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About the Author - CriticalFanatic
"Hell."

Jason
Chicago, IL
Male 28 years old

About Me:
Somehow remain a passionate sports fan despite living and dying with the Chicago Cubs and Michigan State athletics. Born in California, grew up in Michigan and went to college at Miami U (Ohio). All of which have shaped my sports fandom. Also a featured blogger and editor of this fine website you might have heard about called FanIQ.
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Chipper Jones is not a fan of unbalanced interleague play
by CriticalFanatic
>7 days ago

Interleague play is fun to watch as a fan but I probably would be as supportive of these games if not for my stake in a major rivalry. Chicago looks forward all winter for the two crosstown games. First Cubs tickets sold out? The three home games against the White Sox. Vice versa. 

Chipper Jones admits it's fun to play in different cities and in front of new crowds. With interleague play starting back up this weekend, he'd also like you to know it blow when your competition has a weaker schedule.
“Is it fun? Yeah. It’s fun playing in new cities. It’s fun playing in front of new crowds, it’s fun playing new teams,” Jones said. “What’s not fun is when they’re all contenders and your competition doesn’t have to play the same competition you do.”

What Jones most dislikes is the recently added wrinkle that requires teams to play so-called regional rivals in home-and-home series each season, such as Braves-Red Sox, Yankees-Mets and Angels-Dodgers.

“It’s a factor (in the pennant race),” Jones said. “We play Boston six times, and they’ve got the best record in the American League. We play the top three teams in the toughest division in baseball (the AL Central). We, without a doubt, have the toughest schedule in baseball, bar none. You don’t play in our division and play the interleague schedule we play and not say we don’t have the toughest schedule.

The point of contention is in regards to those regional rivalries. Some or real, many are forced. Cubs playing the White Sox every year makes sense. Yanks-Mets, etc. Braves and Red Sox? Not really. Atlanta will have to play arguable the best team in baseball, while other top teams in the NL won't have to face Boston.

If this a legit complaint and issue, or do you think it's a poor excuse?

Source: (Signal to Noise)
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433 days ago
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I like Chipper but c'mon.  You got 162 games to decide who's best in your division, plus a  Wild Card race.  If they don't get in it, its not because of interleague.
 
433 days ago
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Makes no sense what he is saying. If you want to be in the playoffs you have to win no matter who you play against. Some divisions are weaker and some are stronger than others. Why wasnt he saying this years ago maybe because now Boston has the best record and all he can do is complain. Tell Chipper not to worry but I think they play the Nationals like 18 times. The Mets this year are the only team that plays every playoff team from last year. If you wanna be the best you have to beat the best.
 
433 days ago
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I think it's more than just having to play 6 against Boston, they also get a series with Detroit, Cleveland, Minnesota. 1,2,3 in the AL Central (which a lot of people think is the toughest division) while other teams in the NL East get to play teams like K.C.

 
 
433 days ago
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Cardinals play KC 6 times every year.  I am surprised you don't hear the other NL Central teams complaining more about that. 

 
433 days ago
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Amazin698607 wrote:
Makes no sense what he is saying. If you want to be in the playoffs you have to win no matter who you play against. Some divisions are weaker and some are stronger than others. Why wasnt he saying this years ago maybe because now Boston has the best record and all he can do is complain. Tell Chipper not to worry but I think they play the Nationals like 18 times. The Mets this year are the only team that plays every playoff team from last year. If you wanna be the best you have to beat the best.
The Mets, Phillies, and Marlins play the Nationals 18 times too.  I think that's his point.  These are supposed to be balanced schedules for everyone in the division.  But I agree with that last statement.  In order to be the best, you have to beat the best.
 
433 days ago
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(Edited 05/18/07 8:34PM by ukcatfan383)

I sort of agree with Chipper on this one.  I think interleague play has just about run its course.  I think now that every team in both leagues has played each other at least once.

 

I think what he is really saying is two things:  the first is that some teams have to play teams in stronger divisions and others have to play teams in weaker divisions.  I do agree with the above posters though that you have to suck it up against whoever you're playing whether it be against the Yankees or the Royals.

 

I think he is also saying maybe subtly that teams should play in their division and in their league like before interleague play started and that those games should matter more than against teams in a different league and in a different division.  

 

I myself miss the days in the early 80s when every team in the American and National Leagues had to visit cities in the opposite division twice in a year instead of just once like many if not most teams do now.

 

But there is a hefty increase in attendance when there is interleague play.  That is a proven fact.  Mainly because fans get to see another team they've rarely or never seen before in some instances for the very first time in their lives.  With that said it will be very unlikely that MLB will change that just for that very reason.  And who can blame them?

 

I myself only support interleague play in  intra-regional or intra-city rivalries like the Mets-Yankees, Cubs-White Sox, Angels-Dodgers type series and think they should play 6 games 3 at home and 3 away.  But even then it wouldn't be perfect because one of the "rivalries" would be Seattle-San Diego.  And there are 16 teams in the National League and 14 teams in the American League which too could make it more difficult.

 

The bottom line is you still got to go out there and win no matter which team you are playing, whether it be a very good team or a very bad team.
 
432 days ago
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hey chipper, shut up...lemme run through the phillies interleague schedule a little bit for the past few years

03--3 vs boston, 3 @ anaheim
04--3 @ boston, 3 @ twins, 3 @ chisox
05--3 vs boston, 3 @ oakland
06--6 vs boston, 3 vs yankees, 3 vs blue jays

every team gets screwed by the schedule once...suck it up and play..good teams beat good teams, playing cupcakes like the nats and royals all year isnt going to help come playoff time
 
432 days ago
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Terry wrote:
hey chipper, shut up...lemme run through the phillies interleague schedule a little bit for the past few years

03--3 vs boston, 3 @ anaheim
04--3 @ boston, 3 @ twins, 3 @ chisox
05--3 vs boston, 3 @ oakland
06--6 vs boston, 3 vs yankees, 3 vs blue jays

every team gets screwed by the schedule once...suck it up and play..good teams beat good teams, playing cupcakes like the nats and royals all year isnt going to help come playoff time
The Braves played pretty much that same schedule.
 
432 days ago
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no complaining then...whys there complaining now
 
432 days ago
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Terry wrote:
no complaining then...whys there complaining now

Did you not read the article above?  In case you missed it.....

 

Atlanta will have to play arguable the best team in baseball, while other top teams in the NL won't have to face Boston.

The Mets are in the same boat.  They play the Yankees 6 times as well as the AL Central.  Chipper's comments were probably regarding a team like the Phillies' inter-league schedule.
 
 
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