League Wars

[FiddySicks]

MLB All Star Game comes up. National league vs American League. I dont know about any of you, but im always pulling for the NL. I dont know why, but ive always felt that NL ball is far superior to AL ball. Reason? Not exactly sure. I love the fact that the NL has no DH. I really dislike that an AL pitcher almost never hits. I also like how NL ball is a bit slower, and that teams generally tend to set up their small game better. And, for some odd reason, I have always felt that the NL is more of a classy and uprising section of baseball than is the AL. Also, there are more teams that i personally like in the NL.

Now i know that for the most part, is doesnt really make that much of a difference, but im wondering, which league do you prefer? Why?

[Eye]

Normally, I just stick to watching the Indians because they're my favorite team, or the Blue Jays because they're my 2nd favorite and I love Toronto. However, I do feel that NL ball is more old school than AL ball. In the National League, pitchers have to hit and the managers have to manage more (double switches.) You typically don't see double switches in the American League. Also for some reason, it seems like in the NL stolen bases and suicide squeezes come into play more often. The AL seems more high scoring with the use of the DH. You tend to see more pitchers duels in the NL, whereas you'll have a slugfest with the Red Sox and Yankees. I can't say I really have a preference for a particular league because I usually just try to watch my favorite team, but I do like staying up late to see a Dodgers, Padres, or Giants game with NL rules.

[See Red]

I like the AL because I'm a Red Sox fan. I can watch just about any American League game, but I can only watch Rockies games in the NL. NL ball just seems boring to me. I like how good pitchers in the NL crossover to the AL and get crushed.

Right now, though, the AL has been destroying the NL in interleague play!

[TBGKon]

I don't really knw who to side with this season. I live in and root for the local AL team (D-Rays), Houston is my NL team (though I have no personal ties to the city other than the fact that my cousin lives there), I was born in an AL town (Cleveland) and lived in Detroit before moving the state of Florida.

Oh yeah, and another note, an NL team gives me a paycheck every so often (I work for their Class A affiliate in Clearwater, Florida).

All in all, I think this year, I'll wear my 2004 National League All-Star BP Jersey with my Clearwater Threshers cap, no better way to celebrate the major league all stars.

[zig]

I don't like the al as much. I like how in the nl pitchers get to bat. But I also hate the al because of the all star game. Eveyone votes for yankees and redsoxs to start and players like Joe Mauer who deserve to start are left out. Out of 8 starters who get voted in ( not pitcher) 6 play one the yankees or redsox.

[CC97]

I root for the AL because my team is from the AL... simple as that.

[Gary]

Over the last 9 years the American League has won 8 tied 1 and lost NONE. Scoreboard AL

[jkrdevil]

The American League is better and historically has been better than the National League.

[DrBear]

I don't care about the All-Star Game (except for seeing any Brewers who play) but I'm SICK of hearing how the NL managers have it so much tougher. Strategy on removing pitchers is dead now thanks to pitch counts. If your starter hits 100 or so, he goes out whether he's throwing a shutout or not. So what's the big deal on having to decide on a pinch hitter? Your pitch count already made the decision.

[The_Admiral]

I don't care about the All-Star Game (except for seeing any Brewers who play) but I'm SICK of hearing how the NL managers have it so much tougher. Strategy on removing pitchers is dead now thanks to pitch counts. If your starter hits 100 or so, he goes out whether he's throwing a shutout or not. So what's the big deal on having to decide on a pinch hitter? Your pitch count already made the decision.

Also, more managing isn't necessarily better managing. Earl Weaver was a more effective manager by just sitting on his ass and watching a baseball game than Dusty Baker is by double-switching all the time, or Tony La Russa is by fussing over lefty-righty matchups.

[VitaminD]

I grew up in an NL city following an NL team. So I side with the National League. Sometimes, it IS that simple.

I actually miss the more palpable differences between the leagues. Used to be, the strike zones, pitching styles, umpiring and play philosophies were noticeably different between the 2 leagues. I liked when they kept the leagues apart all season. I grew up watching the NL style of play, and still prefer it to AL baseball. I just wish they'd stop with the gimmick of interleague play, let each league decide its own winner and have them go at it for the World Series.

