Stephen Strasburg-Less ASG Receives Lowest Ratings Ever...Go Figure

So by now I'm sure you all know that the 2010 All-Star game received the lowest ratings ever. Like, ever ever. 

And now, the head honchos and suits at MLB are sitting around a table, wondering what they could have done differently, and what they can do next year, to ensure that baseball doesn't continue to fall by the wayside, a sloppy second to the NFL.

Well, I have an idea for you MLB!!! You should have allowed Stephen Strasburg to take part in the festivities.

And not just because he throws over 100 miles per hour.

And not just because he sold out a Nationals game, and had fans risking urinary tract infections.

And not just because he drew season-high crowds to Cleveland and Florida.

And not just because, at the time of the break, he had an eye-popping 61 strikeouts in 42.2 innings, and a WHIP near 1.00.

And not just because he has brought excitement to a city that hasn't had any since the Redskins won the Super Bowl in 1991.

Oh, wait...yeah, it is for ALL of those reasons.

The National League had no problem sending rookie-sensation Jason Heyward, who has 123 fewer at-bats than Martin Prado, 85 fewer than Ryan Theriot, and 28 less than fellow rookie Ike Davis.

But Strasburg, who had only made seven big league starts, and had already proved to be one of the top five pitchers in all of baseball gets shafted because the coaching staffs and baseball felt he didn't have enough playing time under his belt.

I can understand if Charlie Manuel was trying to win the game to get the Phillies home-field advantage if they somehow manage to sneak into the playoffs, but wouldn't you want a guy who could come in and shut down a potent AL offense with 100 mph heat in the ninth inning?

And if the players and coaches, and baseball for that matter, are just still treating the All-Star game like a glorified exhibition game, then wouldn't you want a player who already ranks as one of the most marketable players in all of baseball?

I guess not.

And because of it, MLB has to worry about fixing the lowest-rated Midsummer Classic ever.

Honestly, though, wasn't the most exciting part of the All-Star game, for those of us who watched it, getting to see a handful of guys who throw harder than anyone else in the game (Roy Halladay, Ubaldo Jimenez, Josh Johnson, and David Price)?

Toss Strasburg into that arena, and the game becomes a baseball fan's wet dream.

I guess we'll all have to settle for next year.