Now that interleague play is in full swing, it is worth noting that there is a growing distaste for the whole process now amongst the players, and to some extent the fans as well. While there is something to the notion that the National League is the weaker league, thus making interleague play something of a potential win-padding time for the stronger American League teams, it is also true that there is concern about all of this playing of teams that really have no bearing on divisional records. Players like getting into a rhythm – a zone if you will – and the normal flow of the season can change quite a lot when your team visits a lot of cities where they do not normally play. Home games are home games though, so at least half the time things should still be okay. In addition, the New York, Chicago and Los Angeles teams have an advantage in playing each other because at least there is little travel involved. What it all comes down to is that this big changeup for the players comes at a time when they are more focused on getting into the flow and finding their comfort zones. However, it still seems like the majority of the fans love the special meetings even if some “historic” opponents are becoming bored of the whole process if not completely exhausted (Boston-Atlanta anyone?). Unfortunately for the players (and other interleague “haters”), Major League Baseball itself is ecstatic over the financial success of interleague play, and this is part of how the NASCAR effect has come to infect baseball.

During the current racing season NASCAR has come under an increasing amount of fire over the fact that the “sport” is no longer about racing at all, but is just about marketing, promotion and making money. Amidst the talk about races having their outcomes altered thanks to the use of caution flags, as well as discontent from an increasing number of drivers over the way NASCAR manipulates the sport for profit; stock car racing is (arguably) more profitable than ever. Thanks to massive broadcast deals for obscene amounts of money as well as increasing numbers of corporate sponsors, baseball is easily more profitable now than it has ever been before. While individual teams may struggle, the overall wealth of the sport is astronomical. If nothing else, the leadership of MLB has worked wonders at rebuilding the brand in the wake of the 1994 strike, as well as increasing the net value of the sport exponentially. The problem, however, is that baseball operates like most other American corporate entities in that net profits are their primary motivation. Should something categorized as an American institution be run in this manner? More importantly, should such an organization continue to be allowed to enjoy its special anti-trust exemption? Forget about the right and wrong they do for a moment, what it all comes back to is forcing accountability in all quarters on an organization that is clearly a for-profit entity in sheep’s clothing. As much as many teams are individually responsible for pricing vast majorities of their fan base out of being able to participate in the in-park baseball experience, the umbrella organization of MLB is responsible for actively encouraging changes that have done nothing but increase the financial burden on those who love the game most. Thanks to their financial success in bringing back baseball in America, MLB is venturing forth into new markets (China) in a quest for new fans, more fans, and – ultimately – even more net income. Not that there is anything wrong with profits in a free market economy, but stop treating baseball as something special. Force accountability – and open books – on the sport and let the chips fall where they may.

So, where does that leave the whole “interleague” play thing? Simply put, it ain’t going away anytime soon. The games just make too much money for anyone at MLB or in the owner’s box to want a change. Besides, the players get paid the same no matter who they play, although it sure would be interesting to see a player sign a contract in the future that pays him more per game when playing in interleague games. The player would have to be a superstar to get such a deal done, but it would set an interesting precedent and make a strong statement in regards to how the players really feel about the whole process. All the same, it is still kind of fun to see a team like the Cubs or the Giants playing in Fenway…of course, that is what you would expect to hear a fan say.

The personalities in the game are numerous and colorful, but a few stand out right now as deserving some special attention. First, Jason Giambi is perhaps the closest thing to a pariah that the sport has known in years. Sure, Barry Bonds annoys almost everyone but the city of San Francisco, but no one seems as disliked as Giambi. The real sad story here is that Giambi was once a great ballplayer, good looking and popular. Thanks to the substances he abused, not only has his health been damaged (possibly for the rest of his life), but he looks like a bloated and misshapen caricature of himself from years past. In addition, even though he had a great season in 2006, and was off to a decent start in 2007, his ridiculous injury as well as some inflammatory comments he has made have turned him into persona non grata in New York. The Yankees are, without a doubt, exploring all options to sever ties with Giambi for as little cost as possible. While the Angels expressed interest in Giambi earlier this season, it seems less likely they would have an interest in him when he returns from his injury…but stranger things have happened. Giambi is one of those huge baseball tragedies, a player who ruined himself in virtually every possible way, and must now try and live (and play baseball) being reminded of that truth every single day. It used to be fun watching him play, now it is almost disgusting to see what he has become, what he has done to himself. Here is hoping Jason can avoid the fate that claimed Ken Caminiti.

