Of our major team sports, Major League Baseball puts together the schedule with the least integrity. It's not even close. And that's because of interleague play.
The impetus for a "rivalry" series _ that there should be six games of Mets-Yankees, Cubs-White Sox, etc. _ is financial. Those games are guaranteed sellouts. Tough beans if, say, the Mets have to play the Yankees six times while the Phillies get to avoid the Yankees altogether.
And, as commenter Andy pointed out yesterday, in recent years, the interleague schedule has become increasingly haphazard. The Yankees are targeted to play the NL Central this year _ so of course, they played the Padres last week. The Mets play the AL West, but they don't play Oakland. But they played Oakland last year, when they were lined up with the AL Central.
Yet despite these gross inadequacies, if Bud Selig woke up this morning, had a crisis of consience and said, "No more!" I would miss interleague play.
Because of games like last night at Shea. A Felix Hernandez grand slam off Johan Santana? Are you kidding me? That is great theater.
Then you have the Yankees' return to Pittsburgh tonight, which is being treated as sort of a big deal. As well it should be. Bill Mazeroski's 1960 World Series-winning homer is one of the game's all-time great moments. Of course the Pittsburgh fans are going to want to remember it.
Selig and his owners want more moments like this _ new memories like King Felix's slam, and the chance to re-live past agonies and ecstasies. Hank Steinbrenner can whine all he wants about the lack of a designated hitter in the National League. It'll get him nowhere.
I guess the lesson is, if you're going to operate without integrity, you should at least make sure your venture is worthwhile. In the case of interleague play, the end justifies the means. I know I shouldn't like it. But I do, anyway.
But Wilpon's main reason for appearing publicly yesterday had nothing to do with Randolph or Omar Minaya. At Major League Baseball's headquarters, Wilpon helped announced a group called Welcome Back Veterans, which will address the mental health and job needs of returning American veterans.
Wilpon, along with a group of private citizens, created the group. The goal is to raise $100 million and provide 100,000 job opportunities for veterans.
For games throughout the July 4 weekend, and on September 11, all teams will wear special, "Stars & Stripes" caps. If you're interested, you can purchase the caps here. A portion of the proceeds will go to Welcome Back Veterans.
Comments (33)
Teams play different schedules and are then compared on wins and losses in order to make the playoffs. What is fair about that?
The quality of one's division or weaknesses of interleague competition can be anywhere from a 3 to 10 game difference in results.
Interleague play is about the dollars - and makes no sense.
Thank you, Bob for making a point that I have been stating for years. Who wants to see the Yankees play San Diego? Not me? I hate interleague play. I looked forward to the World Series much more before interleague play began. The players could do without it, too. On top of everything else, it has become a complete bore. The energy level surrounding the Mets v. Yankees games is nothing like it once was. (Let's go back to the Mayor's Trophy Game.) Is it really necessary for the two NY teams to play 6 games against each other every year. NO! Bud got it wrong on this one, too.
Ken, Interleague play was introduce in 1997 for 2 reasons. One to boost attendance, and two, MONEY. Look at the attendance for interleague play compare to regular season play. Some people like it, others don't. Its not going anywhere for a while, wheither you like it or not. And Bob, despite what you said, all the games between the Yanks and Mets have been sold out since they started playing each other.
Nice job by Santana last night for given up a Grand Slam home run to Felix Hernandez, the PITCHER, after Wright made a error that set up the Grand Slam. So far Santana has been a disappointment for the Mets. If your consider an ace pitcher, you cannot give up a Grand Slam to the pitcher, with 2 outs, under any circumstances. You have to get out of the inning, and pick up his teammates. If you can't get the pitcher out, shame on you.
Last night is a perfect example of why I think the Mets lack the heart, grid, and guts that the Phillies have. After Hernandez was taken out of the game because of the ankle injury he suffer at the plate, trailing 5-1 the Mets did nothing against a awful Mariners bullpen until ther 9th inning. They score a run to make it 5-2, and had 2 on with 1 out and the tieding run at the plate. The guy at the plate was Delgado, and the guy on the mound was Arthur (Who can't get the Yankees out in a big spot if his life depended on it) Rhodes. And what does Delgado do? He strikes out and the Mets fans boo Delgado as they should. And then Easley strikes out and the game is over. The Mets can't get out of there own way. Delgado has to go now. The problem is their no replacement that can play everyday at 1st Base. But sooner or later, something has to give.
