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4 Steps to Fixing the All-Star Game

12
Vote

by user Allonthefield

As some have pointed out, the Major League Baseball All-Star Game is the best of its kind; the NBA All-Star Game and the Pro Bowl don't compare.

But the MLB All-Star Game could be better.

And it should be.

I wrote Monday that the All-Star Game has lost its luster, and I promised some suggested solutions for how to fix it. So here they are in no particular order.

  1. Make it a best of three series. That way the teams can gel and the host city will see more action. More games equals more revenue, which is what everyone wants, right?
  2. Give all players a full week off. The full week accommodates the best of three series and gives managers a chance to use players in a manner they normally would. For instance, Dice-K would be given the opportunity to go seven strong this year, instead of being taken out just when he's getting a feel for his stuff. I don't think you'd hear any non-All Stars complain about this.
  3. Count the stats in the record book. If what we're aiming for is a game that "matters," what better incentive than etching the goings on into the players' permanent records. Besides, shouldn't a home run hit against an All Star count for two instead of zero?
  4. Pay out the big bucks to the winning team. When it comes to getting professional athletes to care about the outcome of the game, money talks. Forget home field advantage in the World Series, how about half a mil to each member of winning team?

Many of you will retort that these ideas are ridiculous and will never be instituted. I will agree on the second part.

The bottom line is the All-Star Game needs fixing. Now that I've put my piece out there, it's your turn.

Go.


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Kwitt11Varsity Captain
882 days ago
Score 0+-
I like #2 and #4. I just don't think counting the stats makes any sense, because they're not doing anything for their team and it would screw up all the stats. Do you really think Jake Peavy's ERA deserves to go up just because he's facing an All-Star team of AL hitters? And the All-Star game loses even more of its luster if it's a best-of-three; nobody wants to play three extra games, and nobody wants to watch three games.
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Tyrone BriggsHall of Famer
882 days ago
Score 2+-
The potential for injury is far too great to force players to play a 3 game series. And there is no way Donald Fehr would sign off on such an elaborate exhibition series. Isn't the regular season long enough to appease even the most diehard baseball fan?
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ASwaffAll-American
881 days ago
Score 0+-
I agree. Everyone wants more games, but no way the league, the owners OR the players union would EVER agree to three mid-season exhibition games. Not a chance.
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DNLLegend
882 days ago
Score 1+-
I'd be a lot more radical:
  • End interleague play.
  • Severe the leagues entirely, so teams can't trade players to the other league, and, if the union allows, somehow limit players to move from AL to NL (and vice versa) via free agency
  • Limit each All-Star team to 3 players per MLB team
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Tyrone BriggsHall of Famer
882 days ago
Score 1+-
Wow, I think DNL hates Barry Bonds (no player movement between AL & NL?) even more than I do!
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ChristofMVP
882 days ago
Score 1+-
One step process to fix the All Star Game - Stop playing it. It has no meaning. No value. Only thing it does is pads MLB's wallets. Enough already!
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JoshkrossDraft Pick
881 days ago
Score 0+-
Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner!
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RomiezzoLegend
881 days ago
Score 0+-
Eating more won't get you thinner!
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AllonthefieldVarsity
881 days ago
Score 1+-
Come on now, Christof. The whole SPORT is about padding the owners' wallets, so why deprive the fans of some extra fun at the midway point of the season? The point here is that yes, the game is "meaningless" -- more so than it ever has been -- but things can be done to make it a more enjoyable experience for everyone.
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HbvgamerWaterboy
882 days ago
Score 1+-
I disagree with you on some level. First I think the All Star game shouldn't be played like a real game, not to mention a series of three. I want to see the players I voted for play, not the starting pitcher going 8 innings then some closer that I didn't vote for to only finish it off. They were voted there to play and have fun. I agree that it should be competitive because that makes it more entertaining but there should be a rule where everyone voted in has to play or something. I am a huge baseball fan and have enjoyed the All Star game until recently. I agree on number 2 and 4 though. The only reason the MLB wants the game to matter is because they want a show to be put on. I get that perspective, but I disagree that the stats should be counted for the record books, it's just an extra game that other players don't play. Perhaps a homerun hit in the in the All Star game could put a player ahead in the lead leaders for HR's over someone who hit as many homeruns in the regular season but didn't go to the all star game. A lot of people who are great suprisingly arn't there like Bonderman, Zambrano, just to say a few. It's just entertainment for the fans.
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AllonthefieldVarsity
881 days ago
Score 0+-
You're right, it would be a bit harsh to subject the pitchers to a rule including the statistics from the All-Star Game. It could be fun, though, watching the ace from your favorite team watch his ERA balloon after giving up a couple of long balls. It was great watching Gagne cough up the lead in the AS Game a few years ago, but it would have been better if that had ruined the streak.
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Taytay 24All-American
881 days ago
Score 0+-
That would be great, especially since I don't have to worry about any of my Texas Rangers pitchers ever playing in the game.
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RomiezzoLegend
881 days ago
Score 0+-
I actually like #1. You have some good ideas going on, but I think we might need some other stuff...
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ASwaffAll-American
881 days ago
Score 1+-
Personally, I think the best way to make the All-Star game better is to stop trying to make it better. People enjoyed it a lot more when it was just fun. All this stuff about trying to make it count by having it determine home-field advantage and doing the international homerun derby and things like that take away from the All-Star Game. What's memorable about the All-Star game is when it's FUN. Everyone remembers when Larry Walker turned around and batted from the other side against Randy Johnson. Who even remembers which team won that game or any other details?


