Today is the last day of Interleague baseball for this season of MLB.  It ends coincidentally on the same day as the final of the Confederation Cup.  As great as the Confederation Cup has been for Soccer, Interleague play has given baseball a great boost as well.

MLB scheduled its Interleague dates to start right after the finals of the NBA.  It is a great move for baseball because it rejuvenates its fans and transitions sports fans by refocusing their attention from basketball to baseball.

MLB has begun to master its technique for giving Interleague baseball the spotlight in the crowded sports calendar and has accentuated the rarity of matchups among teams by having in-state, intra-city rivals playing one week and the next week having World Series rematches, as well as other oddly encounters. 

Drama has followed baseball’s good moves.  Anyone watching Interleague play in the last two weeks will have noticed that there has been an unbelievable amount of highlights, history and walk-off wins.  The steroid controversies, ticket prices and other problems with ego-driven players that has plagued baseball does not seem to be effecting the public’s will.  Baseball is coming through this Summer in better position than originally thought by many critics and it seems to be weathering the financial storm. 

It is also no secret that MLB is working all the angles of college baseball.  The college World Series played out tremendously this year, as its format has begun to take on more tradition and more recognition with each year that passes. 

Make no mistake about it, Soccer is competing with baseball for the American sports fan’s dollar.  More than any other sport, baseball is a thorn in the side of the growth and popularity of U.S. pro Soccer because it is a constant scene stealer.  This is a reality mostly because of the timing of the seasons they play. 

But, there is no doubt to the fact that the Confederation Cup has boosted Soccer in the consciousness of the U.S. sports fan.  It proves the U.S. is nearing equal footing with the best in the world. 

What effects will possibly winning Confed Cup and winning the Gold Cup have on recruiting new fans for the struggling professional leagues, MLS, USL and NPSL?  Will the boost from the Confed Cup and upcoming coverage of the Gold Cup help the U.S. pro leagues with attendance in general? 

Attendance should rally not only due to improved international play, but also because of hotter temperatures and better weather across the country. 

Of course, if there is no improvement in attendance or television ratings, no worries.  Soccer purists have it figured to be only that ’the public needs to have patience’ as these professional leagues develop.  After all, they are such young leagues. 

Sometimes though, it seems as if  U.S. pro Soccer can’t catch any breaks.  On the heels of the success of the USMNT in the Confed Cup comes the unfortunate link of AEG, a huge part of MLS and its future, to the July-planned Michael Jackson concert series in England.  What impact will Michael Jackson’s death have on AEG’s financials and what transferrence will be felt in MLS ? It appears certain there will be some sort of significant fallout, as AEG was way deep into its commitment with the King of Pop.

This year’s baseball season is shaping up to have more MLS cities in contention than in past years.  The Toronto Blue Jays and Seattle Mariners are off to really good starts, and this is not good news for MLS.  Currently, both teams sit in first place of their respective divisions.  These two cities have drawn better at the gate than any other MLS teams, but will it continue if their baseball counterparts continue to position themselves for a playoff push?

In Toronto on Saturday, Soccer outdrew baseball.  According to MLS-daily.com’s attendance and YahooSports attendance figures for boxscores in baseball, Toronto FC had 19,998 and the Toronto Bluejays had 18,331.

The one city MLS need not worry about in baseball is Washington, D.C.  The Nationals are the worse team in baseball.  But on Saturday, they still outdrew arguably the proudest MLS team.  They drew 19,9950 to the United’s 14,225.  Go figure that one.

The biggest story in baseball so far has been the Los Angeles Dodgers.  They look like they might run away with the division.  If they do, ultimately, that could be better for the 2 LA soccer teams.  But, surely they will be a story to watch for Southern California sports fans this summer.  It also looks like the LA Angels will hang around to try and win the division as they have hung around pretty well for each of the last 10 years , either winning divisions or making it close. 

The Dodgers drew 47,000 Saturday, while the Galaxy drew 21,000.  Surely, the Galaxy would have done better head to head Saturday had Manny not signed that big contract, and had Beckham stuck to the plan. 