I agree that the Mets-Yankees interleague matchup -- which is always the "main event" of interleague -- has lost its juice. The media still makes a big deal out of it, etc., but I'm pretty bored with it.
I didn't like interleague when it started, and I wouldn't be too upset if it went away, but I can't say that I don't enjoy seeing certain matchups. Like Peavy pitching in the Stadium. Or getting to see the young Red pitchers pitch against the Yankees. I'm into pitching, and it's cool watching pitchers from the opposing league take on good lineups (or see how a guy like Lincecum handles AL lineups compared to NL lineups -- and as it turned out, he didn't handle them too well).
Dennis, I'm not sure what it proves about the Mets that Arthur Rhodes struck out two Mets to end the game. Arthur turned back the clock last night. I haven't seen him throw that hard in years. He was throwing easy 93-94 mph gas and Delgado almost broke his wrist swinging at an inside fastball.
I have no problem with interleague play being about the $$. It's America, people. Sometimes $$ ain't a bad thing.
JRock
The Mariners weren't supposed to be this bad, so beating the Mets shouldn't be a shock considering their best pitcher started the game and even hit a grand slam. He was dominating the mets when he got hurt.
Inter league play like most everything Selig has instituted in his reign of terror as commissioner is all about the benjamins. Name 2 things he hasn't done because of money (aka the good of the game and the fans)? As Dennis stated attendance goes up during this period of time. Not all matchups are compelling, but I just got through seeing White Sox-Cubs on cable Cubs-Rays on TV and will see Mets-Yankees on TV all weekend. There's others I like such as Dodgers-Angels, Red Sox-Phillies and Phillies-Yankees. Look the Cubs--Rays series sold out the Trop. Sure it was mostly Cubs fans, but anytime the Rays can sell tickets at all is a good thing for them. I bet Buccos Park or whatever they call it is sold out tonight, tomorrow and the next day for the Yankees. Most days if they have 15,000 they are doing well and this is a small park to begin with.
The DH should be used by both teams in every interleague game. The AL is at a huge disadvantage given the currents rules. Not that NL pitchers are good hitters, but they are less of an automatic out than AL pitchers are, and at least have a little more experience with bunting and running the bases. Also, most AL teams center their team around the DH. When they play in NL parks, either they have to sit the DH, one of the team's best hitters, for three games or "hide" him in the field, weakening the overall defense and taking the bat away from someone else.
Ballywalk, if Yankees Vs Mets is boring to watch now and has lost it juice, how come every game they play each other is sold out? The games between the Yanks and the Mets have been sold out since interleague play begin. I know some people don't like it and some people do like it. But the bottom line is internleague play boost attendence and money is made out of this.
Dennis - Yes the games sell out - they better in a market this huge and the fact that both teams draw well anyway.
If I may speak for Jim and Bwalk, we are tired of the tabloid bleating about the Mets and Yanks, and would just prefer to see a good game - not the 24th 3 game series of a supposed novelty. Is a Mets/Yanks game exciting when it is Rasner/Perez? I am a baseball fan, and would rather see a good game than a Mets/Yanks/Red Sox broadcast jammed down our throats by ESPN for ratings purposes.
Let me really stir things up - what percent of the proceeds will MLB give regarding the hat sales? Zero is a percent! And past readers have slammed the union for its strike threats a year after 9/11 - why should MLB cash in on 9/11 in any way, shape or form? And will the books for these sales be audited?
Honor our troops on Memorial Day and with your daily prayers - don't let MLB marketing tell you how to do it!
First of all, I'm honored that I helped to inspire (in some small way) today's column. And as a bonus, it gives me the opportunity to hop onto my soapbox once again.
As I said yesterday, I don't like interleague play. I remember when it started, MLB was suggesting how great it would be to finally have the Mets and Yankees play meaningful games against each other. And then a few years later, they met in the world series and while still a very big deal, it wasn't quite the same because they already were playing each other (plus, as a Mets fan, the outcome sucked).
I would suggest a compromise - leave the "rivalry" series - Mets/Yankees, White Sox/Cubs, etc and maybe rotate the other matchups for the remaining teams. But that's it - 2 series, 6 games and take the rest and give them back to the teams' respective NL and AL schedules.
