Does The All-Star Game Need An Overhaul?

The 2013 MLB All-Star Game is upon us.  I was recently thinking out loud (then on Twitter and Facebook), that the event has become boring to most fans other than the fans in the city where the game is held.  I can’t put my finger on it, but many fans that I’ve spoken to, myself included, no longer clear our schedules to make sure we have that special Monday and Tuesday night in July open so that we can watch the Home Run Derby and All-Star Game.

In recent years, changes have been made to the format in an attempt to make the game more relevant, more interesting.  Most notably, after the 2002 All-Star Game at Miller Park ended in a 7-7 tie due to both teams running out of available pitchers, league officials decided to award the All-Star’s winning side, American or National, home field advantage for that season’s World Series.  (Excuse the yawn)   That novelty wore off quickly, if it were ever a novelty to begin with.  Personally, I am not a fan of this tact, nor am I a fan of alternating seasons.  Perhaps awarding home field advantage to the team with the overall best regular season record might be appropriate.

With the help of ESPN, the Home Run Derby became a must see TV event in the 1990’s. It was an exciting spectacle, for sure.  The likes of Griffey, McGwire and Sosa of the late 90’s were larger than life, some both figuratively and literally (ahem, PED’s) and back, back, back then, America became addicted to ESPN’s Chris Berman and the Home Run Derby. But the luster has started to come off of that novelty over the last few years as well.  Perhaps it’s the fans subconscious connection between homeruns hitters & PED’s or perhaps it’s just that so many sluggers back out each year.

Hey everyone, this was 20 years ago!

The two-day event seems to have become more glitz and glamour than anything else. Perhaps it’s time for an overhaul?  I put the word out, to family & friends, Twiends (I just made that up) and Facebook connections asking for suggestions on how to liven up the All-Star Game events.  I got a slew of responses, some funny, some just silly, some well-thought out and some intriguing.   I’ll share a few with you.  I’ve changed or omitted most of the names to protect the innocent and in some cases, the downright wacky!

“How about Field Girls to rake the field between innings,” was one response.  I am not sure how much that would liven up the game, but I don’t mind that one. However, somewhere out there, there’d be a group picketing the event because it’s degrading and sexist and yet another group picketing to advocate for the Chippendale guys to do the raking.  Another suggestion was to turn the foul poles into stripper poles.  Again, I am not whole-heartedly against this idea, however, we’d certainly run into the same set of picketers as the “Field Girl” idea.

Pictured: Left Field.

One logical (and beautiful) woman, suggested for the MLB get back to its roots and to stop making it such a gala event, stating, “it’s a damn sporting event, not a red carpet event!”  She also begged for baseball to make the event more accessible to the everyday fans/families and not just the corporate mucky-mucks.  I have to whole-heartedly agree with this woman!  (Otherwise, I will be sleeping on the couch until well after this year’s All-Star Game).  In truth MLB in general is getting away from its roots that made it America’s game, the roots that bonded generations.  Baseball has lost its once unbreakable connection with America’s youth and with the families who can no longer attend (many) games like their parents and grandparent had before them. The lackluster appeal of the All-Star Game is a microcosm of why baseball needs a major PR overhaul, but that’s fodder for another day.

One local sportswriter suggested the addition of one celebrity and one lucky fan to each team; mic’d up of course.  Interesting!    Another suggestion was to have Joe Buck broadcast the game from behind the umpire.  Better yet, how about have Joe Buck broadcast the game while umpiring?  (Editors Note:  How about Joe Buck Calling the game while having a lobotomy?) Someone suggested that one singular All-Star Team be selected from both leagues to play the World Series Champs after the World Series.  Dovetailing on that idea, how about picking one All-Star Team to play as the National Team in the WBC, making the WBC an annual event, just like the Little League World Series?  I realize that’s not a perfect idea because so many of the top players were not born in the U.S., but wouldn’t it be more interesting if the U.S. actually fielded a team of TOP players?

I had a real silly one too, someone suggested that each division field an All-Star Team then play a round-robin wiffleball tournament (so no one gets hurt.)  Obviously, this guy never played wiffleball with my brothers and me!   (Editors Note:  AFR Steve invented a Wiffle Ball based game “The Most Dangerous Game Ever”  The rules?  Stand 10 feet away from your rival and throw a waffle ball bat as hard as you can at him.  Wiffle Ball is dangerous.)

But the best idea came from one of our own AFR Sports guru, Carlo Rivieccccio, (Ed: If that’s an intentional typo of my name, Jimmy…)and I have to say, it’s a cool one.  First, 2 Captains are chosen, either the top 2 vote getters or by some other fair method.  Then they choose teams from the pool of players who were selected as All-Stars, just like they do for the NHL All-Star Game and Skills Competition.   I’d add that they’d need to have rules about selecting your own teammates, just to take the heat off of guys.  (Can you imagine how A-Rod would freak out on Jeter if All-Star Team Captain, Derek Jeter didn’t pick him with his first selection?).   Maybe they decide who is the home team using the old bat grab method where one guy tosses the bat, the other grabs it and they alternate wrapping one fist around the bat on top of the other guy’s fist until the winner reached the knob of the bat!   And let’s throw in a bunch of skills competitions, such as speed (first to third and batter’s box to first), throwing accuracy from a specific distance, long toss competition, etc, etc.  Now that’s an idea that’s worth backing.  Now if only I can remember where I put Bud Selig’s phone number… (Ed:  Not a joke.  He has email correspondence with the Red Sox Owners!)

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