Major League Baseball needs to stop trying to tweak it and stop trying to make it "count." It's fun to have a homerun derby and celebrity softball games and even an MLB game in the middle of the season that are just for fun and nothing else.
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InsanMajor Leaguer
881 days ago
Score 2+-
Here's the problem with all of your suggestions:

1. Injury risk will be far too great to make a semi-meaningless game into 3 semi-meaningless games

2. A full week off plus the 3 game series plus time off after that will only mean pushing back the World Series into mid-November... when it's snowing and very cold. The World Series then becauses tainted by the weather.

3. Most pitchers play 1 inning in the All Star game. If they give up one or two earned runs, their ERA goes up significantly. Plus a lot of players will take the game seriously which can mean higher pitch counts and more walks (i.e. more boring). Look at how fun the NBA All Star game is with Shaq leading point, shooting free throws with one hand and T-Mac and Vince passing to themselves off the backboard for the jam. It's because the game isn't taken seriously so it's more entertaining.

4. Baseball players already get paid a ridiculous amount, the most out of the trifecta (baseball, football, basketball). In order for the players to care about the money given, they'd have to be paid millions and millions of dollars each. This only works for football where they get paid the least.

Not to crap on all of your ideas which are good thoughts, but changing the all star game is as likely to happen as changing the NBA playoff bracket... never...
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JamelAll-American
881 days ago
Score 0+-
I'm agreeing with almost everything you wrote insane- it's a show and that's all it is- same as every All-star game in ANY other sport- baseball all-star game- stupid, basketball allstar game- stupid, football allstar game- even stupider-
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JuTMSY4Legend
881 days ago
Score 2+-
You think a guy making a cool 10 mil wouldn't be happy to see an extra 100 Gs...that's BS...Money, realisitically, does not follow the same law of diminishing returns that other products in the economy do...because its not a product...
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JamelAll-American
881 days ago
Score 0+-
I think they should play in the all-star game because it's the all-star game and that's that. It should be a privalge to play in it-- they shouldn't be PAYED to play in it- that's whats wrong with sports today
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ASwaffAll-American
881 days ago
Score 0+-
But it's still work for them, even if it is a privilege to play in. Saying they shouldn't be payed to play in it is like saying that the promotion I got at my job is prestigious enough that I shouldn't expect a raise, even though I'm more valuable and work more hours. Or like saying that if I come in on Saturday, I shouldn't get paid because my boss bought me lunch, as if the incentive offsets a day's worth of work. It's still a job for them, hard as that is for us to admit, so they should still be paid for it.
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AllonthefieldVarsity
881 days ago
Score 1+-
@Insan, you're right on all those points, and as I said, I don't expect these changes to ever be instituted. Nevertheless, baseball had a special niche in that players cared about the outcome and the game itself was exciting. Now that that niche is gone, I have a hard time enjoying the game. Thus the suggestions for "fixing" it.
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InsanMajor Leaguer
881 days ago
Score 0+-
What can really fix the game is for guys like David Ortiz (The Shaq of the MLB) to start having fun and doing crazy things such as batting one handed or playing shortstop for one opposing atbat. Or have runners cartwheel around teh bases or have outfielders try to catch pop-ups with their eyes closed. Something that will make us laugh.
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