As always, I have mixed feelings about this time of year. I still think the best playoff format was no playoffs like they had it back in 1968, but I’m probably in the minority on that one.

Interleague play is another one of those things. At first I liked it, and in certain respects, I still do. If the Giants were to come to town, I’d love to go see Barry Bonds play. I missed Mark McGwire’s appearance a few years ago at Comerica Park, but I would have liked to see him as well.

And then you have the stories like last night, where East Lansing native and former Tiger’s farmhand John Smoltz made his pitching debut in Detroit, pitching a perfect tenth to seal the victory for the Braves. Yeah, the Tigers came up on the short end, but it’s a warm feeling none the less.

But I think what it does to the schedules around the league is more of a detriment then the benefits it brings. In a tight playoff race, every game counts, and if one team has a weaker schedule then the next, it gives them a distinct advantage. Getting rid of interleague play would also, in my opinion, make the All Star Game, and even the World Series, more interesting.

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