At Wrigley Field, the Cubs drew 40,000, probably to be expected, knowing the history there.  The Cubs are a decent team this year and they carry a more than 100 year relationship with sports.  Their drout makes them always the lovable loser and an interesting team when they win.  It would be better for the Fire, who drew 10,000 on Saturday, if the Cubs have a crappy season, but that’s not happening apparently.   

The Fire need to be compared head to head to the White Sox too, who also seem to be contending.  In fact, because of parity, it seems many MLS cities are competing in baseball this year, like the Astros and Rangers.  But, maybe they’ll sail out of contention as the year moves on. 

The Royals of Kansas City would definitely seem a likely candidate to sail out of contention, but it doesn’t help MLS or the Wiz that the Royals are having a decent season.  They have been bad for a long time, so when they are good, it seems an anomaly, and fans start to pay attention. 

One team who won’t fall out of contention this year is the Philadelphia Phillies, the defending champs.  They are riding a wave in which the core of the team is sticking around.  The Phillies have reestablished themselves with their fans via a new stadium and may make it rough on the newest expansion team for MLS next year. 

In Colorado, the Rockies seem to be in the decline, and it appears it will be a long season for their fans.  But, the Nuggets of the NBA are picking up the slack, pulling out John Elway of Arena Football League fame to announce their starting 5 in a crazed playoff atmosphere last night.  The hockey team had a bad year and the Broncos had an unusual year, so as the Rapids average 11,000 in attendance, is it maybe a result of too much sports for one town?  5 pro teams may be one too many. 

Colorado seems a good case for general managers from MLS to look to not schedule head to head against rival sports leagues. 

It seems it is best to hold back on any judgement on the Red Bulls as everyone awaits their new stadium, which looks appealing.  Next year will be interesting to see how they do head to head versus the Mets and Yankees.

In order for Soccer to make it to the U.S. sports fan’s main menu, it must play a schedule that has both sense and purpose.  An American professional soccer league must begin play every year 1-2 weeks before the Major League baseball season begins and it must end its regular season 3 weeks before the start of the NFL season. 

A professional league must make every attempt to take advantage of the U.S. sports calendar so that soccer can get the limelight needed to reach diehard U.S. sports fans.  Every ounce of sports spectating in America, including awards shows, is scheduled to a specific time in the year in order to gain a place within the public’s eye.  

When there is a hole or dip in the sports schedule, like the MLB all-star game, soccer must fill the spot in a big way.  This year and in past years, professional soccer has not scheduled games on baseball’s all-star break.  This is an error in judgement from those who are the decision makers for professional soccer.  Professional soccer should always try to maximize its exposure in the sports spectator calendar, especially on days when no other major U.S. sports are being played. 

There are few holes left in the sports calendar, but tradition doesn’t need holes in schedules.  Tradition can bring professional soccer to its rightful place on the U.S. sports calendar.  Tradition should be that professional soccer always stays one step ahead of both baseball and footfall.  Placing its regular season on the U.S. sports calendar for the months of March, April, May, June, and July, with its playoffs in August, will stabilize and solidify professional soccer’s niche in the sports spectator marketplace.

Professional soccer in the U.S. from March to August should build towards a 40-50 regular game season.  The schedule must find consistency from year to year and only allow interference from the most reputable tournaments(i.e. USOC, CCL).  Clarity in the schedule and more games means more opportunities for pro soccer to make a lasting impact with U.S. sports fans.

The perfect start to the 2009 season would be the first day of spring, Monday, March 23rd.  Monday Night Futbol would be the perfect anecdote to keep the fans engaged and enthused over a 20-week professional soccer schedule. 

The schedule should permit for play Thursdays through Mondays.  Friday nights will see a heavy schedule.  Saturdays will see a heavy schedule for day and night, while Sunday will see a heavy schedule for day and late afternoons.  Monday and Thursday nights will see a lighter schedule. 

Teams should prepare to travel for 2-3 game sets (against the same team) over a 3 to 5 day period, similar to professional baseball.  There should be games to view on television from Thursdays through Mondays all over the country.

Scheduling is the most critical element to ensuring that soccer gains the most exposure possible.  Groups of games must start one after another.  By staggering the start times, fans watching on television, should be able to see games in a consecutive manner.  Start times need to be prepared long in advance.