Leyland Takes A Stand Against Interleague Play

One thing about Jim Leyland, he isn't afraid to tick somebody off by taking a stand.

Leyland's team begins its annual sojourn into interleague play this weekend at Pittsburgh and the Detroit manager takes issue with a concept he once endorsed.

"It was a brilliant idea to start with," Leyland said of American League teams playing National League teams, "but it has run its course.

"I'll probably get chewed out for (saying) it, but I think a lot of people feel the same way."

What irks Leyland is having to play six straight games at Colorado and at the Los Angeles Dodgers -- where designated hitters can't be used -- later this season without either Victor Martinez or Alex Avila in his lineup.

"For three games, that's OK," he said. But not six.

Leyland made his remarks Tuesday prior to his team being rained out of its scheduled game against Toronto.

"There are no rivalries for most of the teams," Leyland said. "I'm sure it helps the White Sox a little bit when they host the Cubs, but it doesn't help at Wrigley Field. The Cubs pack it most of the time anyway. The Yankees also pack their place most of the time.

"It has run its course. I just don't like it. First of all, at some point we have to get baseball back to the same set of rules. I don't know why more people don't talk about it. No other sport plays different rules.

"I don't care what they do. Whatever way they go is fine with me, but the rules should be the same."

It's something Leyland should have brought up to the committee he was appointed to that was charged with looking into ways to speed up and improve baseball. Leyland joked he might not even be on the committee any more.

"I'm on the (commissioner's) committee, and I'll probably get a phone call," he said, "but I don't really care. That's totally ridiculous."

Leyland acknowledges his comments probably won't change a thing.

"I don't think so," he said. "And let me emphasize this, it originally was a tremendous idea. But it's not really doing what it's supposed to do."

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