Speaking of disgusting, how about that Barry Bonds? Surprisingly, there is still some enjoyment to be found in watching the man play the game. Is there any player in the game now that is more unwaveringly immune to what anyone else in the game has to say about him or anything? Not likely. Bonds is in Boston this weekend for the first time ever, and it is a media spectacle if nothing else. For once, more reporters are there for a player who is not named Dice-K. Since Barry will not be breaking Hank Aaron’s home run record in Fenway, his appearance there now is little more than a curiosity really - one more milestone that can be crossed off a list of relatively minor milestones. While it is nice seeing the Giants in town for the first time since 1912, more than anything the ideal situation here is that the Red Sox take three. Should Barry hit one out this weekend, that would be fine – no matter how much you like or hate the man, the plain fact remains that he can be fun and sometimes even amazing to watch play. There are still too many questions surrounding Bonds, and it would be nice if Bud Selig and company finally took ownership of the situation and tried to work out a solution. The longer Bonds plays this season, the more likely it is that he will break the home run record. At least the Giants have finally done something about the chase by adding a huge billboard to their ballpark that tracks Barry’s progress. Just because you do not want Bonds to hit 756 homers does not mean that he will not actually manage to do it. Leadership means having to take on the good jobs as well as the bad ones, and Selig needs to finally swallow his disgust and disdain and deal with Bonds as a human being (as opposed to a living symbol of things that make Bud want to throw up). On a larger scale, Selig needs to address the entire steroids in baseball issue with a firm hand because ignoring it has not made the truth go away. Clearly this is something that the commissioners office has to get aggressive about, because the player’s union is being extremely quiet about the whole process, forcing Selig to make the first serious move before the Feds finally have enough and get involved. Addressing the Bonds issue in a professional but proactive manner would be a good way to get the whole process going, and truth be told – it would be nice if Barry got to finish out the season. It remains to be seen if Bud feels the same way.

How about those central divisions in baseball? Wow, there sure are a lot of good teams there. Starting on the National League side, the fact remains that the senior circuit is just not as impressive as the junior. Still, there are good teams in the NL Central that had been fighting for two legitimate playoff slots (central champ and wildcard). The recent surge in the National League West may force the central teams to really step it up, but in the meantime, the Brewers still look strong despite the recent slump. While the young studs in Milwaukee have been struggling of late, look for them to come back strong soon and restore confidence in how dangerous the team really is. While the Cubs sit in second now, it is hard to say what the team is really capable of this season. There are clearly chemistry issues on the team, and it would come as little surprise to see Mike Barrett get traded to just about anyplace that is not Chicago. The team is starting to click offensively as Alfonso Soriano finally finds his power groove, but the strength of the team pitching is less certain. The real question will be if the Chicago pitching staff is capable of the kind of consistency necessary for them to stay in contention for another three to four months. Time will tell. 2006 World Series champs St. Louis are looking like a lost team this year, and that may result in a lost season for them. In truth, they are just having too many injuries and too much inconsistency in all aspect of their game to be taken seriously in 2007. Sometimes, the injury hurdles can be too much, and there is probably not much hope for the Cardinals to come back and dominate their division, let alone the wildcard. Pittsburgh remains an interesting team with interesting players, but they just do not have enough talent to really contend. Hopefully that is something that will continue to improve, because the resurgence of the Tigers has been good for baseball and the resurgence of the Pirates would be more of the same. Houston is a bit of a disappointment this season; of course losing both Andy Pettitte and Roger Clemens can do that to a team. If any one thing has been proven true, it is that Roy Oswalt is no Jake Peavy – they are not even close. Jake Peavy is helping to carry the Padres to contention this season, but Oswalt is just not capable of the same feat. The Astros have a lot of great talent, and their offense should be better than it is, but porous pitching is likely to keep them out of the race unless something major changes. Finally there are the Reds, the team most likely to have a fire sale before the end of July. At the very least, Ken Griffey is likely to be traded, but Adam Dunn and more could be moved as Cincinnati tries to retool yet again. Aside from Bronson Arroyo, what have they really done right over the last two seasons?

On the American League side you see the cream rise to the top. Cleveland and Detroit are two of the most enjoyable clubs in the game right now, though the edge has to go to the Tribe and their powerful youth movement that is finally figuring it all out. Detroit remains scary-good thanks to their outstanding pitching, with an offense that is nothing to sneer at either. The main worry for Detroit remains the health of their ageing sluggers, because they really have too many of those for a team that is trying to build a dynasty. Still, after a World Series loss in 2006, the Tigers are hungry to get a second crack at the trophy and they have the pitching to get there. While Minnesota comes across as the poor cousin of the American League, they sure manage to get more done with (allegedly) a whole lot fewer resources. Of course, any team that is anchored by the likes of Johan Santana and Justin Morneau has to be off to a good start. The problem for the Twins remains the fact that their division is extremely tough, and after their star players there is a big drop-off in the average talent of the team right now and that may be too hard to overcome. Still, Minnesota is ALWAYS dangerous in September. Just a couple of years ago Ken Williams was a genius, and now all of his best efforts are struggling to pay off. The White Sox are rightfully a fourth place team in their division right now, and it does not seem likely that they have the talent or the chemistry to bring it all together. Perhaps the fiery nature of Ozzie Guillen is finally having some consequences, or perhaps all of that trading has finally caught up to Chicago. Whatever the case, the bigger question will be if they can hold off Kansas City all season – the younger, hungrier and possibly better team that currently sits at the bottom of the AL Central. While the Royals are STILL a long way from being a contender, at least they are getting better and that is all there is to say about that.

Excelsior!

Have a question or comment for Chris? Email him at chrismeyer@sportsgrumblings.com.