Hey Brewer

This weekend gives us our first taste of interleague baseball around the country. For many teams this games against their, somewhat forced, “rivals”. ESPN often focuses on the Yankees and Mets Subway Series, typically because at least one of these teams are one of the best in the league. And, as my friends from non-NY, non-Boston areas often point out, there is a perceived media biased for these teams so these games are forced down the nations throat. New Yorkers might also be considered slightly ego-centric and under the impression the world revolves around the tri-state area. This year however finds both the Mets and Yanks generally being disappointments. As a Met fan I can tell you I really don’t care about this series against the Yanks. The Yankees just lost 2 of 3 to the DRays and are a general disappointment while the Mets just lost 3 of 4 to the Nats at home. The Mets need the wins and so do the Yanks but I, and many of my fellow Mets fans, don’t seem to give a shit about the opponent and there is a real lack of buzz. This got me to thinking, if the Subway Series is relatively dull this year, what interleague series this weekend are actually interesting?

Milwaukee Boston: Are Milwaukee for real? Gagné and the pen has really limited them this year but they still have a potent team. Braun is coming alive and it will be interesting to see them match up against the reigning champs.

Dodgers Angels: The Freeway Series (gayest, yet, appropriate name) should be a interesting. I thought the way the Dodgers built there team was terrible but there recent great play has been interesting to watch. The voids that are Jones and Pierre will kill them in the long run and I think a healthy Angels (Lackey just got back, Figgins not to far away) are a better team but at the least these should be more interesting games that their NY counterpart.

Drays St Lo: The two biggest (positive) surprises in baseball going against each other. I doubt either will keep it up (Cards offense is playing too good and the DRays pitching has been playing over their heads) but it has more juice than NY. If any of you have the baseball package I suggest watching the DRays who are a very exciting team. Iwamura is playing lights out, crawford and upton are a joy to watch, and cliff floyd is on the team which is always a bonus. They are winning which helps, but they are playing very loose and are fun to watch.

Det Arizona: Det has to be the biggest disappointment in the game (and ruining my pre-season predictions). They will need to play lights out to overcome their season opening shitfest (and getting swept (again) by the Royals didn’t help). Arizona is an odd team. Their run differential was shit last year and yet they won the west (albeit a shitty west) easily. Again this year they are getting great offensive production from an underwhelming lineup and superb pitching. Should be a fun match up. Webb just went 9-0 but I would have loved to seem him go against the Tigers.

Those are 4 series that are at the least more interesting that the Metros/Yanks this year. Thats a big piece of humble pie for the biggest market in sports.