Fixing the All-Star Game

by DaBard on Jul 15, 2008 8:46 AM CDT

First, I assert that it is absolutely ludicrous to base home-field advantage on this game. The fact that all teams must have at least one player alone is enough to make it a stupid idea.

Home field should go to the team with the best regular-season record. Cubs win 99 and Red Sox win 100? Guess what, we're going to Boston for four games.

Selig told Mike & Mike yesterday that hotel accomodations make that impossible. I've heard that B.S. before and no journalists asks how the NBA and NHL manage.

So, how do we fix it? How do we make the ASG worthwhile?

Money.

The owners, players and sponsors all kick in money. How much each side contributes is immaterial, but the end result should be $15 million.

The top three vote-getters on each team pick their favorite charities. Winning teams' charities get $3 million each. Losing team's charities get $2 million each.

* Players and managers will still want to play and win, for public relations purposes if nothing else.

* Player voting will take on a whole new role, as it is crucial to be in the top three.

* Baseball gets a major p.r. boost overall.

* Six charities get some funds.

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of SB Nation or Al Yellon, managing editor (unless it's a FanPost posted by Al). FanPost opinions are valued expressions of opinion by passionate and knowledgeable baseball fans.

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The hotel thing really doesn't wash.

How do they manage hotels for the LCS when the cities aren’t known till the last minute? Yes, more rooms are needed for the WS, but not THAT many more.

Your charity idea is a good one. In fact, IIRC when the ASG was first started, that was one of the purposes, during the Depression.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al Yellon on Jul 15, 2008 8:58 AM CDT reply actions

Furthermore

Just because we know which league gets 4 games and which one gets 3 doesn’t mean we know the cities involved.

It’s a silly argument. But journalists have been letting Selig get away with it for years.

Think of how stupid the average person is, and remember, half of them are stupider than that!

by DaBard on Jul 15, 2008 9:03 AM CDT up reply actions

Well, they can book hotel rooms in four cities once the LCS participants are known.

Then they can cancel the ones they don’t need. But that still isn’t a good explanation, as you say.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al Yellon on Jul 15, 2008 9:16 AM CDT up reply actions

Hotels

When the playoff teams are determined they make plans in the cities that are possibilities. They have contracts with I believe the Hyatt chain.

For example let’s say its the Cubs, Brewers, Diamondbacks and Phillies in the NL.

White Sox, Red Sox, Devil Rays and Angels in the AL.
They book Chicago, Milwaukee, Arizona, Boston, Tampa, LA and Philadelphia for the Division and set up for the championship series.

Cubs and Phillies win the NLDS series and White Sox and Devil Rays win the ALDS.

So they eliminate the other cities for the World series and make tentative reservations for Chicago, Philly and Tampa for the World Series. 4 games for the Al teams 3 for the NL teams or vice versa depending on tonight.

Cubs and White Sox win their LCS and now everything is set in Chicago.

I used to work for a convention booking company and one of my coworkers there worked for the company that worked with MLB before they came there. This is the gist of what she told me.

Go Cubs

by puckishcubsfan on Jul 15, 2008 9:22 AM CDT up reply actions

Good info

So, they make reservations AFTER the playoffs are determined. That is, AFTER the teams have finished the regular season.

Let’s use the “If the season ended today model”

They have 8 playoff teams in the following order:

Angels - .600
Cubs - .600 (I gave the #1 seed to the Angels because they are 10-8 in interleague play, while the Cubs are 6-9)
Red Sox - .588
Rays – .585
White Sox – .574
Cardinals – .552
Phillies - .542
D’Backs—.495

You make World Series reservations for four nights in Chicago (covers two teams); Anaheim, Boston and Tampa. You do NOT have to make reservations for four nights in Phoenix, Philly and St. Louis. You get three nights there.

Why? The Cardinals, Phillies and D’Backs don’t have a better record than any AL team. They cannot get home field in the World Series.

As teams get eliminated, you cancel nights. If the Angels sweep the ALCS, you cancel the fourth night in the NL cities.

(By the way, all baseball is responsible for is housing teams and assorted officials. They are NOT responsible for making media and fan hotel arrangements.) At most, we’re talking two hotels (one for the visiting team and one for the officials)

This is easier than baseball admits. They like their stupid system now.

Think of how stupid the average person is, and remember, half of them are stupider than that!

by DaBard on Jul 15, 2008 9:55 AM CDT up reply actions

Another thing they need to fix.

I’m not a big fan of the public voting players into the game. I wouldn’t mind fans voting for starters after players have already been selected, but when something like home field advantage for the WS is on the line, I think players should be voted more on merit then popularity.

by slumpbuster17 on Jul 15, 2008 9:05 AM CDT reply actions

Agreed

And it’s asinine that every team has to be represented.

