I've never liked the idea of interleague play. My main reason: the leagues play by different rules. It seems to me like that would be the big obstacle for the pro-interleague play side in making their dream come true. But they got past it a decade ago, leaving me to complain about it every year, even when my team goes 16-2 against the other league.

It's the "natural rivalry" games that really piss me off. They obviously came up with the idea to generate revenue in the two-team areas. That leaves the rest of us with six extra games against a team we never cared about any more than any other team.

The Yanks get to play the Mets every year. I'm not going to talk (right now) about how it's unfair since the Yanks are usually better than the Mets. Or how the Yanks get to play six games each year that they're forced to be more pumped up for than the Red Sox get in a match-up with the Phillies. Tonight's complaint is:

The Yanks are in the Mets' heads. The teams know it. The fans know it. Anyone who lives in this city knows it. No matter what the records are, no matter who the players are, and no matter how hot or cold each team is going in, the Mets see the Yankees and turn into schoolboys playing against their heroes. Even this year, with the Mets having such a great record, I heard a host on the FAN talking about how the Mets would be happy to get two out of three in The Bronx. And he wasn't being facetious. He was a Mets fan being optimistic.

So, besides the natural high the Yanks get during a Mets series, what with the packed houses going crazy for the big rivalry (although on Friday night they seemed downright bored, especially after the rain delay), they also get almost a little break from their real schedule. A chance to gain back the momentum they may have previously lost.

Imagine if there was a team who the Red Sox just owned, who were in the Red Sox' shadow constantly, who didn't know whether to beat us or join us, who could have a great year until they see the red "B," at which point they turned to stone. And imagine if the league allowed us the chance to play them six times a year, an amount three or sometimes six greater than the number of times the rest of the division gets to play them--just for the sheer hell of it. It would be unfair for the other teams in our division, right? Well, that's what's going on.

So, talk amongst yourselves. If someone wants to do the research on the Yanks' record before as opposed to right after Mets' series, please do. I'm curious about this. One thing is for sure: the Yanks have beaten the Mets in their season series' almost every time, and I'll tell you what the effect is....it's pissing me off! I know, I can keep the five bucks, mister. And I will.

Quick story about Mets/Yanks, just since this post appears to kind of make fun of the Mets, to even things out: During the 2000 World Series, Shea Stadium played the parody song "Who Let the Mets Out?" There was a shot of Derek Jeter, looking out at whatever ridiculous corresponding activity was going on on the field, with a look on his face that said, "This is the difference between them and us." According to Fox, that is. (They'll also say things like, "The Mets believe they can win, the Yanks know they can. Crap like that.) What no one had the guts to say was, "Derek, now you know what the rest of us think when we watch your grounds crew interrupt their own job to do the fucking "YMCA" dance during every game. So, remember, Mets fans, just because this is the way things are now, remember 2004 as a great example as to how the world can suddenly flip upside down. It can and will happen. One day I'll say, "Sweet, Yanks have to play the Mets this weekend." Apparently we're just not there yet.