Interleague play.

Just the mere mention of the words is enough to make a baseball purist feel a little vomit in his throat. It is an ugly, dirty word that represents the evil of Bud Selig. And as interleague play began it's 10th season today, let's take a look at some of the sizzling matchups that are sure to keep sports fans buzzing into the weekend.

Toronto vs. Colorado

Ah, yes, the battle of--umm--I don't know? Most of the teams playing this weekend are "natural" rivals. MLB defines your natural rival as the team that plays in the same county, city or state. So I'm not sure what to make of tonight's game between Toronto and Colorado. Somebody drop me a line on why this game is happening this weekend.

Minnesota vs. Milwaukee

Now we're talking. Francisco Liriano is making his debut tonight in this matchup between the two teams from the upper Midwest. It should be a dandy. Remember that time you said "I can't wait to see the Brewers and Twins!"? Yeah, I don't remember saying it either, but it's going to happen.

Baltimore vs. Washington

Now THIS is a matchup for the ages. Two teams that play in close proximity to each other squaring off to decide who is a better fit for the region. While this might not mean much to me, or anyone else for that matter, you can bet your last dollar that Peter Angelos cares. This is his World Series, especially since the O's are still suffering from the Curse of Jeffrey Maier.

Kansas City vs. St. Louis

Now you're probably wondering why a Cardinal fan is listing his team as one of the weekend's worst matchups. For starters, it's Kansas City. Don't get me wrong, I feel bad for the Royals even though they snaked the '85 Series like thieves in the night, but nobody deserves this kind of punishment, except maybe the Yankees. For all intents and purposes, the Cardinals should blast the Royals 11-1 in every game, but Kansas City usually gets up for these games since they realize their palace is being raided by western Missouri Cardinal fans. These games usually get sloppy and are criminally bad.

Tampa Bay vs. Florida

Oh my, a series that has the potential to set record attendance numbers. This series should not even happen. I don't care if they are in-state "rivals." Even the 14 Marlin fans and nine Ray fans don't want to see this. If Kansas City is baseball purgatory, then Tampa and Miami are baseball hell.

Series' To Watch For Laughs

Here are the series' you should watch if you want a good laugh.

Chicago vs. Chicago

The downtrodded, beat up Cubbies travel to The Cell to take on the defending World champions. If you want to watch a massacre, you watch this one. As I write this, the Sox are winning 6-1 in the bottom of the sixth with Old Man Maddux showing that his great start was a fluke. The Cubs do have the potential to take one game, because Zambrano throws on Sunday.

New York vs. New York

Here's another laugher. New York's pitching combo of Randy Johnson and Aaron Small is so atrocious that the Mets should crush the Yankees so bad it hurts. Mike Mussina throws on Saturday, giving the Yanks a glimmer of a hope, but it should be a joy to see Pedro and Glavine keep this weakened Yankee lineup down.