Love it or hate it, it's time again for Bud Selig's attack on baseball tradition: inter-league play.

Let us then examine the few instances where inter-league play works by comparing, position-by-position, the line-ups of the Cubs and White Sox, Muts and Hankees, Angels and Dodgers, and Athletics and Giants-while holding firm to the position that when Bucketfoot is running baseball, inter-league play will be banished along with the other paragons of sacri-baseball: artificial turf, the Metrodome, the designated hitter, and Barry Bonds.

Each match-up will be judged by the teams' current roster and what the rosters are likely to look like in the immediate future-today and tomorrow. So, without further delay, batter up!