Why National League Baseball is Better

I've watched more baseball this season than I have in a long time. And for the first time I've come to this conclusion: The National League is heads and tails above the American League when it comes to playing good baseball.

Great example from a game I was watching earlier this summer. The Yankees were at home and I don't even remember who they were playing. They were in a tie ballgame in the bottom of the 8th. Whoever led off that inning smacked a double in the gap. Runner on second, no outs, tie ballgame in the bottom of the 8th. Melky Cabrera was up second and it was a leftie throwing so he was hitting right-handed. Now common sense tells you that Cabrera should bunt the runner on second over to third or at the very worst, do his best to hit the ball to the right side of the field so the runner could advance to third with only one out. Right?

One would assume wrong.

Torre gave the green light for Cabrera to hack away -- opening up his front shoulder and pulling his head out on every swing. It was either a fly out to the left side of the field or he struck out, i don't remember -- either way he didn't advance the runner. The next two batters were retired and the visiting team scored one in the Top of the 9th and chalk up another Yankees loss.

I hate to say it -- but in nearly every American League game I've seen this year -- with maybe the exception of the Red Sox -- the American League teams have been playing this kind of baseball. Then you turn over to the National League and watch teams like the Mets (who will win the National League pennant this year) who manufacture almost every run they get, and then every baseball fan understands why their fathers, uncles, and grandfathers have always said that the National League is better baseball.. Willie Randolph would have never let the situation described above happen.

That's why, I predict slightly a month after the all-star break, that the American League is going to have a tough go of it down the stretch unless they start playing more fundamental baseball. Having a DH is no excuse -- even a clean-up batter can bunt when the situation is right.