THE RED SOX EMBARK ON A NINE-GAME INTERLEAGUE ROAD

TRIP STARTING TONIGHT IN PITTSBURGH.

GOING INTO THE WEEKEND BOSTON HOLDS A HALF GAME LEAD

IN THE AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST.

STARTING TONIGHT TERRY FRANCONA HAS TO CONTEND WITH A

NUMBER OF CHANGES AS HIS TEAM LOSES THE DH OR DESIGNATED

HITTER.

I MUST SAY AT THE OUTSET THAT I HAVE NEVER BEEN A FAN OF

INTERLEAGUE PLAY.

CERTAINLY A NUMBER OF FANS DO ENJOY THE CHANGE BUT I

MUCH PREFER THE TRADITIONAL LEAGUE SCHEDULE.

THERE IS VERY LITTLE DOUBT THAT MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

IS GOING TO STICK WITH A FORMULA THAT HAS PROVEN SUCCESSFUL

AT THE GATE.

BUT IT'S HARDLY FAIR.

FROM WHERE I SIT INTERLEAGUE PLAY DISRUPTS THE FLOW OF THE

DIVISIONAL BATTLES AS WE HEAD TO THE MID-POINT IN THE SEASON.

THE SCHEDULES OFTEN ARE UNBALANCED AND PIT TEAMS WHO

HAVE NO NATURAL REASON TO BE PLAYING.

TO BE SURE THERE WAS GOOD INTEREST WHEN THE CUBS PLAYED AT

FENWAY PARK FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE THE 1918 SEASON EARLIER

THIS YEAR.

GAMES LIKE THAT ARE NOT THE NORM HOWEVER.

SO MANAGER FANCONA, STARTING TONIGHT, HAS TO BEGIN TO WEIGH

THE OPTION OF PLAYING ADRIAN GONZALEZ IN RIGHT FIELD SO THAT

HE CAN GET DAVID ORTIZ INTO THE GAME AND NOT LOSE HIS BAT.

THE RISK IS THAT GONZALEZ HAS VERY LITTLE TIME AS AN OUTFIELDER

AND CAN'T COVER A LOT OF TERRITORY.

THE LAST TIME HE TRIED IT WAS IN 2005 AND THAT WAS ONE GAME.

FOR THOSE WHO DON'T FOLLOW BASEBALL YOU PLAY BY NATIONAL

LEAGUE RULES IN THEIR BALLPARKS AND THE AMERICAN LEAGUE

RULES WHEN GAMES ARE IN THE AL PARKS.

BOSTON HAS NINE GAMES IN TEN DAYS IT'S A BIG DEAL.

IF ANYONE SITS IT WILL BE ORTIZ NOT GONZALEZ,

WHICH BRINGS UP THE OTHER PROBLEM.

RED SOX PITCHERS WILL NOW HAVE TO BAT.

SINCE THAT IS NOT THE NORM YOU RUN THE RISK OF PITCHERS GETTING

HURT PARTICULARLY IN THE CAGE.

THAT HAS ALREADY HAPPENED TO JOSH BECKETT THIS SEASON,

INTERLEAGUE PLAY HAS BEEN AROUND SINCE 1997 AND ITS HERE

TO STAY.

THE REAL PROBLEM IS THAT THE TWO LEAGUES HAVE DIFFERENT

RULES AND BUILD THEIR TEAMS TO FIT THE RULES.

WHILE THE AL HAS A GOOD RECORD AGAINST THE NL THEY ARE

STILL PERNALIZED.

NATIONAL LEAGUE PITCHERS ARE HITTING AND BUNTING ALL SEASON

LONG. AMERICAN LEAGUE PITCHERS ARE AN AUTOMATIC OUT AND

SOME OF THE BEST HITTERS HAVE TO SIT GAMES OUT.

INTERLEAGUE PLAY WORKS OUT FOR TEAMS WITH NATURAL RIVALRIES.

I'M SURE THE YANKEES AND METS AND THE TWO CHICAGO TEAMS HAVE

SOMETHING PROVE TO THEIR THEIR CITIES.

BUT FOR MANY GAMES IT'S A YAWN.

I KNOW THE DECK IS STACKED AGAINST ME BUT A LEAST I

CAN ONCE AGAIN EXPRESS MY OPINION .

INTERLEAGUE PLAY IN BASEBALL IS A GIMMICK.

FOR THIS FAN THE ONLY TIME I WANT OR NEED TO SEE A TEAM FROM

THE OTHER LEAGUE IS IN THE WORLD SERIES.


THIS IS GEORGE HALE WITH MY PERSPECTIVE ON SPORTS

Print this Story