One of my many problems with Selig is this stubborness or arrogance that prevents him from making adjustments or fixing things. Every year, someone asks him about creating more of an incentive for a team to win their division rather than settling for the wild card (a HUGE pet peeve of mine) and at best he suggests he'll look into it. And then nothing changes.
Andy - good point on the wild card. Perhaps that team should have no home playoff games in the first round?
The Mets starting pitching has been OVERRATED. Santana has been a disappoinment so far. For all the money Santana is making, he's 7-6. He has not been great. Pedro has been very spotty. Maine has been OK. Perez is up and down and inconsistant. And Pelfrey has been OK. At start of the season everybody thought the mets will have very good starting pitching with the addition of Santana. Well so far that has not been the case.
Yes the tabloid bleating about Mets-Yankees is tiresome but it is still done because the editors at the papers think it sells more papers. Overkill doesn't sell more papers, but newspapers are set in their ways and think if they don't deliver overkill they will lose customers to outlets like ESPN or SNY that have no choice but to deliver overkill because they have nothing else to offer.
I remember when I was still in NY wading through "special sections" on the Yankees and Mets was over with the second time it was done. Two series a season is probably too much. I think baseball should maybe roll back interleague play to every other season and figure out a way for every team to have a natural rival to play once and a whole division once for possibly a grand total of 12-16 games every 2 seasons.
I don't know if it's overrated or not. I think Santana has been a bit of a disappointment. Despite the husky love letters breathed into the microphone every fifth day by Gary Cohen, Santana has been merely okay -- not bad, but not great. And he's getting paid to be great.
I never thought Pedro would be healthy or effective. Perez is always a question mark. And Maine is a solid three in the NL.
I think the disappointment of Santana is somewhat balanced by the emergence of Mike Pelfrey, someone I've always liked. It's good to see Pelfrey put it together this year -- he's always had the stuff and now he has the confidence. Right now I think he's their second-best pitcher; I would trust a big game to him before I would to Perez, Pedro or Maine.
Everyone talks about C.C. to the Yankees, but I think the Mets need him more, because their farm system is barren. If they can plug him in behind Santana next year for nothing but money, it'll help their team tremendously.
Bob T., I agree, they should donate 100% of the hat proceeds.
Dennis, you know darn well that won-loss records are not a good gauge of a pitcher's performance. At worst, Santana has been a mild disappointment.
Sandy, how do you know that overkill doesn't sell papers?
Andy, agreed completely on creating a greater disincentive to be the wild-card. Selig always pays that notion lip service, but they haven't moved on it.
I think the papers that already have good sports coverage sell better than papers that don't in general, especially in NY. Which means the sports fans are already reading. I also doubt in these times that circulation goes up this weekend or 2 weekends ago. However it could for a Giants' Super Bowl. I look at the Boston Globe that overkills every major sports event and I can't see them selling more papers.
Ken how about this idea for the interleague play? Instead of the All Star Game determining the World Series home team advantage, how about the leagues' records vs. each other during the season doing it? At least it makes these games mean more and maybe the last games on Sunday could determine it. I don't think the idea for the All-Star Game did what they wanted it to do which was increase ratings, in fact I stopped watching the game completely because of that change.
Dennis, as today, the Yankees have averaged 52,122 per game at home and the Mets have averaged 49,758. This takes into account the early season cold weather games. Does either team need a series against other to help fill up the park? Your argument doesn't hold water. I don't know where you live, but out here in bucolic Long Island, there is absolutely no buzz whatsoever. You can imagine the big yawn that other inter-league match-ups get. It was a novelty (albeit one that I opposed), but it has been beaten into the ground. Yearly games are boring and as Bob pointed out in the first post of the day, they are also inherently unfair in the way they impact playoff berths, etc.
Interleague records determining World Series records would make far more sense, Sandy. However, the whole idea was to raise the profile of the All-Star Game. Has it done that? Not according to the ratings. I do think that buzz has increased because of the "This Time It Counts" campaign, but who's to say what buzz means?
And with that in mind, as much as it pains me, I have to agree with Dennis about the Subway Series. "Buzz" doesn't affect the bottom line. The bottom line is that every single Subway Series game sells out. That's all Bud and his boys care about.
