As a measure of how much luster has worn off interleague play, consider the case of the Cincinnati Reds and Chicago White Sox.

        Four seasons ago, when teams from the National and American Leagues hooked up for the first time in regular-season history, the mid-June matchup with the White Sox at Cinergy Field created a temporary buzz in an otherwise dreary Reds season.

        It was, after all, the first time they'd met since the scandalous 1919 World Series, and Reds fans seemed to revel in the novelty. They drew 100,300 for the three-game weekend series, their largest series of the season.

        But when the first-place White Sox come to town today, it's just another series.

        This one seems to lack the buzz a series against a first-place National League team might — say, the Cardinals, Diamondbacks or Braves.

        Yet some Reds, such as second baseman Pokey Reese, still see something special in playing the other league. And Reese knows this is a big series because of Chicago's up-and-coming status as a contender. The surprising Sox visit Cincinnati for the first time since 1997 holding first-place in the American League Central Division, 1¹/₂ games ahead of perennial division champ Cleveland.

        “I love it,” Reese said Sunday after delivering the game-winning hit to beat the Minnesota Twins in 10 innings. “I love seeing some old friends, playing different teams. They need to expand it, have us play other divisions, but I like it.”

        The Reds and White Sox didn't play last year; the Reds traded their home se ries with the White Sox for an extra one with the Indians. While the White Sox got an extra series with their cross-town rival Cubs.

        The White Sox have surprised many around baseball by staying ahead of the Indians, who have won the AL Central every year since 1994. But Reds manager Jack McKeon reminded that Cleveland, decimated by injuries so far with eight players on the disabled list, is still formidable, and Chicago is unproven over the course of a season.

        Still, McKeon likes the club the Sox have rebuilt with youth since trading or losing veterans Roberto Hernandez, Wilson Alvarez, Albert Belle and Robin Ventura.

        In their place have stepped Carlos Lee and Magglio Ordonez and pitchers such as Keith Foulke and Jim Parque.

        “They've got a good young club with some guys having some good years,” McKeon said of the Sox. “(But) you don't worry about the clubs being in first place now. You wait until the end of the season. The cream rises to the top.”

White Sox-Reds Scouting Report

Reds 3, Twins 2 Box, runs Griffey's bat injures Lindner's grandchild Yawn, 1st-place White Sox in town Fernandez may miss next start Bichette hotter than a briquette Intangibles can make a difference in draft Results of our Reds poll Saturday's Big Red Machine celebration

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