2011 All Star Game: 5 Things MLB Should Do to Increase Interest

I can’t figure out which of these two numbers is worse, 84 or 8.7 million. 84 is the number of MLB players selected to this year’s MLB All-Star Game. At the start of this season, there were 750 active major-leaguers (25 per team, 30 teams) meaning that 11.2% of baseball players are considered “all-stars” this year. The 8.7 million, in case you’re wondering, is the number of households that tuned in to watch last year’s game.

These 84 players are by far the most ever named to the team. The roster modifications got so bad that as late as Sunday afternoon the NL and AL each added four new players. To further the drama six selected starting pitchers have withdrawn from the game because they pitched Sunday and are therefore ineligible, nine other players (including marquee names like Jeter, Rodriguez and Rivera) are passing on the festivities due to injury, and some guys (specifically Chicago Cubs third basemen Aramis Ramirez) would rather stay home for a few days as opposed to representing his team,

8.7 million households translates to roughly 12.1 million viewers and a rating of 7.5. The 12.1 million and 7.5 rating are the lowest since these numbers started being recorded in 1967. The 8.7 million households is the second lowest all time, in 1969 only 8.6 million households tuned in (but in 1969 that 8.6 million translated to a 15.1 rating). Baseball once was, and may still be, America’s past time; but the drop in TV ratings for the All-Star game year after year (ratings have steadily declined since 1998’s 13.3 rating) is a clear sign of concern for the MLB.

I grew up playing baseball, watching baseball, and loving baseball. I go to one Dodger game a week, if not more and as exciting and fast paced and adrenaline filled as football and basketball are, baseball is still my one true love. As a result, I am not happy with the mockery players make of the game and as a result the decline in ratings. Here are five things (in order from least important to most) that the MLB should do starting in 2012 to improve the game and increase fan interest.

5. Add a Skills Competition

The NBA recognizes how skilled some of its elite players are by giving its fans a “skills challenge” each all star weekend. Some of the league’s most athletic, quick, and agile point guards run through an obstacle course trying to beat their competitor’s times. Baseball needs to look around and implement some of what its competitors are doing in an effort to beat them at their own game.

Have guys catch fly balls in center field and throw them home where a trash can is laying on its side waiting with open arms (this is a common high school and college drill that increased camaraderie and confidence). Have the league’s best catcher sitting behind home plate trying to throw out the league’s best base stealer (best two out of three?). You could even have pitchers go out there and try to hit targets with their curveballs or high heat. Each event gets a sponsor (i.e. State Farm and the home run derby) and each events winner gets to donate a certain monetary amount to the charity of their choice.

If you took this year for example, you could have Matt Kemp and Josh Hamilton squaring off to see who could hit the trash can at the plate the most in their five tries. You could have Justin Verlander and Cliff Lee (possible all star game starter snubs) compete in a “who can hit the most targets” competition. Wouldn’t you want to know how many times Brian McCann would throw Matt Kemp out trying to steal second base? I know I would.

By tagging on sponsors to each skills challenge the league makes money, American companies generate publicity for themselves, and the winning competitor rewards a charity of their choice. Everyone wins.

4. Tweak the Home Run Derby

Let’s face it, with the slow but steady extinction of steroids in baseball, Home Runs are becoming less frequent (don’t tell that to Jose Bautista) and the derby is slowly but steadily losing its swagger, if you will.

Every year each participant gets to pick who throws them their batting practice. Wouldn’t it be fun, and comical, if each participant put their name in a hat, and they all drew randomly? So say David Ortiz pulls out Matt Kemp. Rather than the Dodger’s star picking who he wants throwing to him, Ortiz gets to pick for Kemp.

Another simple and possibly effective change could be the implementation of a points system. Homeruns hit to the right side (lefties to right and righties to left) are worth one point while opposite field homeruns are worth two. Homeruns hit into the second deck of the stadium are worth three and home runs hit to stadium monuments (the swimming pool at Chase Field) are worth five.  

