Why Is Interleague Play Is A Great Thing

This past weekend was the first opportunity during the 2006 season for fans and teams alike to renew relatively young but sometimes heated rivalries between teams of different leagues. It's hard to believe, but this is already the 10th season of interleague play, and the argument for and against the scheduling of games between different leagues continues to rage. The "purists" who decry interleague play generally lean on a few standard points to make their case, and we'll examine some of these below.

Argument One: Interleague play creates scheduling inequity.

Baseball lovers everywhere claim that interleague "draws" that are logically eschewed somewhat based upon geographic considerations create an unfair advantage. For example, this past weekend, the Cardinals got to play the lowly Royals while the Cubs had to play the World Champion White Sox.

Although the numbers may somewhat support the notion that as a result of these scheduling considerations, the teams have unequal strength of schedules, the fact remains that we are talking about a very small number of games within a 162-game season. Not to mention, a championship-caliber team in any sport needs to measure up to any test that's presented. If the Cubs are going to contend for the pennant, they need to step up for these few games and play well. Also, the chance to play a very good team from the other league creates an opportunity for invaluable experience. Teams that are battle-tested are better suited for a late-season surge, which is really what makes the difference between winning a division or not in October.

Argument Two: Interleague play devalues the World Series.

Purists claim that one of the historic draws of the World Series is the mystery that surrounds the match ups once they're determined. If two teams have already played each other, the teams will already have an idea as to how to approach specific hitters and pitchers before the World Series starts.

Purists need to look at a few surrounding facts before staking this claim. First, the World Series is the World Series. It's highly dubious that baseball fans will not be as interested in a World Series simply because the two teams playing had a series in May. Secondly, many Super Bowls have featured teams that have played each other during the NFL season, and this has never diminished the competitive nature of that game. NBA Finals series always feature teams that have played each other, and there doesn't appear to be any falloff in terms of competitiveness or fan interest in this setting either. If anything, a small dose of familiarity creates better games, as adjustments need to be made immediately.