|
|
|
I understand why MLB, the Mets and Yankees continue to push the in-season Subway Series, but, frankly, I’m tired of it.
[Poll=92]
@matthewcerrone on Twitter
Follow me on
Mets on Twitter
MetsBlog.com is owned and operated by Matthew Cerrone.
MetsBlog.com publishes both rumor and opinion, as well as accurately reported information from other sources. Information on MetsBlog.com may contain errors or inaccuracies - links to content and the quotation of material from other news sources are not the responsibility of
MetsBlog.com.
MetsBlog.com and Matthew Cerrone are not responsible for what is written by non-MetsBlog.com writers within the site's comment's section.
I wouldn’t mind a series every four seasons type of thing, but I agree, the juice seems to be totally out of it. You can’t use the excuse that one of the teams suck anymore either.
Understandably the attendance is gonna spike when the Yanks go to places like Washington, but the Mets dont need to play the Yanks to sell out a weekend series.
I like interleague play because I like going to games with my Yankee fan friends and the rivalry it brings, that being said, it doesnt need to be 6 games a year, while Philly plays Baltimore… thats total BS
Maybe a series every other year, alternating ballparks…. giving us the same opportunity to play the “scrub” teams as everyone else in our division.
HELL, CHIPPER JONES EVEN SAID SOMETHING ABOUT IT!
Let me go on the record as saying that i hate interleague play. It compromises the historical integrity of the game.
agreed….plus the srength of schedule impacts the pennant races
I’m for playing 3 games alternating each year. However, what needs to be changed is that each team in the division should play the same teams as everyone else. Football does it best because I like interleague and seeing what your lineup looks like if you make the world series and need to use a DH but if the Mets play the Yanks, Red Sox and Rays 9 times than the phils and marlins should play them the equal amount of times and not play Balt or Toronto instead.
100%
You know what compromises the historical integrity of the game? The DH, screw the American League.
Amen to that – they may play some sort of sport in the AL, but it sure isn’t baseball.
Agreed.. Either you have it or you don’t. Leauges shouldn’t have different rules!
Dave Mlicki
that was a good night…..was that the only time it was played midweek?
I think the interleague play is great. Regardless of what people say and regardless of records, Mets/Yanks games are special. Ask yourself this, which game would you rather watch Mets v Padres or Mets v Yankees.
That is true and the results speak for themselves. Check the attendance and TV ratings for every Mets/Yankees game.
I believe numbers and ratings are up even in regular interleague matchups too. The numbers support it, as does this poll. I don’t think strength of schedule is ever a major factor. The subway series just puts numbers and results on a rilvary that already exists (with the fans).
On the strength of schedule note, I’m surprised you never heard guys in Philly complain that the Mets get 3 extra ‘home’ games or anything like that.
Mets v Padres… I am Mets fan and a NL fan the DH is a joke and interleague play is a waste of time.
depends on who’s pitching for the padres…
i guess i must be crazy, but i happen to like the rivalry.
It has its plusses…I’ve been lucky enough to attend 2 of the Shea games the last few seasons, and the atmosphere at the stadium is excellent…Closest thing to a play-off like atmosphere.
However, I do think it gets just a tad stale…in addition, as a commentator mentioned above it does upset the balance of the schedule, when the teams in your division play clubs you don’t, and vice versa. This season I don’t think its as big a problem, considering the AL East appears to be balanced.
I think the best solution would be to play one series a season (or perhaps a 4 game set, with two games in each stadium). 6 games a season year in year out is simply too much. We play the Yanks as much as any NL team outside the east.
How about you and the rest of the guys that think the Subway series is stale stay home… and let the rest of us get a chance to buy tickets!
It’s a distraction (interleague play), it’s not balanced and it takes away from the focus of a pennant race.
It’s just a side show and unfortunately it affects the standings.
The AL is Mickey Mouse baseball and the NL shouldn’t lower itself to that level by playing interleague.
agreed
I’ve never been a big fan or interleague play in the first place. As Matt says it’s starting to get a little ‘tired’. I doubt it will be as exciting this year, especially since neither team is scary good. But the thing that I hate most is the schedule imbalance. Granted the Yankees aren’t very good this year, but in the past I always used to cringe at the thought of the Mets losing the division by a game because they had to play the Yankees while the Phillies or Braves play a softer team.
Last year the phillies played 3 with the white sox, 3 with the indians, 3 with detroit, 3 with kansas city, and 3 with toronto. That’s 6 against good teams, 6 against bad teams, and 3 against a decent team.