Ken - I showed you the attendance stats on the two teams. This time of year, it's a pretty good bet that a weekend series would sell out no matter who was in town. You can't base something like inter-league play on a handful of fans. What about people who never step foot in a ballpark but are otherwise fans? Oh, baseball doesn't care about them. They should start caring. The game's grassroots is slowly withering. I see and hear it every single day. The kids in school don't talk about baseball like they did 20 years ago. In fact, two kids out of hundreds talk about it at all. When the buzz is totally gone, they can use some of these new stadiums as grounds for flea markets like they did with Roosevelt Raceway in Nassau County after that sport was run into the ground.
Jim, come on. First, you tell me that attendance is great, and in the next breath, you tell me the game is dying?
If building up the grassroots is your top priority, then there will be certainly be a number of people in Pittsburgh who, over the next three days, attend their first major-league game. They'll go to see the Yankees, and then perhaps some of those will be interested enough to come out again.
And what about people who don't go to a ballpark and aren't otherwise fans? Have you surveyed them, and they all hate interleague play? I don't understand your point.
You can bash Selig all you want for caring only about the money. I'll agree with you. But you can't deny the attendance boost that interleague play brings. Even if it's only from the Yankees, Red Sox and Cubs, it's still real.
It bothers me to give credit, but MLB attendance is up significant from the 70's and 80's. "The golden age of baseball" wasn't the 50's, when despite the Yanks and Dodgers being in countless world series, attendance was pitiful - the Dodgers drew 1.8 million in JR's 1st year, then left town at 1 million despite good teams.
Bud's right - now is the best it has been for the health of the game. It may be the apocalypse in KC, Pittsburgh, Tampa and Miami, but there were always sick teams in MLB (KC, St. Louis Browns, Boston NL, Washington (AL, AL and NL).
Ouch that hurts!
Jim, kids now play other sports, especially Football and Basketball. Why do you suppose African American players in baseball are declining each year. Kids think baseball is boring to play. There are othe sports that baseball is up against. I do think that Latin American players have taken over the sport.
OK, I give up. I guess I am imagining it when I drive past a six field ballpark in my area on a June night and every field is empty and lights are turned off. Don't confuse 55,000 fans at Yankee Stadium (with 35,000 wearing suits) as an indication that the game is thriving with the grassroots. When ticket prices reach high levels, the game goes corporate. Bud would sell his soul to increase the bottom line, but I don't see the huge increases you see to justify the concept of yearly interleague play. I saw inter-league games earlier in the season drawing less than 20,000 fans. You named three teams that can draw crowds. What about the other 27? I hope we are both around in another 10 years to take another look at what Bud has done to the game. If interleague play is so good, why stop at the small number of games played. Let's play even more. Let's have the Yankees and Mets play 18-20 games. Would that be OK, too? Wouldn't that be good for attendance?
Bob, you are wrong in your analysis. The move to all night games has helped attendance as has the interest created by TV. Plus, American's are richer and have more disposal money to spend on entertainment like baseball. Bud hasn't done anything good that would not have happened without him. On the other hand, he has done plenty of bad things.
Dennis, you are proving my point. You focus on attendance. I focus on what is good for the game. Long term the health of the game is what is important, not that Bud presided over increases in attendance and revenue. Every great empire in the history of the world has crumbled. What's behind the curtain? Not the myth your mind has created.
The only thing they care about is revenue. It is the highest it has ever been. I'm richer than I ever was, and I damn well guarantee you that every game I witnessed in the last five years in person I got in for free thanks to my friend and his corporate season tickets. I am not paying prices like that to see games in person, especially since I am paying to watch them on TV. I can't see major league games anymore in person, but I sure can see the Brevard County Manatees and spring training if I choose to. And that's where the sport is thriving and you don't ever see it. The minor leagues were dying about 15 years ago. Now not only they arent dying, there are several independent baseball leagues all around the country that are successful too. You've got the LI Ducks up there that draw well to their small park and I did have the Brooklyn Cyclones which sell out nearly every game they play. Why? Because tickets for all these leagues and places are affordable and they feed new-found interest in the sport and create new fans. As far as playing goes, it's a hard game to play and kids don't like to look like dweebs. It's much easier to play basketball (and cheaper) and much more fun to play hockey.
