DUGOUT: Interleague play: a symbol of AL dominance?

A highlight of every baseball team’s schedule, it seems, is the interleague stretch.

Not only does it provide fans with a chance to see teams they usually don’t see, but it also gives players a much-needed respite from the brutal schedule they endure day in and day out.

Well, maybe the latter reason doesn’t apply to National League teams. For whatever reason, the only National League team dominating their American League counterparts is the Colorado Rockies. They had a combined record of 7-2 against interleague opponents through Friday’s games.

Just four other teams had five wins, which totals only five teams in the entire National League having winning records.

This is compared to the eight American League teams who had at least five wins in interleague play through Friday. The Minnesota Twins and Los Angeles Angels are tearing through their interleague schedule, both with at least eight victories.

What is the reason for this stark difference in winning percentages? As I’ve mentioned in earlier columns, there are many different explanations.

It could be the fact that National League teams have a weaker bottom of the order (thanks in no small part to lack of a designated hitter) and when forced to pitch to teams who don’t sport a pitcher in their lineup their performance decreases.

This theory, however, was debunked by John Jarvis, a baseball statistic king. He took interleague data back to 1997 and found that if he neutralized the home-field advantage that both leagues enjoyed (which would result in either a National League designated hitter or an American League pitcher batting) the difference was less than half a win per year.

Another major theory is that that American League holds a simple advantage over the National League: talent.

Mitchel Lichtman, a professional sabermetrician, did a three-part study for www.hardballtimes.com and found that the American League had an offensive advantage over the National League, but that pitching was relatively equal in both leagues. (I won’t bore you with the messy details here, but if you’re interested in standard deviations and linear weights, feel free to check it out.)

With this offensive advantage, is there any excuse for American League teams like the Oakland Athletics to sport an interleague record of 2-7 through Thursday?

The National League may be considered the “weaker” league, but a decade ago, that was not the case. Since 1997, the American League has enjoyed a 1,511-1,397 advantage over their National League rivals. A big difference, yes, but not one to raise many eyebrows.

I guess it all boils down to this: the American League may have a slight inherent advantage over the National League in terms of offensive talent, but one could hardly notice by looking back at the past decade.

The Manny Ramirez suspension saga may be nearing an end. Suspended for violating Major League Baseball’s substance abuse policy, Ramirez was sentenced to a 50-game suspension, which is due to end very soon. It has been reported that Ramirez will take a few days to “get back in game shape” before his date with the Dodgers on July 3.

Is it just me, or does anyone else see the idiocy in the fact that Ramirez needs to “get back in game shape?” What has he been doing these past two months?

Whatever the case may be, the Dodgers will welcome the 37-year-old Ramirez back with open arms. His .348/.492/.641 batting line will be a huge lift for the Dodgers’ lineup, although it’s not like Los Angeles needs him.

Through Thursday, the Dodgers found themselves with baseball’s best record and sitting comfortably atop the National League West.

Another former All-Star has bitten the dust.

Magglio Ordonez has been benched “indefinitely” by the Detroit Tigers. A career .312 hitter, Ordonez had just two home runs through Friday. He usually hits around 25-28 long balls a year and has, according to manager Jim Leyland in a press conference, “beaten himself up” over this lack of power.

In an attempt to bring back Ordonez’s swing, Leyland has decided the best thing to do would be to give the six-time All Star and former batting champion some time riding the pine.

Through Friday, the Tigers had just five players with a batting average over .300, and four of those had played less than 15 games. Just three players had more than five home runs and the team had a record of 35-31 through Thursday — still good enough for first place above the inconsistent Twins.

With the entire American League Central struggling, Leyland is doing his part to mix things up and provide his team with a winning combination.

Andrew Kneeland will be a junior at Sahuarita High School. He is an intern at the Green Valley News.