-GH> If most Bostoners are that indifferent to the National
-GH> League, it's no wonder
-GH> you see the return of the Braves as "no big deal"...why do
-GH> you think they left
-GH> town in the first place?  Nobody gave a hoot if they played
-GH> or not...
 
Why did they leave town?  Several reasons --
 
1) Their ball park was crummy, compared to Fenway Park
2) It was harder to get to (Fenway is near a major 
subway stop, Braves Field only had a single streetcar
line running there)
3) Their team was lousy compared to the Sox
4) Unlike the Sox, they had no real traditional rivals
and very few long-term loyal fans -- they did win a 
pennant in 1948, but in the late 40s and early 50s
the Red Sox were a better team 
5) Boston (as Philadelphia, St. Louis, and the 
Baltimore/Washington area also learned later on)
couldn't support two teams.
 
We are not blase about the National League - tonight I 
saw a horrible game between the Philadelphia Phillies
and the Red Sox.  I walked out after five innings had taken
over two hours to play.  The game wound up running almost
four hours.  If we see the same NL teams every year, it
would be something to get excited about.  But to see the
Phillies, Marlins, and Braves this year, then to see maybe
the Cardinals, Astros and Padres another isn't something
I'm gonna get really excited over.
 
Frankly, we'd rather have the games back versus the Orioles,
Yankees, and Mariners that we lost instead of the interleague
play.
 
It may be a gimmick for those who cities that don't have a
rich baseball tradition, and it may work in those towns.
Every city is different.  Some cities have kooky sickening
mascots (like the Philly Fatso Fanatic or the San Diego
Fried Chicken (?)) -- and it works in those cities.  Some
towns have an obnoxious organist pounding away and running
senseless cartoons on the scoreboard.  And it works.  
 
Boston fans have tradition and the game itself, and traditional
rivalries.  Nothing wrong with that either.  We would rather
see the Yankees play the Sox than Hot Pants Night, idiots 
dressed like chickens or frogs, organists pounding away to 
keep the crowd awake, or Morganna the kissing bimbo.
 
After seeing interleague play, I put it into a close-but-
not-quite promotional gimmick.  If it works, great.  But
it ain't workin' in Boston.
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