The All-Star game “counting” is ridiculous

Major League Baseball does a lot of things really well, but All-Star weekend isn’t one of those things. Now I’ve never been to a fan fest, or the All-Star game for that matter. But in recent years, decisions have been made, and things have been changed, that have ruined the All-Star game for me.

But before I get to that, let me begin with the Home Run Derby, or as I refer to it, the “batting practice derby.”

First off, has last year’s derby ended yet? Does this thing really need to last until after midnight? I’m not sure if it actually does, because I’ve never stayed up to watch the whole thing. Secondly, it’s the “Berman factor.” I can only take three “back, back, back’s” before I’m ready to throw something at my television. Besides, baseball was never meant to be a game where the winner was decided by who could hit the ball the farthest.

Now this brings me to this years “batting practice derby” that Chris Davis is competing in. I’m torn, between my dislike of the contest in general, and my fan-dom for the O’s, and Chris Davis specifically. I guess I’ll have to put up with, hopefully, a whole bunch of “back, back, back’s”….at least while Davis is up.

And then there is the contradiction that is the All-Star Game. All this mess started in Milwaukee a few years ago when the game ended in a tie, due to both teams running out of pitchers. So, MLB employed the strategy of “if it ain’t broke, you can probably still fix it,” and turned an exhibition game into a game that determines home field advantage in the World Series. And over the last few years, it has determined who has won the World Series.

Now this brings on a few more questions: first of all, why does every team have to be represented? If this game “counts” shouldn’t we have all the best players involved? I’m quite sure Jason Castro is a very good catcher, but if you’re a fan of the National League do you want him up at the plate in the ninth inning facing Mariano Rivera with the game on the line?

Also, why are we voting for this? The players are playing for home field advantage in the World Series, so shouldn’t they be the ones picking their team? We would certainly get a real All–Star team and not the results of a popularity contest.

Perhaps my biggest problem with the All-Star game is that everything about it screams exhibition- every team gets represented, the fans vote in the starters, the DH gets used no matter what park the game is played in…yet the game “counts.”

If you want to determine home field advantage on the field, do it by who has the best record in the regular season, the way it should be. I don’t think anyone will complain if you go on the field and earn the right to have four games in your home ballpark. But having it be determined by Hank Blalock, whose Texas Rangers finished 25 games out of first place, homering off of Eric Gagne, whose Dodgers actually finished above .500 but in second place, just doesn’t make any sense to me.

But this is the reality that we live in, and as long as the powers-that-be are who they are, and believe what they believe, I’m afraid that we are going to be stuck with an exhibition game that “means something.”