team to swap leagues (The stupid and irresponsible thing).   The Brewers.

Then, after years of 14-16 League baseball, MLB stupidly decided to move the Astros.  Why Houston?  It was the only team they could force to.  They made the move a condition of the sale.  

I could keep going here but I think I'll just stop.  The whole thing just turns me off to MLB.

7/12/12   |   ML31   |   3526 respect

I'm going to pat myself on the back for this but I predicted this years ago back when IL play first started.  It was so pitifly obvious that IL play was merely a novelty and interest would quickly drop.  And over the years MLB has had to change it up to make it interesting.  I knew the next step would be to us AL rules in NL parks and vice versa.

I'm wondering what they will try to liven up IL play once this lame little tweak burns out?

7/12/12   |   w_g_walters   |   176 respect

Burrellfan1 wrote:
There is no need to tweak interleague play because it is too late to do anything about it since the Astros are moving to the AL.  MLB cannot get rid of interleague play now because it makes no sense to give a team two to four days off when everyone else is playing.

There wouldn't really be a need for half a week off. The schedule can be adjusted so a new series starts or ends almost every day. The problem with *that*, of course, is that five teams would switch opponents on a weekend, which would break one long-standing tradition and add travel on the days when it's more expensive.

As for interleague, I think it needs to be tweaked because you have teams that face the same rivals twice each year (Cubs/WSox, Yankees/Mets, Dodgers/Angels) while playing other opponents who change each year. This REALLY never made sense to me because the schedule, itself, it can affect the final standings. If you're going to have interleague, make it so the divison has more evening of opponents since there aren't many WC spots.

7/12/12   |   w_g_walters   |   176 respect

The DH was the worst idea in baseball history. It never made sense to me for a player to not be on both sides when the rest of his team is. Even goaltenders have scored in the past in all their sports, or is there some rule in some league saying the goalie can never leave his area under any circumstances? No, the pitcher should be allowed to contribute to his own cause on the other side of the plate.

7/11/12   |   Burrellfan1   |   19370 respect

There is no need to tweak interleague play because it is too late to do anything about it since the Astros are moving to the AL.  MLB cannot get rid of interleague play now because it makes no sense to give a team two to four days off when everyone else is playing.