The All-Star Game Slowly Losing Its Luster

Baseball has seemed so desperate over the past few years in the attempt of trying to have fans watch their all-star game.  It doesn’t make much sense that the sport, which is America’s Pastime, would try so hard at attempting to attract viewers.  Well, Major League Baseball has made so many adjustments over the years to the “Midsummer Classic” that it isn’t even funny, and now many of these changes have not fared too well for the game of baseball.  The one thing Major League Baseball wants its fans to remember from now on when they watch the gathering of the league’s all-stars is that “This Time It Counts”.It appears that over the past few years, the MLB All-Star Game seems to stoop lower and lower as each year passes.  Why this seems that way is a question to be asked?  However, as the 76th All-Star Game takes place this year in Detroit, it is more than likely that this will be just another All-Star game-just another game where the players that the fans came to see will only play a maximum of three innings, and this is if the fans have luck on their side.

One flaw that the MLB All-Star Game has had in recent years is in the fact that now every team within Major League Baseball must be represented.  Why is this rule in existence to where it makes no sense at all?  You don’t have to be a baseball historian to figure out that not every team is good.  By this rule being in existence, it could possibly determine the outcome in the upcoming World Series.  If a Tampa Bay Devil Ray or a Pittsburgh Pirate were to determine the outcome of the All-Star Game, then why would it have to determine a team’s fate in the World Series such as the Cardinals or Red Sox?  

Who knows, but one thing is for sure.  It is an injustice to those who will later be in playoff contention.  Both the American and National Leagues should just fill the rosters with the best available All-Stars in each respective league, and split time among all of them to at lest three innings apiece.  Now that would be an interesting game to watch, and also one that would have some value towards having the game’s slogan being “This Time It Counts”.  Nowadays, by the time the 8th Inning rolls around, there are only five recognizable players at most out on the baseball field, and all of them seemingly have one thing in common.  They are players who will be home for the fall watching others play for a World Series title.

It trying to validate the statement of “It’s for the Fans”, Major League Baseball thus gave its fans the power to vote for the All-Stars they want to see in the game.  And thus allows for situations like Nomar Garciaparra being voted to start at the shortstop position, which in truth, hadn’t even played enough baseball to even deserve the chance to attend the game itself much less start in it.  Aren’t fans supposed to be smarter than this?  It’s common sense not to vote for somebody you know hasn’t played a full one-third of the regular season, and will also be out due to injury well past the All-Star Game.

With the fans voting for the starters thus also leaves players who are deserving of a position to go unrecognized.  If one were to play a position for a large market team while another player at the same position played for a small market team, take a wild guess as to who might receive more votes.

This year’s All-Star game will be an unusual game at the least.  Unlike previous years, this game will not include the likes of Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, or Ken Griffey Jr.  Who ever thought they would see the day when those caliber-type players would be missing from the most notable baseball game of the year, excluding the World Series.  Also, the American League will have players starting for them respectively that both a) have never been heard of until this year, and b) would never in a million years be expected to start in an All-Star Game nonetheless.  Before this year, did anyone know the names of Jon Garland, Mark Buehrle, and Brian Roberts?      

Yet, before the game is to be played, there is a certain matter of business that must be settled the day before, the Home Run Derby.  Like the All-Star Game, the home run derby also has seemed to lose some sort of luster.  The Home Run Derby along with the Slam Dunk Contest of the NBA both has fallen into a separate category all to their lonesome selves.  When did the stars of both the MLB and the NBA all of a sudden not want to participate in the celebratory events the league puts on?  Now Major League Baseball stands outside the ballpark the day before the derby and starts asking people, “Hey, you want be in tomorrow night’s derby?”

After Monday night’s derby, thus the fans will begin to descend upon Comerica Park and watch the 76th All-Star Game.  The National League will be looking to win the actual game for the first time since ’96 when the game was played at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia.  Secondly, both will not be looking to tie each other, as was the case three years ago in Milwaukee.  

The night of the All-Star Game, Fox will more than likely unveil a new set of cameras which will all be no bigger than a thumbnail.  Fox gets crazier as each year passes with the locations of these cameras the channel creates.  Why must there be 5,000 cameras located around the ballpark?  Is the All-Star Game really that important to some people?  

Involving cameras, last year it was the camera on the pitcher’s mound.  What will it be this year, the ass crack camera?

One question that involves an All-Star being involved in the actual game is whether or not Kenny Rogers will decide to pitch in the All-Star Game.  Rogers has no doubted earned his position on the American League All-Star Team, yet, with his most recent incident involving two cameramen, has had many second-guess whether or not he should actually be in attendance.  Most believe that with the All-Star Game being one that is about celebration, that it would be in the game’s best interest that Rogers stay home for fear of him drawing all the attention towards himself, and with all of the attention to be drawn would no doubted be negative.  

Look on the bright side, even if Rogers does decide to show up in Detroit, at least all of the cameras will be to small for him to try and destroy.