I remember when Major League Baseball announced Interleague play, back in the late 90’s. Interleague play was part of Bud Selig’s plan to bring the fans back after the 1994 strike and cancelled world series, one that severely damaged major league baseball and which many credit for laying waste to the Montreal Expos.
In other words, it was conceived, explicitly, as a gimmick. A way to get people talking about baseball again, a way to bring more attention to the sport. American League teams versus National League teams, for 100 years limited to just the World Series, would now happen every year!