Major League Baseball’s Interleague play begins Saturday with the kick-off of “rivalry weekend,” marking the creation’s eighth year of trying to get people into stands as baseball’s popularity fades.
But hasn’t the novelty worn off?
Sure, New York’s Subway Series is always a hot one, but do fans really care about their team playing a “rival” from another league?
In Chicago, Cub fans have a lot more to worry about than facing their cross-town rival (i.e. Can their starting pitching stay healthy?).
I bet White Sox fans are eager to beat the Cubs and try to move out from under their shadow in order to remind Chicago that they have been the better team this year.
The other matchup that may actually mean something is between the Los Angeles teams. The Dodgers and the Angels have both started the season strong, and this year will be the first that these teams face off with the city of Los Angeles represented in both of their names.
After that, nothing.
Most of these matchups either don’t have any significance because the teams are playing bad baseball or because the so-called “rivals” are not rivals at all.
In the Bay Area series, both the A’s and the Giants have been disappointing.
As a Cincinnati fan, it pains me to say that the battle for Ohio really isn’t a battle at all.
Houston versus Texas?
The state has two teams in the NBA playoffs, so I don’t think baseball will really be that important to them.
In the sunshine state, Tampa Bay plays Florida. I mentioned Tampa Bay, so this series doesn’t matter.
St. Louis plays Kansas City … who knew that the Royals were still a major league team?
Milwaukee travels to play Minnesota, ooh yah, eh? While they won’t be playing on ice up there, the teams will be battling inside the dome.
In a matchup of old versus new, Atlanta and Boston square off. Now situated in Atlanta, the Braves played in Boston way back in the day. This would seem interesting if the Red Sox weren’t already involved in arguably the best rivalry in sports with the Yankees.
Philadelphia visits Baltimore, but the big question is: Why aren’t the Orioles facing their new neighbors, the Washington Nationals? Is it because the Nationals, formerly the Montreal Expos, are facing Toronto? I’m sure Canadians are eager to welcome home the team that left them.
Seattle will host San Diego. I don’t know why; I guess it’s because they are on the West Coast.
And in the there-is-nobody-close-and-you-have-no-rival contest, Arizona plays Detroit. Well, at least they are playing somebody from the other league; Colorado and Pittsburgh are the leftovers in the National League and get to play each other.
So, Major League Baseball, I beg you: Please go back to the old style; National League should only face the American League in the World Series.
The novelty is gone.

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