The mets played 3 with detroit, 3 with minisota, 6 with the yankees and 3 with oakland. That’s 9 against good teams, and 6 against decent to bad teams.
I don’t make any excuses about last year, they should have won the division anyway, but this is one of the reasons I hate interleague play. Teams within the same division should have basically the same common opponents, and the way it is set up now, that doesn’t happen.
isn’t that about the same breakdown for both teams?
LOL, this year the Marlins are at a disadvantage because they have to play the stronger team 6 times — the TB Rays!
I like interleague and it’s clear from the poll that most fans do as well. It was a good idea by Selig and has only added to the popularity and profitability of the game.
My tickets for the Shea series with the Yankees will most likely end up on Stubhub.
Don’t care what the Yankees do when they’re not playing the Mets. When they are playing the Mets, to me the games are just like any others I want the Mets to win. I still feel that interleague should be limited to exhibitions and World Series games. Much rather see the classic NL teams make more than just one trip to Shea per year.
So you’re the guy we blame for letting so many Skankee fans in our house.
I’m the guy who wants to throw them down the stairs! :)
But maybe you’re right. Maybe I’ll avoid stubhub and make the buyer prove to me that they are a Mets fan. Or maybe I’ll just go. I don’t know. But I only have two tickets, so whoever uses them isn’t going to make that much of an impact on the crowd.
Hey! Maybe I’ll sell them to some old-time fans I know in Brooklyn. They’ll show up in NY baseball Giants gear and talk about how in their day the players used to leave their gloves on the field. Then fans of BOTH teams can throw food and beer at them.
Hell, at this point you got me feeling so guilty I’ll probably just show up, spend my $15.25 on a pretzel and a plain burger, and support the Mets. :)
Actually meant $15.25 for a beer and a plain burger.
Pretzels aren’t 8 bucks… yet.
I’ll buy them
I don’t think it’s going away any time soon. But it is hard to argue against the popularity of the local/tradition rivals like Mets/Yankees, Cubs/Sox, Giants/A’s.
Does it diminish potential tie-breaking situations with other teams in your league? Yes, but at the end of the day, I think the division rival-heavy schedule ensures that you’ll have enough games against your division to determine a winner.
Has Chipper Jones complained about their interleague schedule yet?
4 games, 2 at each stadium.
I like interleague play. Gives you a chance to see other teams. Granted I could anyway because I have the DirecTV package but I can’t watch them because the announcers are bad compared to what we have.
I think the series, if it has to continue, should be switched to two 2-game series, at each ballpark, from Mon-Thurs. This is b/c since weekend series sell out anyway, you’d guarantee sellouts on the weekdays. Plus, it’ll generate nice talk/bragging at work during the work week. Of course, MLB wouldn’t go for it b/c of Tv (espn, fox, tbs would probably want weekend telivision rights). An alternative would be from Fri-Mon. At least in both cases, only 4 games would be played instead of 6 each year. 6 games is too much and the novelty has worn out a long time ago.
I think the Subway series lost its touch
I’d be more than fine with ending interleague play. And playing the Yanks ever year has lost it’s glow. It also takes the electricity out of any true Subway Series (in the World Series should it ever happen again). And there’s just way too much angst associated with playing the Yanks every year. Ultimately beating or losing to the Yanks in the regular season matters little in the bragging department.
I’m completely 100% against interleague play to begin with. It just takes away from the All Star game and World Series, goes against history, and the only “benefit” is overplaying things like this and making schedules more unbalanced.
Maybe they should just make interleague play just like the NFL. NL East teams play AL East teams one year, the next year they play the AL Central, year after that the AL West. Just rotate it around and only 3 game series. Say the Mets play the Yanks, Jays, and Orioles home, and the Rays and Red Sox on the road. Next time they play the AL East (3 years later) the home sites reverse. The next year they play the Tigers and Twins at home, and the
White Sox, Royals, and Indians on the road. Three years later they reverse the home sites, and so forth. Would seem better then what they are doing now.
Thats exactly how it should be.
There is only two problems with it though. The NL Central and the AL West. The fact one has 6 teams and the other 4 screws up any kind of symmetry you’d have. You’d never be able to play the same number of interleague games. AL east plays NL Cent., AL E plays 18 games, NL C plays 15. Same year, AL W plays the NL E, AL W plays 15 games, NL E plays 12. Just the fact that it cant be set up fairly should prove that interleague play should just not happen.