MLB All-Star Game: 5 Ways to Improve the Midsummer Classic
I like the MLB All-Star Game; it's a nice break season for a little fun.
But everything needs tweaks. The game got a major one after the tie in 2002. The game means something. I think that's great, though I'm not sure home-field advantage in the World Series is the best prize. I don't have a better option so I won't touch it, though I know some people don't agree.
More nudging is needed to really make the MLB All-Star Game worthwhile. It's already the best of the major sports, unless you like dunk contests both official and unofficial.
It would be really hard to change the game of baseball itself. Instead, I opted for a few potential changes that would improve the level of play in future All-Star games.
Get Rid of Fan Voting for Starters
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Don't get me wrong. It's great if you're a Yankees, Red Sox or Phillies fan. You've always got an inordinate number of All-Stars deserving or not. For fans of the other 27 teams, it's not that exciting to hope your one or two players get a chance to play at some point.
We need to get rid of fan voting. Too often there are serious errors in the team selection. Way too often Derek Jeter starts at shortstop when he shouldn't. I realize most fans vote for their team's players and not the most deserving players. Logic dictates that the teams with the largest fanbases would have their players voted for. That is the case most years.
The 2001 Mariners had a ridiculous eight All-Star selections. While many were deserving as the team won 116 games that season, many were voted in due the influx of Ichiro Suzuki fans, who may or may not have known about any other teams than the Mariners.
I'll admit I'm a fan of a small-market team that will never have a shot of getting freebie All-Stars. I'm hoping that others agree that the starters should not be selected by fans any longer.
Have Each League's Manager Decided on Current Season's Record
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It's an honor to win the pennant and go to the World Series, but what have you done for me lately?
I really like the way the NBA All-Star game functions by having the coaches of the league's best teams lead their conference's All-Star teams. It is a small incentive for a team to have a good first half. Obviously they don't really care but a nice bonus I suppose.
The previous year's World Series managers doesn't make sense because the team could in theory be terrible, or not even be with the same team. Dusty Baker managed for the Giants in 2002 and the Cubs in 2003. Baker managed the National League in 2003 despite changing teams after winning the pennant the year before.
This year, for example, Bruce Bochy will lead the National team and despite having very few All-Star caliber players on his team this year, will be able to choose some if he sees fit. Under this potential change the managers would be Charlie Manual and Terry Francona, both whom have many viable All-Stars on their team.
Which leads me to my next point.
Have the Commisioner's Office Decide Reserves and Injury Replacements
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Managers shouldn't get the option to select their own players.
They can pick lineups and in-game management, but they shouldn't be the GMs of the team. In the NBA, the commissioner's office picks injury replacements and tries (tries) to be impartial about it.
Clearly managers can't pick anyone but there have been multiple occasions where a manager has chosen his own player over one of equal or greater ability.
The commissioner's office should choose injury replacement players as well as the "manager's selections," those that ensure all teams are represented.
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Connect the Home Run Derby to the Game Itself
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The Home Run Derby is immensely entertaining but all in all, rather pointless.
Granted, it's an exhibition break, but since the game itself counts now, why not the derby?
Couple of ways to make it work: Either the winning player's league or whichever league hits the most home runs total should get some advantage in the game.
Perhaps the winning league could get home-field advantage in the All-Star game itself. Or maybe the winning team could opt whether or not to use the DH rule. Make one team's pitchers hit, or something else just to liven up the derby. It's not that Chris Berman's utter excitement over every single home run in a home run derby isn't fun.
But a tweak could be fun.
If the Game Goes Extra Innings, Have Postion Players Pitch
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This one's far-fetched, but it is pretty fun to imagine Albert Pujols pitching to Adrian Gonzalez isn't it?
I doubt it would happen. But if it did, it would be very entertaining.
World Series home-field advantage on the line. Both teams out of pitchers. Nick Swisher on the mound, Matt Kemp at the plate. That would be an epic finish.
Yeah, it would probably turn into a slugfest with six or seven runs in an inning, but it is about entertainment right? If both managers agreed they were out of pitchers, why not give it a shot?
Anything's better than a tie. Right?
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