All-Star Game is Super-Weak

In the words of Eric Cartman the MLB All-Star Game is “super weak”.

As a kid of the 80’s I remember the All-Star games being memorable.  There would be a big hit or a couple of great plays in every game.  I can still remember Freddy Lynn’s Grand Slam in old Comiskey Park.  There were always great players in the game as well.  Carl Yazstremski, Reggie Jackson, Pete Rose and Rod Carew in the 70s to Sandberg, Boggs, Garvey and Guidry in the 80s. 

The most amazing thing is those teams played  for nothing.  Their wasn’t any extra incentive.  You didn’t get home field in the World Series if you won the All-Star game.  You played because it was an honor and because the American League and National League didn’t cross paths until the World Series.   So when you see Rose lower his shoulder and destroy Fosse keep in mind it was an All-Star game with virtually nothing at stake except for bragging rights.

As I mentioned previously the All-Star games of the past  had the big stars too.  With fans currently voting in record numbers the process has been too washed down.  You can get on your computer and vote 25 times per day for your favorite players.  That is exactly what must have happened this year.  How else do you explain Texas OF Josh Hamilton.  He has only played in 35 games this season and has sucked doing it.  How do the fans reward him?  With a STARTING nod in the All-Star Game.  Meanwhile a kid like Toronto’s OF Adam Lind (.306  19  59) is on the outside looking in.  I am a Red Sox fan but even I know Bay probably doesn’t deserve to start in the game.  Jermaine Dye of the White Sox has just as many homeruns as Bay, is hitting 42 points higher with a weaker supporting cast and isn’t in the game.  And the snub of snubs had to go to Detroit’s 1B/DH Miggy Cabrera who is hitting .321 with 18 homers and 50 RBIs.  Instead Carlos Pena of the Rays makes the team.  Sure, he has 24 homers but he is hitting .228.  That is not All-Star worthy.

Instead of having the best of the best playing the game you have some of the best and then some guys who are fan favorites voted on by high school girls, cyber-geeks and 10 year-old-boys.  This might be America’s game but why entrust it to the fans?  In past years it is obvious the public doesn’t get it.  No, not the true baseball fans that actually fill out one of the ballots at the game.  Not the fans that actually know the value of the sacrifice, hold and WHIP.  I am talking about the teen girls, cyber-geeks and little kiddies.  Instead why not have a panel of retired vets to make the call.  Establish some sort of voting system the vets have to abide by and determine the All-Star teams that way.  And I am not talking about just the starters, I am talking about the whole team.  Sometimes the managers of the teams (LaRussa being a prime example) will select a few reserves from teams contending with theirs and play those players a lot.  It is kind of a classless thing to do but several managers have done it.

The vets can be hall of famers and non-hall of famers.  It should also be a diverse panel from both leagues.  This would make me feel a little better about things.  If we, as fans, don’t like who gets picked we would have a small group of individuals to blame for it.

I think another reason its appeal has gone way down is inter-league play.  All of these teams play one another.  There is absolutely no fascination with Albert Pujols hitting against Roy Halladay.  It has happened.  Jason Bay hitting against Ted Lilly.  No interest.  Back in the day Bill Madlock might bat against Ron Guidry.  How about Ernie  Banks facing off against Jim Palmer?  That’s hot!  Classic future Hall of Famers would face each other in this game and sometimes for the only time ever.  That made the game attractive to viewers.  Now they face off all the time. 

One final point about this weak game, forget the “each team must have one representative rule”.  If your teams sucks and you have no all-stars, too frickin’ bad.  Draft and sign better players.  Quality players like Dye, Cabrera or Lind should not be left off because we want Pittsburgh or Kansas City to feel better about their baseball teams.  I am pretty sure most fans won’t tune in just because their middle-reliever made the team.

Well, that is my rant about this once proud game.  If you tune in, enjoy the All-Lame Game.  I’ll be watching Rescue Me and the NFL Network.