The pool might had as much coverage as the actual game...
I just got done reading a fellow bloggers post (Chris Ross) on why the All-Star game is boring, and doesn’t need to be meaningful to be relevant. Seeing how I doubt the A’s will be in the World Series anytime soon I don’t really care that home field advantage is a result from the game, but do agree with most everyone that it’s ridiculous to have the outcome effect the World Series. Exhibition does not equal “meaning something” last time I checked, but who are we kidding, we want to be entertained regardless of the stakes.
The ASG has been on the decline for years now (based on the ratings the last few years), and with numerous players dropping out for whatever reason, we don’t usually even have the real “stars” of the game out there playing. I read the other day that over 10% of the league made an All-Star team for a second straight year. How ridiculous is that? I understand pitchers ducking out from pitching too recently, and other guys actually ON the DL, but guys like Jeter being “emotionally tired” is stupid reason to miss the mid-summer classic. I hope he donated the money he got for getting selected, because he doesn’t deserve that bonus. Maybe he knew deep down he didn’t deserve to be the starter and wanted Asdrubal to start in his place since he was clearly better this year. Either way he should’ve at least shown up.
Anyways, this wasn’t supposed to be a bash the guys who are in the game post. It was supposed to be a little constructive, so here’s three easy ways I think that the MLB could fix the All-Star game aka make it more competitive and entertaining for us baseball fans…
This first move would automatically make me like the actual game more. Have the players that the people voted into it, finish the games. Maybe that won’t work with pitchers, but for the hitters this is an easy way to change the structure on how it’s managed. I want to see the best players decide the game in the clutch. I don’t care about seeing players like Miguel Montero, Matt Wieters, Howie Kendrick, Scott Rolen, etc. coming up when it matters in the late innings. I want to see the starting lineup out there, so let’s make a rule that all the fan selections come in to play after the fifth or sixth inning to finish the game or as close to that selected starting lineup as possible.
- Offer up a monetary gain for the winning team. I don’t know one person that isn’t inspired by money, and I doubt even the players could pass up the chance to win an extra half million each. Instead of just giving all of them a $500K check as thank you for showing up bonus, they should only give that “bonus” money to the winning team. Let’s see how serious the players get with a half million on the line. Maybe even make the losing team donate some money to charity or something along those lines.
Push the game back one day. This seems like the easiest fix on my list. Start the season one day earlier and give the players one extra day before the ASG, so we can get the best pitchers to pitch. No offense to Robertson, Wilson, Walden, or League, but wouldn’t you rather see Verlander, CC, Felix, Price, and Haren pitching instead? No need to answer, it was a rhetorical question.
By
cali4dre
chappy81
dyslecix
mceezy
Doin Work 
July 13th, 2011 at 4:47 pm
I agree, at least in part, with your first point, in that I also wish the All-Star starters would play more innings. The large amounts of substitutions take a lot of the fun and excitement out of the All-Star Game.
July 14th, 2011 at 4:53 am
chappy
The AL gets doused ! But beyond that the game simply failed to live up to expectations ! Fan voting should be only about the alternates for the respective rosters and let that be it ! At present the voting makes the idiocy that takes place with American Idol all the more credible .
As of now the event itself is slowly beginning to lose its relevance and that’s event with what’s allegedly at stake in terms of home field advantage throughout the World Series .
Perhaps prior to the seventh inning of the ‘game’ we could have strippers come out and actually parade their wares for the fans ? Mind you we’ll have to get the kids moved elsewhere while the ” hotties” are on parade and flashing their assets !
July 14th, 2011 at 10:07 am
I like the idea of pushing the game back a day. I haven’t heard that yet from a lot of the things I read and I think it’s really important to ensure that you have the best pitchers pitching.
July 14th, 2011 at 1:42 pm
How about these suggestions?
1) Guys who are elected and aren’t LEGITIMATELY injured have to show up or they are ineligible for five regular season games (or two starts). They may not have to play, (that’s up to the manager) but they have to at least be there.
2) Expand the roster to 40 players, but get rid of the requirement every team must be represented.
3) Let the players have some say in who gets to be an All-Star – I don’t know how that would work, but let’s at least get the players invested in the process somehow.
4) Lose the Home Run Derby. It is one of the most unwatchable things in sports.
5) Either go back to the game being an exhibition, or if you want it to determine home field for the World Series, make it a three-game series. Jockey the schedule so it would be like a regularly-scheduled start for the starting pitchers.
July 14th, 2011 at 2:09 pm
I didn’t see your comment before I started mine, but obviously I like idea #2 and the players do get to vote for the reserves. It’s a player/manager ballot with the manager getting the final say.
July 14th, 2011 at 2:36 pm
I really like you’re first suggestion. Penalizing guys for being healthy and saying they aren’t would be a major improvement! I still enjoy the derby so I’m not really with you on that one. Maybe shorten in one way or another would be nice, but eliminating it seems a little harsh. I do like the idea of players getting to pick their peers. Maybe they could have a vote where each player gets a ballot….
July 14th, 2011 at 1:58 pm
It’s no secret that I hate fan voting anyway. I feel like if they’re going to make this game count, they have to have the best players out there. No more one representative from each team nonsense either. If it’s an exhibition, great, let the fans vote, let everyone play, whatever.
I do like your idea of pushing it back a day. For my money the baseball All-Star Game and festivities are still the best, but they really could be better.
As for the players getting paid to do things…yeah, that’s pretty much their only motivation. It’s really disappointing to see how much they get paid to do certain things. Literally everything you see them do they’re getting paid for.
Also, I feel like I jinxed Brett Anderson. Sorry about that.
July 14th, 2011 at 2:29 pm
I kinda feel like with fantasy sports and stuff like that people understand how good players are a lot better than they used to, so the voting is a lot better than yesteryear.
I couldn’t agree more on the money part. It’s actually in some contracts that they players have to do community work, and they make these guys out to be saints when they were actually required to go to the random event or they’d make less money.
Don’t worry about Brett, he’s been on the DL the past couple years a few times. I think TJ was needed to get everything fixed. Our season is pretty much hopeless anyway, so no need to feel bad!
July 15th, 2011 at 9:36 am
chappy
Well here’s Brian Wilson’s idea of making it (All Star Game ) interesting and there’s every reason to believe that the Giants will now become runaway winners of the NL West .
Is he about to become a “switch hitter” or merely coming out for The Village People Revival ?
Obama said he’d give us ….’change that we can believe in’ and Wilson is about to give us change that we don’t want ! As in pocket change and us questioning his manhood !
July 15th, 2011 at 3:25 pm
You know I’m a basketball jones, man, but the NBA has really gone over and above marketing their All-Star weekend.
I do think baseball’s needs a little more Hollywood in it…. among other things.
July 18th, 2011 at 2:29 pm
chappy
So McGrady still believes that he has what it takes to contribute to a team ? Well I’d like to think so but his stats simply don’t bear that out .
Do you think that there’ll be any takers for the Rockies’ Ubaldo Jiminez ? If so what do you see some team giving up to get him ?
Put Up Or Simply Just Shut The Fu#k Up !
tophatal ………..