Some interleague series make sense geographically (think Yankees/Mets, Cubs/White Sox.)
Some interleague series have intrigue because of recent events. (Having a Cardinals/Tigers rematch series.)
But besides the A's/Giants Bay Bridge series and the Reds/Indians All Ohio Series, it s tough to find any natural match ups for this weekend.
We here at Sully Baseball will try to find the angle for each series.
NEW YORK YANKEES vs. PITTSBURGH PIRATES
The "I'm sure there are some Yankee fans still mad about the Bill Mazeroski home run" Series
NEW YORK METS vs. DETROIT TIGERS
The "This would have been a World Series rematch if Carlos Beltran took the bat off of his shoulders in last year's playoffs" Series
HOUSTON ASTROS vs. CHICAGO WHITE SOX
The "These two played in a recent World Series that you don't remember" Series
TAMPA BAY DEVIL RAYS vs. FLORIDA MARLINS
The "Remind me why we thought it was smart to put Major League Baseball in Florida" Series
COLORADO ROCKIES vs BALTIMORE ORIOLES
Um... this one is tough.
I'm dubbing it the "Hey! You have a nice new stadium and a lousy team? ME TOO!" Series
PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES vs. KANSAS CITY ROYALS
The "Man, 1980 was a long time ago" Series
WASHINGTON NATIONALS vs. MINNESOTA TWINS
The "Did you realize the Twins' franchise originated in Washington... You don't care, do you?" Series
LOS ANGELES ANGELS OF ANAHEIM vs. ST. LOUIS CARDINALS
The "I like David Eckstein but can't remember which team he plays for now" Series
MILWAUKEE BREWERS vs. TEXAS RANGERS
The "Wait, this is interleague? I thought they were both American League teams" Series
BOSTON RED SOX vs. ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS
The "Let's compare Mariano Rivera post season meltdowns" Series
(I can never resist sneaking in a 2004 post season reference)
SEATTLE MARINERS vs SAN DIEGO PADRES
The "Which uniform from the late 70s and early 80s was worse?" Series
TORONTO BLUE JAYS vs. LOS ANGELES DODGERS
Oh boy... this one is tough... the um...
Oh hell it is the "We've got to play each other eventually so let's get it over with" Series
So there you have it!
Every interleague series has a natural history and intrigue behind them.
You just need to look hard for it!
I'll say that the only good thing about the most recent Mets/Tigers series is that I honestly think the Mets could have won the World Series. But I'll sure be a lot quieter about it.
ReplyDeleteAs a fan, 15-7 made me way more upset than Beltran getting caught looking in Game 7. Hell, at least there was a Game 7. This was just inexcusable, they could have won that game and taken the series.
great post.
ReplyDeletehow bout one on the 8 game yankee winning streak!