Think of how stupid the average person is, and remember, half of them are stupider than that!

by DaBard on Jul 15, 2008 9:11 AM CDT up reply actions

Is there someone this year who should have been excluded, but got in only because of the Every Team Must Have An All-Star rule?

by HereComesASpecialBoy on Jul 15, 2008 9:20 AM CDT up reply actions

The only one I see is Cristian Guzman...

... who’s in because they have to have a National. Guzman’s having a decent year, but he’s not an All-Star.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al Yellon on Jul 15, 2008 9:25 AM CDT up reply actions

He's arguably having a better season than Fukudome

Dome’s line is .279/.383/.408, whereas Guzman is hitting .313/.340/.424. Sure they play different positions, but if a slightly above average RF is allowed to be voted in largely because of the support of Japanese fans, then surely you can agree that an above average SS is deserving of the honor.

Help me Obi-ONEDEC. You're our only hope.

by IowaCubs- on Jul 15, 2008 12:34 PM CDT up reply actions

Why is it asinine?

They’ve been doing it forever and it draws interest from every team’s fans. In past years I know I’ve watched to simply see how Steve Swisher or Bill Madlock did, since they were our only reps.

Nobody cares about your fantasy league team

by carmen_fanzone on Jul 15, 2008 9:50 AM CDT up reply actions

When it counted for nothing that was fine

But now some token Royal, Mariner, Pirate and Giant have a say in the World Series.

STOO-PID!

Think of how stupid the average person is, and remember, half of them are stupider than that!

by DaBard on Jul 15, 2008 9:56 AM CDT up reply actions

I dunno about you

But I LIKE having Tim Lincecum pitching for the NL….

CUBS WIN! CUE THE ORCHESTRA!

by Keith on Jul 15, 2008 10:26 AM CDT up reply actions

And I'd definitely rather have McLouth in center than Fukudome.

Plus, Soria is a beast.

by HereComesASpecialBoy on Jul 15, 2008 10:29 AM CDT up reply actions

Too Many Teams For That Now

Maybe, when both leagues only had 8 and later 10 teams each before divisional play began, having every team represented in the ASG was a good idea. Now, with 16 AL and 14 NL teams, having every team represented is a bad idea.

"The big possum walks late." - Harry Caray

by memphiscub on Jul 15, 2008 10:14 AM CDT up reply actions

They should expand the rosters to 28 or 30....

Nobody cares about your fantasy league team

by carmen_fanzone on Jul 15, 2008 12:01 PM CDT up reply actions

Oops, Number of Teams Wrong

There are 16 NL and 14 NL teams.

"The big possum walks late." - Harry Caray

by memphiscub on Jul 15, 2008 12:03 PM CDT up reply actions

Okay, 16 NL and 14 AL Teams (3rd Time's A Charm)

"The big possum walks late." - Harry Caray

by memphiscub on Jul 15, 2008 12:04 PM CDT up reply actions

What I'd do

What I’d do is make it a weighted system of fan vote, player vote and management vote.

Maybe give the media a vote but then we’d have the all butt kissing team.

Go Cubs

by puckishcubsfan on Jul 15, 2008 9:23 AM CDT up reply actions

the asg has it's flaws

but let’s stop and remember how it compares to the other sports…...if you ask me it’s by FAR still the only one worth watching

by cubswynn on Jul 15, 2008 9:42 AM CDT reply actions

Call Tim Donaghy

He might have some ideas on how to fix it.

by WashUBearCub on Jul 15, 2008 9:59 AM CDT reply actions

BURN!

I’m seriously lol’ing at work!

by slumpbuster17 on Jul 15, 2008 10:13 AM CDT up reply actions

I like the All-star game...

I like that every team gets a player. It doesn’t really result in too many players that don’t deserve it, at least not more than the players voting. I don’t want to watch a game with 25 Red Sox on the roster, no matter how much the fans/players seem to like them.

Also, I like the fact that they deside home field advantage based on it. It gives it some kick. Just remember that before they did this, they just rotated home field advantage, which was even more random.

by Texas Wahoo on Jul 15, 2008 10:39 AM CDT reply actions

Random?

Look up the word. If you alternate every year, you can predict which league has home field 1,000 years in advance.

That’s not random. Random is letting an exhibition whose rosters are determined by a popularity contest and whose pitchers go 1 inning determine this.

Think of how stupid the average person is, and remember, half of them are stupider than that!

by DaBard on Jul 15, 2008 10:48 AM CDT up reply actions

Arbitrary is what I meant, not random, sorry

by Texas Wahoo on Jul 15, 2008 11:54 AM CDT up reply actions

I thought random worked just fine.

Yes, alternates annually, but getting home field on a year when your team happened to advance to the WS and it mattered, random.

by N Oakley on Jul 15, 2008 1:29 PM CDT up reply actions

I think the home field advantage is stupid

Like you said it should be the team with the best regular season record.