[Coast2CoastAM2006]

i personally like the interleague play. if i was a fan of a team in the AL i would like to see players/teams i liked in the NL and vice versa. which is why i like interconference play in the other major sports, i like seeing players and teams i like in opposing conferences. if a team isn't in the top 4 of the league, theres not a chance you'll ever see a team/player from another league. lets say i was a royals fan(i'm not but just for the sake of the post) and I wanted to see the brewers play because they had a player on there i liked. unless both teams were ever good again, and met in the world series(we'll put a man on mars before the royals/brewers meet in the world series), i'd never have the opportunity of ever seeing them play. i personally don't see the big deal with interleague play. hockey, football and basketball do it.

[friarcanuck]

Is there any rules that make AL ball different than NL other than the DH?

[TBGKon]

i personally like the interleague play.

I agree with you, I just wish there was an easy way for each team to play the other 29 teams at least once, maybe even twice (home and away). I think my reasoning for this is the fact that I'm sick and tired of seeing the Rays play the Yanks and Red Sox for what seems all the freaking time.

[The_Admiral]

i personally don't see the big deal with interleague play.  hockey, football and basketball do it.

Yeah, but it's not the same. Conferences don't really mean anything. The AFC has some significance, as the 10 AFL teams are still in there together, and the league went to great lengths to not disturb the Broncos-Raiders-Chiefs rivalry by realigning them away from each other. But the NL and AL are still very separate in most people's minds.

I just wish there was an easy way for each team to play the other 29 teams at least once, maybe even twice (home and away).

Are you talking a one-game series? That's logistically impossible, and really kind of pointless.

[TBGKon]

I just wish there was an easy way for each team to play the other 29 teams at least once, maybe even twice (home and away).

Are you talking a one-game series? That's logistically impossible, and really kind of pointless.

I meant at least one series, maybe two (home and away)

[The_Admiral]

I just wish there was an easy way for each team to play the other 29 teams at least once, maybe even twice (home and away).

Are you talking a one-game series? That's logistically impossible, and really kind of pointless.

I meant at least one series, maybe two (home and away)

So that adds up to an NL team playing anywhere from 42 to 84 games against the AL?

[NJTank]

This year I will be more interested than in the past becuase I really want the NL to win so the Mets can have Home Field in the World Series.

[HedleyLamarr]

I'll try to touch all the bases here....pun intended....

All-Star Game: As a fan of the Braves, I'm usually pulling for the NL to win. I do prefer the NL game to the AL, but that's not why I root for the NL. First, I want all the Braves players to not only get in the game, but also do something positive, like throwing a scoreless inning, turning a double play, or getting a base hit. Then, I want all the players who've never played in an All-Star Game to get in somehow. After that, I want all the teams' reps to get in, so all the markets get air time during the game. I really don't care about seeing Derek Jeter hit 3 times or Roger Clemens pitch three innings, I've seen them play a ton before.

Also, the All-Star Game shouldn't be determining home-field advantage in the World Series....best regular season record should be.

Interleague Play: I love it! I like seeing different teams come to Atlanta and the Braves playing in cities they've never visited before.

If it were up to me, I'd make Interleague Play more fair. Every team in the NL would play every team in the AL in one 3-game series each season. Honestly, do we need 18 games to determine which team is the best in each division? Have two-home and two-away series against your division, one-home and one-away series against everyone else in your division, and half of the AL teams will come play at your stadium, and the other half of the AL host a series against you. Intraleague Play will still heavily out-number Interleague Play games. Plus, you're guarenteed of seeing every team play in your stadium every two years.

TV and free agency have basically tainted the uniqueness and rarity of seeing teams in action, but you still see different teams every other year.

[NJTank]

Also, the All-Star Game shouldn't be determining home-field advantage in the World Series....best regular season record should be.

I do agree with that I hate the current concept but what coudl you do.