Bob & Ken
Less home games is a good start - I doubt they'd ever approve no home games for the wild card, though. It's just unbelievable to me that once you have a situation where two teams from the same division are getting in that they both downshift instead of playing for the division title. I don't blame them, the system is set up that way - but it's a disgrace. If memory serves, players have even gone on record saying it doesn't matter to them whether they get the wild card or the division.
What's always been funny to me is the biggest argument for the wild card was that year the Giants missed out on the playoffs by one game ('93?). Great season, great drama, all came down to one game. Well if they had the wild card that year, the Giants would have been on cruise control the whole last month of the season.
Oh god, I just realized I'm turning into Bob Costas. Well at least I'll get my hair back.
Andy, here's a blog entry I wrote about the wild-card topic last September. It features the two solutions I like the best:
http://weblogs.newsday.com/sports/baseball/blog/2007/09/theres_nothing_wild_about_bein.html
Jim, I'm going to try to stay on your good side ;)
My favorite sportswriter is always on my good side. (I hope Mark Herrmann doesn't see this.)
LOL. Thank you. Mark H. is a good man. I'll take the silver to his gold.
I have known Mark for 25+ years and he is not only a real professional, but a great guy, too. The world would be a better place if it had more people like Mark Herrmann in it.
I find it interesting that there are plenty of people don't like baseball interleague play but you never hear people say that about hockey, basketball or the National Felons League. Does Jim post comments about "No one wants to see the Mets play the Padres"? Sure you get some mis matches but that happened for 95 years of no inter league play. I also think having the Mets play the Yankees six teams helps (slightly) competitive balance since those teams have more money to spend. In fact, I would move one series to mid September when usually one, sometimes both, teams are in a playoff race. Raise the tension and profile in the first month of football season.
As I understand it All Star game ratings have stayed steady since they adopted "home field rule". Probably what you can expect in this era of ever increasing channels and home entertainment choices. If I had my druthers I would give home field advantage to the team with the best record but the current system is no worse than the old one of alternating it every year.
As far as these comments about "they do it for money', isn't
that the point of having organized leagues of paid athletes with paid admissions? Been that way since 1871. I sure some of our great grandfathers were sitting in the barber shops complaining on how William Hulbert, Al Spalding and Cap Anson were ruining the grand old traditions "athletes playing for the Olde Town Team for pride and honor, not greenbacks".
Jim - we are both accurate.
Yes, night games did help families attend - and also make it more lucrative to broadcast. It's a shame thta playoff games end near midnight now!
Too bad MLB in the post WW II era viewed television as the enemy and did not broadcast games nationally or under any organizeed business plan (unlike the NFL in the 60's and NBA in the 80's - the NHL hasn't found its way yet). TV helped generate demand - just like advertising - and Happy Chandler and Ford Frick were ignorant and late to the table.
Once MLB was able to get FOX involved as a national broadcaster and owner of the Dodgers (a brief period in which they set up Fox Southwest) along with ESPN, MLB's media bottom line took off economically. Earlier deals under Ueberroth and others were not profitable.
Bud has been present when events happen - he doesn't actually think of them, as is his pattern. Whatever the majority of owners want, he finds out quickly and pretends it is his own idea, and never sands up to any majority because he likes his 14.5 mm per year.
But, despite the domestic financial success, MLB now outsource talent, as over 40% of the 40 man rosters are not US born.
Bob, excellent points and analysis. Bud is riding technological innovations (extensive availability cable TV/satellite TV, satellite radio, the internet/MLB.com), the prosperity of the last 20 years, the willingness of legislatures all over the country to be blackmailed by wealthy owners and the indifference of taxpayers who have to foot the bill. Yes, Bud is excellent at counting heads and kissing up. I can't say he is interested in what is good for the game. He is interested in what is good for Bud and his 30 buddies.
Bud Selig works for the owners PERIOD!! When the Owners ousted Fay Vincent, they pick Bud to be the acting and then became the full time commissioner because all the owners trust Bud.
Bob, don't forget region TV networks like YES, SNY, NESN, WGN, etc. have help teams like the Yankees generated more money to spend on players. Teams like the Pirates and A's don't generated the type of money the Yanks get from the own TV network.