The Yankees are back home, and not much has changed in regards to catching the Tampa Bay Rays , who have held onto first place in the AL East all season. The Yankees are still two games behind, but continue to keep themselves the wild card team.
As I predicted, the Toronto Blue Jays have fallen to behind the Red Sox to fourth place, and this is a trend that will continue for Toronto.
The Blue Jays don’t play small ball at all, which is what comes in handy when team is slumping. Hitting home runs alone isn’t enough, but the Blue Jays pitching has allowed them to look more dominant.
This weekend begins interleague play for all teams. Many feel it is unfair, as the American League has bullied the National League since these games were incorporated in 1997.
Why is the AL always better?
The AL is much more competitive because the designated hitter is a power bat, compared to having the pitchers bat.
NL pitchers almost get a break with every ninth batter being a pitcher, instead of facing the likes of a David Ortiz , Vladimir Guerrero , or Hideki Matsui.
Matsui was the World Series MVP as the Yankees DH last season, which clearly proves it is a significant position.
The two highest grossing teams in MLB are in the AL, the Red Sox and the Yankees. These two alone hog so much attention from fans, media, and anything baseball-related.
The NL has had less competitive teams overall for over a decade. This allows for the brutal beatings the NL takes in interleague play and the All-Star game.
Another weird observation is that the NL has mascots and fans who love to spin towels in the air, which drives me absolutely crazy.
Let’s be fair, the NL is home to the Philadelphia Phillies , who are about as good as a team can get. Also, viably the best player in baseball now and maybe ever is Albert Puljos, who has always been an NL player on the St. Louis Cardinals . Don’t forget the NL now has the best pitcher in baseball too, Roy Halladay , who moved from the Blue Jays to the Phillies.
My prediction is that the 2010 season is still owned by the American League, but not by much because the NL has been on the rise big time. I bet that in 2011 the National League will finally matchup.
Well, let the games begins, as interleague matchups start tonight.
Up in the Bronx, the Yankees host the Houston Astros for three games. Astros will be followed by the Phillies, Mets, Dodgers, and Diamondbacks, so this should be interesting to see how the Yankees fair against teams fans rarely get to see, but fans think it is a necessity to sweep the Dodgers! I think you know why…
What is your opinion on this subject?
Do you think both leagues should have the same rules regarding DH or no DH?
Why do you think the AL more competitive?
Please share your outlook in the comments box below.
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