It is All-Star time again in baseball, where we get to take time out from our fantasy leagues, take a step back and check out the landscape and hear the gripes about the actual game.
To be honest, I probably won't watch it. Not because I'm against it or anything, but it isn't something that I would set aside my night to make sure I saw it.
I like having the game. I like having the fans vote the starting lineups even if they/we get it wrong from time to time (it is an All-STAR game, remember?). I like the fact that every team gets at least one representative on the team even if that means knocking off someone who may be more deserving.
I just don't like that the game decides home field advantage in the World Series.
For all the good that baseball has done in its history, they just can't seem to figure this out. I wasn't a big fan of the rotating home field from the NL to AL every year, but it was kinda fair. It was even and we all knew it going into the season and (this used to be important) allowed the NFL to schedule their games without worrying about the stadium being booked. Since they've switched to the All Star game winner gets to host the World Series, I've become completely against this.
Again, the All Star game should be what it is: an exhibition. All the great players and all the fan favorites get to strut their stuff in one place. Everyone should get a chance to play and be seen. It should be fun.
The game has now changed a bit. Both Charlie Manuel and Joe Madden (who will manage their respective leagues) have championship aspirations and should manage as such. If I was Manuel, I would play Albert Pujols all game long. If it could make the difference between hosting Game 7 of the World Series or traveling for it ... go with your guns.
But no one really likes that anymore. Sure, back in the day it was the norm. But now the rosters are so deep and there are so many teams now that there just isn't any way to just roll with your starting nine all game. Don't you think fans in Baltimore would like to see Adam Jones take the field at some point of the game? Reds fans would like to see Francisco Cordero pitch to a couple of batters, right?
As a fan of a small market team that seemingly gets just one guy on each year, I wanna see my team represented at some point after the roster introductions.
Peter Gammons (UNC guy) has said it and I agree with him: make the winner of the interleague series the league that hosts the World Series. Seems fair, right? After all, baseball is a long, grueling 162 season and it is that grind that creates our postseason, right?
So why have one exhibition game be the determining factor of something as major as home-field advantage in the Fall Classic?
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