Does Interleague Play Affect Baseball Gaming?

[msuboy11]

I agree with you pokerplaya, I just think they have to have a uniform rule. The problem is when you don't, guys are now doing things that they are not used to, which causes injuries. (Ching Ming Wang) I personally like the DH, because it adds more excitement to the game. These guys get paid money to pitch, so when they have to focus on hitting also, it is less time practicing pitching. Also without it, guys like David Ortiz might have never made it. So I Definitly think it should be adopted by NL.

[pokerplaya]

Quote: Originally Posted by msuboy11

I agree with you pokerplaya, I just think they have to have a uniform rule. The problem is when you don't, guys are now doing things that they are not used to, which causes injuries. (Ching Ming Wang) I personally like the DH, because it adds more excitement to the game. These guys get paid money to pitch, so when they have to focus on hitting also, it is less time practicing pitching. Also without it, guys like David Ortiz might have never made it. So I Definitly think it should be adopted by NL.

I'm reverse. I wish it'd be abolished by the AL, but as the poster above stated, the union would not allow that to happen because it would cost in the neighborhood of 15-30 jobs for union members.

Just another example of the game being adversely affected by money.

[msuboy11]

Quote: Originally Posted by pokerplaya

I'm reverse. I wish it'd be abolished by the AL, but as the poster above stated, the union would not allow that to happen because it would cost in the neighborhood of 15-30 jobs for union members. Just another example of the game being adversely affected by money.

Isn't everything nowadays?

[PowerofRed25]

I like interleague play a lot, but with there being 15 a side next year and a full slate of games having one interleague game, I think the rules need to be standardized. At least with interleague play like it is now, you know you're about to get into it for a few weeks and can make whatever moves necessary, get your pitchers in the cage, call up a bat to DH for a week, get a guy some reps in the OF or at 1B. With interleague being mixed in throughout the season and likely only for a series at a time, it really starts to limit what you can do strategically.

It also seems like the interleague play monster catches at least one AL pitcher and gives him some freak injury on the bases each year. Despite that, I prefer NL baseball. I think the DH is a crutch for managers and GM's. You don't have to worry about where to play guys, you don't have to worry about having a deep bench or utility guys that can play anywhere after a double switch. You don't have to worry about saving your lefty pinch hitter in the pitchers spot for the righty closer in the 9th. If one of your stars is sore or tired, you can DH him for a day or two whereas an NL manager probably would have to sit him.

It just seems like NL baseball requires you to have a more complete, well put together team. Of course the only way both leagues will have the same rule is WITH the DH rather than without.

[shadia147]

The question is in regards to Video Sports Gaming. And since the conversation is about the DH and Interleague Play, Allow me to answer this way;

In The Show, we have the option of turning off the DH or going with it in both leagues. I see no such option regarding Interleague Play.
Now, in the Video Game Reality, theres no such thing as Players Unions. I am in fact God for all intents and purposes. As such, being 55 yrs old, I yearn for the days of pitchers having an impact from the plate in the American League. So I turned my DH off. I LOVE IT!! It's early yet, but I have some ptchers batting over .500. It levels the playing field. Of course the CPU hasnt figured out yet what to do with Gonzalez and Ortiz at first base for the Red Sox, or Prince Fielder in Detroit. But I can't wait to see how that plays out.
So far as Interleague Play, I wish the Devs gave us the option of turning that off too. Yes, it upsets the balance of the season, but what's more, it cheapens the Post Season.
I remember the 1976 World Series when the Reds first went to Fenway. They had never seen the Wall up close, and it definitely affected their heads. It was cool to play someone you'd never played before. How would they do? Could Bert Campaneris steal against Johnny Bench? Was the Orioles pitching staff in 1971 really that good? The appeal was that you saw matchups you'd never seen before. Or you would argue with your friends over how who was better Tom Seaver or Jim Palmer... And yet never actually get to see it happen IRL. It added a mystery to the game.

And just for the record, it should be the Brewers going back to the AL, not the Astros.

[Iceman87GT]

Quote: Originally Posted by thbends

I LOVE the DH rule and think it's completely unfair for the AL to have to play by the NL rules in the World Series when the NL playing with a DH does nothing but helps them. Pitchers batting is ridiculous in this day and age. So I support interleague play as much as possible to level the playing field. That way AL teams are not hampered as much in the World Series.

Except the NL doesn't sign guys who they'll occasionally stick at first base when one of their other players needs a day off from playing a position. So. Boston Red Sox can have David Ortiz in addition to their 8 fielding players during Interleague play, while the Braves can only pull from their utility players, as is the case with most NL teams because it doesn't make financial sense to sign a guy so you can have a great 9-man line-up during the small number of games you play on the road in the AL. Pitchers are all bad batters with a few exceptions (Micah Owings), there are pitchers who are good batters for pitchers (Tim Hudson) but they still aren't very good or reliable. Teach your pitchers to lay down a bunt and hope they never have to be called upon to do something else, that's what they typically do in the NL.

Having a man signed as a DH trumps having an slightly more experienced hitting pitcher, there's a reason why the DH is usually in the 4-6 batting slot and not the 9th slot (like the pitcher).

[Iceman87GT]

The NL rule is better in my opinion, it involves more strategy and is fairer to the AL when they come to town (the home team having a slight advantage in the 9th slot is a lot fairer than the AL team having a huge advantage in the 4th, 5th or 6th spot), I mean Frank Thomas could barely run during his final few years but he could still swing the bat, he was useless in every other facet of the game but he still had a roster spot, that's not how baseball should be played.

[Sergio88]

2013 Interleague Format

• 20 interleague games per team.
• No more than one interleague series per day in April and over the last five weeks.
• No more than one road interleague series per team in the final five weeks.
• Division-by-division matchups rotate annually.
• Every team in a division will play the same five teams in a corresponding division in the other league, plus four "rivalry" games.
• Only four "rivalry" games per team, likely played home-and-home and back-to-back in this format: Monday-Tuesday in one park, Wednesday-Thursday in the other.