There's been a lot of debate over the change in Major League Baseball to allow for
Interleague play (i.e. that teams from the American League will play clubs from the
National League during the 1997 regular season).
The first inter-league games in history took place on Thursday June 12th. In addition to providing very exciting baseball
(a 23 run, 30 hit battle between the Seattle Mariners and Colorado Rockies and a World Series pitching matchup (of past
and possibly future) between Greg Maddux and Jimmy Key),the inter-league games have proven to be a hit
with the fans. Almost every inter-league game (including the Mets games) were sold out, and millions of fans tuned in to
watch the games on television. I think everyone will agree that Major League Baseball's experiment was a success.
The jury is still out on whether or not to continue inter-league play. Personally, I think it is important for the game,
which is still recovering from the public relations nightmare caused by the recent work stoppage, and important for the fans,
many of whom may never see Cal Ripken Jr. or Barry Bonds play if their team doesn't make the World Series. I acknowledge
that the purity of our National Pastime has been tainted, and the stats will never be the same (what if Griffey breaks
Roger Maris' homerun record with the help of four or five homeruns at Coors Field in Denver?), but the excitement each
inter-league matchup provides outweighs the petty criticisms of the baseball die-hards who aren't comfortable with change.
My travel schedule includes two inter-league games:
Interleague Play RivalriesSchedule of Interleague GamesInterleague Play FAQFanlink's Infield Chatter Survey about Interleague Play
