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T2O-By Drew Davis

Even before the first World Series, the National League and the American League have been in competition over who is the better league. The champion of the up-and-coming American League challenged the champion of the National League to a series of games. At first the National League dominated, but that was partially due to the fact that when the National League champion didn't feel up to the challenge, they would decline the challenge. Nowadays the World Series is an annual thing. In addition to that the All Star Game is played every year too.

Because of the DH, the American League is undermined considerably, therefore I will completely disregard the idea of the DH, which should be removed immediatly.

Traditionally, the National League has been thought of as the pitching league, and the American League as the hitting league. I must disagree. Sosa, Bonds, Gonzalez (Luis), Piazza, Alou and the rest are all in the National League. The American League is rather empty, with JuanGon (the b@st@rd), Manny Ramirez, and A-Rod basically running the show.

The idea of the NL being the superior pitching league seams like a correct one to me. The NL's pitchers, such as Randy Johnson, Curt Shilling, Greg Maddux, Al Leiter, and the Ruth-like Mike Hampton, are easily better than the AL's Clemens, Garcia, Hudson, Zito, and Mussina. Coupled with their dominance in the offensive department, I feel the NL is a much superior leauge, but if you disagree, please e-mail ME.

There have been many people jumping ship this off-season. Roberto Alomar, a solid career hitter and perennial Gold Glover, was moved from the AL to the NL for almost nothing in return. Tino Martinez replaced Mark McGwire in the NL, which seems like a pretty equal exchange, taking McGwire's age and health into consideration. After going to the AL, Rodger Cedeņo has returned to the Mets, adding a lot of speed to the NL arsenal, not to mention the terminally slow Mets. Burkett moved from Atlanta to Boston. Ron Gant switched from the A's to the Padres. Ex-Met prodigy Jason Isringhausen moved from the A's, a team with no meaning to the Mets, to the Cards, a big competitor. Now the Cards have a solid closer to possibly shut the Mets down in the ninth inning. Chan Ho Park, a fan favorite among West Coast Asians, moved to the predominatly Caucasian Protestant state of Texas when he signed with the Rangers (the Giants did pick up Tsuyoshi Shinjo, however, which should widen their fanbase in both California and Japan.)

Of course there have been a few who stayed in their league. Last year Manny Ramirez signed with the BoSox, keeping him in the AL. Bret Boone signed with his old team, a move I respect highly for many reasons. Jeromy Burnitz and Jeff D'Amico were traded within their league, and perhaps the biggest was Jason Giambi, who was negotiating with Cardinals (to fill the shoes of his good friend, Mark McGwire, who he has on his phone's autodial. Tino Martinez, featured above, was the one who ended up as St. Louis' firstbaseman), but of course in the long run he signed with the Yankees. At least he was honest about why he signed with a team he hates, and truthfully, I can't blame him; money does talk. (As opposed to Mike Hampton, who didn't sign with Colorado for the money, it was because "the school system is better") In a sick maneuver to extract more money from the team he actually wanted to sign with, Juan Gonzalez pulled an A-Rod and screwed the Mets over before signing with the Rangers.