MLB: Has Interleague Play Lost Its Appeal?

In 1997, the brain trust at Major League Baseball came up with an idea that seemed like a home run—pun intended.

The main goal was to boost interest in baseball, which was still reeling from the 1994 player's strike. With dipping attendance and viewership on television, the suits at the MLB thought that Interleague games may be a sure fire way to bring the fans back to the game.

For the most part it worked, and Interleague Play has become a staple of the regular season in baseball. The original format had teams from rival divisions playing each other. An example of this was the National League Central teams playing against American League Central teams. This was standard until the 2002 season, when the MLB started alternating which divisions played each other.

The schedule makers have tried to generate some in-state rivalries between some American League and National League teams.

There's the "Subway Series," which takes place between the Mets and Yankees.

There is also the "Battle of Ohio," which pits the Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland Indians.

But outside of these rivalries, is there a point anymore?

I am an Indians fan, and outside of the Reds series, there isn't really an interesting match up out of the whole bunch of Interleague games.

Cleveland plays Los Angeles, Colorado, San Diego, and San Francisco. None of these series really seem to jump out at me as a fan. Maybe the Dodgers series will be all right, for the simple fact that the Indians are traveling to historic, Dodger Stadium at Chavez Ravine.

The rest of the scheduled games are duds to me.

I am not a baseball purist, but hasn't Interleague Play been overdone? What is the appeal? It did break up the monotony of the grind of the regular season, but now it has become monotonous itself.

Even the in-state rivalries have become unfair.

Is it fair that the Cubs and White Sox beat up on each other for six games, while the Cardinals get to match up with the Royals for six games?

I don't think so.

When division races and Wild Card races are decided by close margins, why is it fair for the competition for teams in the same division to be so skewed?

It also takes away the interest in the World Series. Some of the teams have already matched up against each other in the regular season prior to the World Series. 

What about the All Star Game? Rewind to the 1997 All Star Game held at Jacobs Field, now Progressive Field, in Cleveland.

I remember the anticipation that evening of seeing Larry Walker and Randy Johnson face off during Walker's at-bat. It might have been one of the biggest story lines of the game. Had Walker and Johnson already played against each other, there wouldn't have been any interest.

I am not against Interleague Play. I do enjoy some of the match ups from time to time. The problem is that it is being overdone.

Does baseball need two weeks of Interleague Play? Perhaps shorten the amount of games played. Instead of six sets of three-game series against the opposing league, maybe MLB could schedule three series. Instead of doing it every year, maybe do Interleague Play every other year.

Selig and company need to look at the decreasing interest.

What may have been a great idea in 1997 may no longer be the best today. I remember the interest in Interleague Play that first year. It was off the charts. Now it has become common place, and that's a crying shame.