Dodgers Web musings: Interleague play no friend to Boys in Blue
The Dodgers make a little interleague stop this weekend in Chicago to play a three-game series against the White Sox, and you’ll forgive the Dodgers if they’re somewhat less than excited.
When playing in an American League park, the National League team gets to add a designated hitter.
As Mike Petriello of MikeSciosciasTragicIllness.com points out, if you were this year’s edition of the Dodgers, would you think adding another bat off that bench would prove beneficial?
More bleeding the slow death.
Eric Stephen of TrueBlueLA.com notes that over the last six years, the Dodgers are a miserable 11-37 playing in American League parks. And that was before the Dodgers had this power-challenged bench to pick from.
The whole interleague thing was sort of an interesting novelty when it debuted in 1997, but its charm has long warn off. I’m with the Daily News’ Vincent Bonsignore, who states clearly: "I’m done with interleague play.’’
Sports Illustrated’s Tom Verducci understands those like Bonsignore and myself, but instead of ditching it completely, has come up with four suggestions to modify it.
Also on the Web:
-- Ross Newhan writes that what Commissioner Bud Selig is actually doing by adding former Reds executive John Allen to assist Tom Schieffer is getting an executive staff in place for when he ousts Frank McCourt.
-- Yahoo Sports’ Tim Brown talks to the man behind the billboard campaign that is trying to apprehend the suspects in the Bryan Stow beating.
-- Here’s another billboard campaign idea, but I’m thinking McCourt might not be so supportive.
-- Vin Scully Is My Homeboy’s Roberto Baly has a video of him asking agent, and ex-Dodger, Dave Stewart when his client Matt Kemp is going to sign the big contract.
Said Stewart: "Soon as you get real owners.’’
-- Orange County Register columnist Mark Wicker talks to Scott Elbert, the former No. 1 draft pick who went AWOL at Triple-A last season and is now rebuilding his career.
-- The Times’ Dylan Hernandez writes that things are so bad with the Dodgers these days, Manager Don Mattingly would rather talk politics.
-- The Riverside Press-Enterprise’s Gregg Patton writes Thursday night’s tough loss was painfully familiar.
-- The Daily News’ Joe Haakenson writes it would have been less painful for the Dodgers on Thursday if there had been no ninth-inning rally.
-- The Register’s Howard Cole is tired of hearing the we’re-so-injured excuse.
-- John Roseboro’s widow took in the Roger Guenveur Smith’s "Juan and John" for the first time Thursday. The one-man play chronicles the impact of Juan Marichal hitting Roseboro over the head with a bat in 1965.
-- Steve Dilbeck
Photo: A full moon rises over the scoreboard during a game at Cellular Field in Chicago. Credit: Jonathan Daniel / Getty Images
they could be playing Albuquerque now and they'd still lose ...
b/c TDS!
Posted by: These Dodgers Suck! | 05/20/2011 at 02:29 PM
I very much like interleague play, and because its popularity is reflected by fannies in the parks, it's going to stay.
Don't agree that just because the Dodgers have been sucking at it, signing weak players and producing teams not strong enough, even when good, ones not good enough to defeat the AL in recent years. The Dodgers started off in interleague play very well, if you look at the records down the years. When the Red Sox and Yankees raised the bar in the AL by signing the better free agents, making the entire league better fighters, tougher, stronger, as their competition grew, the NL suffered in comparison. It's not at all entirely the fault of the DH, or the NL wouldn't have been beating them with the DH before.
A new owner should return the team to the top echelons, inasmuch as s/he will have to win a court-ordered auction, which will mean the winner was filthy rich before winning the auction, and filthier once the winner of the bidding war between Time-Warner and Fox refills the coffers the McCourts emptied, the new owner reaping back every penny spent on buying the team, before other profits kick in. The Dodgers will be solid gold for decades at least, once this all comes to pass.
At that point, i think everyone will enjoy interleague games a lot more. Hell, i don't enjoy INTRAleague games a lot, this final edition of the McCourt Dodgers only able to squeeze out about 1 run a game.
What i don't like about interleague is the schedule. The Dodgers for example will have played in Chicago against the White Sox 2 years in a row. Ditto Detroit, the previous 2 years. The scheduler is not consistent, at all. Sometimes the Rockies and Padres get the full list of the division they go up against, while i remember a few years ago the Dodgers had to play Toronto 6 times, 3 home and 3 away. The Dodgers have played in every park in the AL except one---Yankee Stadium. Why, is beyond anyone but the drunken scheduler.
The schedule has not favored us. But the concept is not at fault. This year they'll play in the beautiful new Minnesota park for the first time, which will be nice. Also, fighting the stronger league informs the next owner what they need to do to compete against the best. Should we be satisfied playing against the crappiest NL teams, which we also can't seem to beat? May as well learn what's needed to win deep into October.
Posted by: Native Angeleno | 05/20/2011 at 04:01 PM
Personally I think interleague games should be scheduled only in the 2 or 3 weeks after the All-Star game. It is a bit jarring to having to play the White Sox this early in the season.
Posted by: Tony | 05/20/2011 at 04:42 PM