Ugh. The worst part of the baseball season has arrived. Two days without any baseball surrounding a day with a meaningless game given artificial significance with players selected mostly for name-recognition.
The All-Star Game disgusts me. On the one hand, I have no problem with letting fans select which players they want to see in this game. On the other, I have no problem giving the game significance by having home-field-advantage in the World Series turn on which league wins the ASG. Putting the two together is rather less than intelligent, and ruins my ability to enjoy the game.
If the game is so unimportant that fans select the players, then make it a fun atmosphere, make the game insignificant, surround it with silly and inane things, let the players have wide latitude, give the fans high access. Basically, I’m thinking Rock ‘n’ Jock. Utterly watchable, fun for all, and inconsequential.
If the game has importance in the grand scheme, such as possibly having a determinative impact on who wins the World Series, then selection of the players should be entirely based on who gives the team the best chance to win, NOT based on fan popularity. The game should be treated as a serious game, the best players should play the majority of the game, and the hoopla surrounding the event should be minimized.
Put the two together, and you get what is essentially a silly event to showcase popular players having a determinative impact on the season. It’s just awful. So tune off that Home-run Derby, ignore the ASG, and demonstrate to Mr. Selig that this particular renovation of the game is unworkable.
