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SINCE ITS INCEPTION in 1997, interleague play has been to Major League Baseball what the All-Star Game is to the NBA: pointless, but enjoyable for fans afforded the chance to see things they wouldn't ordinarily.

I, for one, like watching the “Look what I can do” street-ball styled NBA all-star game, as well as taking in a game showcasing teams from both of baseball’s league's.

As someone who grew up watching the American League, it’s neat to see National League teams come to your home park. Interleague play provides baseball fans the chance to see the game’s biggest superstars.

Prior to D.C. welcoming the Washington Nationals this season, the only chance a local fan had at seeing an NL team was during two short stretches of interleague play at Baltimore’s Camden Yards. If the team you wanted to see wasn’t one of the couple that came to Charm City, you were out of luck—unless you want to drive 3 hours to Philadelphia.

Big-league schedules today are comprised of games primarily against teams in each club’s division. The Baltimores Orioles, for example will play their division foes 19 times apiece, at one stretch in the year playing 25-of-31 games against teams from the American League East.

Don’t get me wrong; I’m all about seeing the most storied franchise in sports, the New York Yankees, and the defending world champion Boston Red Sox regularly. But playing two perpetually mediocre teams (the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and Toronto Blue Jays) a combined 38 times this season isn’t exactly chicken soup for the baseball fan’s soul.

Interleague play is an added spark of excitement to an otherwise Groundhog Day-esque marathon of games. When you play the same teams over and over, the season can get repetitive. Games against unfamiliar teams and performers is an efficient way for baseball to spice things up.

In addition to seeing new teams and players at your home park, exhilarating intrastate matchups and a plethora of uncommon pitching pairings are additional perks.

Even with all of the excitement generated by the American and National leagues merging a couple of times each season, many people are growing tired of interleague play. I get pumped up to see the White Sox and Cubs battling for bragging rights in Chicago, or the Yankees and Mets matching pitch for pitch in New York, and I have no reason to care about either of those two matchups.

Like a kid on Christmas Eve, I’m already having trouble sleeping knowing that the Orioles and Nationals will play each other next season. The dates of those games won't even be released for another half-year or so, but preparations for such a monumental event must be taken.

Not every interleague series will keep you on the edge of your seat, but there are several worthy of pushing your bedtime back for. Take this weekend’s schedule for example. Start your day off with a little White Sox vs. Cubs for lunch, wash that down with the Atlanta Braves and the Boston Red Sox and then nap during the Arizona Diamondbacks and Detroit Tigers to ensure your energy for a big nightcap.

One of the tilts in California—whether it be the battle of the bay teams, (Oakland A's and San Francisco Giants) or the showdown of the squads from Los Angeles (Dodgers and Angles)—should be a nice finish to Day 3 of the interleague season.

Interleague baseball is about more than seeing new faces. It’s about AL pitchers who haven’t swung a bat all season, fanning miserably through pitches like tee-ball players facing college opposition. Interleague play is more about NL skippers using their best reserve bat for a change, than it is the Milwaukee Brewers and Minnesota Twins rekindling a once-hot rivalry.

Interleague play is a change of pace, a breath of fresh air, and an invigorating spark to an otherwise monotonous 162-game season.

GRANT PAULSEN is a 16-year-old sportswriter who lives in King George County. He hosts a talk show each Saturday on XM radio. He can be reached at The Free Lance–Star, 616 Amelia Street, Fredericksburg, Va. 22401, or by fax at 373-8455.