The most effective change I see the derby needing is the way the final round is played. In the NBA’s slam dunk contest, participants take turns in the final round. Yet in the home run derby, the AL finalist goes up there, takes all 10 hacks and then sits down.  If said finalist hits 2 home runs, the climatic finish is nonexistent because we assume the NL finalist will hit at least 3 and if the AL finalist hits 15, the climatic finish is essentially averted as well. What if they went up there and rather than get all 10 swings at once, they get 5. So it was a 2 round event similar to the slam dunk contest. Scores would stay the same, but the suspense would skyrocket.

3. Make the Fan Vote a Representative Percentage

This change is a lot simpler to explain than the prior two. Derek Jeter was originally selected as the AL starting short stop even though he had just come off the DL, had not yet got his 3,000^th hit and was having arguably his worst statistical season ever. Derek Jeter is an all-time great and a clear cut fan favorite but the MLB knew in its heart of hearts that he did not belong in the starting lineup (even though they knew his presence would help the dismal TV ratings).

The MLB needs to let players and managers vote in addition to the fans and use all three pools of votes before naming the starters. Derek Jeter, for all we know, could have still been named starter had the MLB implemented this policy this year.

Changing the power of fan voting will even the playing field, increase player interest and for the most part produce a more realistic and appreciative list of all stars. 

2. Eliminate Rule Where Every Team Needs an All-Star Game Representative

I mean no disrespect when I say this, but who are Aaron Crow and Tyler Clippard? The answer, Aaron Crow is a Kansas City Royal and Tyler Clippard is a Washington National; both are all stars. Baseball implemented this rule for god knows what reason and since they did, their rating and revenue have declined. Let’s face it; ratings will be low again this year because nobody outside of Kansas City or Washington will leave the game on when the sixth inning pitching matchup is Crow-Clippard.

The MLB is notorious for making decisions how they want and when they want. Often times they do it with the right intentions (including a player from every team is the politically correct thing to do) yet when the bad decision made with good intentions doesn't pan out the way they not only wanted but the way they needed it to they don’t man up and say “my bad”. They stick with their decision and the ineffective policy stays in play.

Bud Selig and his posse know ratings suck because they leave a Yankee or a Red Sock or a Ranger off the team to include a Royal yet Bud Selig and his posse refuse to do anything about it.

1. Remove Rule That the Winning League of All-Star Game Gets Home Field Advantage

I support baseball’s consistent attempts at creativity. I also support baseball listening to me and my ideas for creativity.

What if, the league that had home field in the World Series was decided based on interleague play? You took the AL vs. NL overall record from that season, and the league with the most wins, gets home field advantage in October (or is it November these days?).

Interleague play excites the fans, excites the players and it even excites the managers (a select few). That said, interleague play is also full of rivalry matchups and geographically relevant series. Teams love bragging rights, players love winning one for their city and the league loves the ratings that Yankees-Mets, Cubs-White Sox and Dodgers-Angels bring in. Doesn't it make sense that the overall performance a league does during interleague play determines who gets what at the end of the postseason?

Hypothetically, assume baseball reads this piece and listens. Next year, interleague play means what the All-Star Game used to mean. The AL outplays the NL and the AL has home field.

Now several weeks after interleague play wraps up we have the 2012 MLB All Star Game. For the first time in a long time, not all 30 teams are present, the fans didn't get to make all the decisions themselves and most importantly the league’s most talented stars and coaches do not have to play this game like their lives depend on it.

What if Matt Kemp wants to go out there and bat lefty (he is a right-handed hitter) for a change? What if Jered Weaver wants to pitch the second batter of the inning underhand like a slow pitch adult softball league? Close your eyes and think about how fun the NFL Pro Bowls and NBA All-Star Games have been over the years (well, really just the NBA All-Star Game—I don’t think any of you have watched the Pro Bowl, either) and now imagine the potential for baseball.

Imagine the potential for an MLB All-Star Game where guys would steal more bases, try and hit more home runs, lay out for balls that are normally routine, and so on. Maybe in the fourth inning the AL second basemen and shortstop switch positions, or the third basemen takes the field with a first basemen’s mitt.

The MLB is holding itself back and I hope they realize this sooner, rather than later.