"Check the magic of a winning season and there are always reasons beyond the talent." Ned Colleti

by wrigleyrocker12 on Jul 15, 2008 11:18 AM CDT reply actions

DaBard

Great post, I like the idea of using charities as the reason for the game, but I am also just satisfied with it being just for fun, just like the rest of major sports all-star games. I mean after all it is called a break. I just dont like how, for example, the Cubs massive all-star roster could potentially decide if or if not say… the brewers got home field advantage or not if they made the world series. The superstars shouldnt be the ones that determine home field advantage

"This balls got a chaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaannce, GONE!" - Pat Hughes

by SouthsideCUBSfan on Jul 15, 2008 11:31 AM CDT reply actions

and good news... Al got to brewmasters post I believe

"This balls got a chaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaannce, GONE!" - Pat Hughes

by SouthsideCUBSfan on Jul 15, 2008 11:32 AM CDT up reply actions

yes

it dissapeared as I was attempting to flag it.

"We expect to win. We go out to win. So we're just living up to our own expectations." Derrek Lee, 5/29/08

by drewishdrewid on Jul 15, 2008 2:22 PM CDT up reply actions

me too actually

"This balls got a chaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaannce, GONE!" - Pat Hughes

by SouthsideCUBSfan on Jul 15, 2008 2:31 PM CDT up reply actions

Interleague Play Should Decide...

home field advantage in the World Series. We know in July who has the advantage in interleague play. The AL had that going away this year. Interleague play is the best test of which league is better. That could add even more interest to the interleague games.

"The big possum walks late." - Harry Caray

by memphiscub on Jul 15, 2008 11:50 AM CDT reply actions

Interesting...

...I like that idea better than the ASG

Nobody cares about your fantasy league team

by carmen_fanzone on Jul 15, 2008 12:03 PM CDT up reply actions

It's a better idea than the ASG, but...

...the best record total is preferable… There is so much pairity in baseball right now and seemingly on to the future that a .600 record is a feat deserving of home field advantage. There’s something unjust about letting the Dodgers end up with 83 wins and possibly keep home field advantage in the World Series.

I guess we can’t do anything about it right now anyway except win tonight.

Help me Obi-ONEDEC. You're our only hope.

by IowaCubs- on Jul 15, 2008 12:50 PM CDT up reply actions

I suppose...

But lets say Cubs went 11-0 (or w/e) vs interleague, and they went to the World Series, but the NL overall was like 49-51 (or however many games)... Cubs wouldn’t get home field. That kind of sucks.

by GoCubbies34 on Jul 15, 2008 12:43 PM CDT up reply actions

No more than the ASG where players who aren't even in the WS decides the home field advantage

...at least you have a bigger representation of the 2 leagues (ie: everyone)

Nobody cares about your fantasy league team

by carmen_fanzone on Jul 15, 2008 1:29 PM CDT up reply actions

“Who cares?” (Albet Pujols) said. “You’re in the World Series.” (http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=mlb&id=3483303)

I agree with Pujols, I don’t care having one few home game (at worst) so long as we get there.

Considering that the World Series was clinched on the road in 2003, 2004, 2005, & 2007 (with three of those four being sweeps and 2006’s Series being won by the team without home field advantage) the All Star Game hasn’t had a really significant impact on the World Series results. Not enough to generate all the debate that surrounds it.

More importantly, with an unbalanced schedule and limited interleague play there isn’t a fair way to determine home field advantage decisively (for reasons many of already brought up). I’d say just alternate it every year like they used to. No one seemed to ever complain about that system, unless my memory is really failing me…

by MarchHare on Jul 15, 2008 1:05 PM CDT reply actions

You just made the point for Home Field.

The home team won the first two games of the series which put a lot of preasure on the other team to win on their home fiield. I still think to this day that if the Angels would have beat the White Sox in that first game on the road (the phantom dropped third strike). They might have gon on to beat the Sox.

by Chodes on Jul 15, 2008 4:59 PM CDT up reply actions

The All Star Game.............

...............needs to be dropped. Although I love it, here’s why it’s got to go:

THE FANS: As I read across all blogs, most fans are begging for “their” players TO NOT PARTICIPATE IN THE GAME. “Don’t have my guy play because he has a slight injury.” “Don’t have my guy play because he needs the rest.” On and on and on they drone, so if fans don’t want to see their OWN PLAYERS in the game, why bother.

THE MANAGEMENT: Lots of behind-the-scenes stuff here, with “should the manager play this guy or that guy”, including some who think a manager might be trying to wreck an opposing player within their division. This runs up to the GMs of the clubs, with everyone having a say about how the actual game should be managed.

THE PLAYERS: So with all of the aforementioned, is it any wonder the players don’t give a rat’s ass about this event? Fans are “concerned” about “their guys” getting hurt during this game, yet they condemn the players for bowing out with hangnails and strained eyebrows. C’mon, if management is gun-shy about making the right moves and the fans can’t bear to watch their players in peril, why should they care about the game?

Under these conditions, why continue with the charade? If this game can’t be played above board and full bore (ready Rose/Fosse), then why bother. Let’s avoid all the angst and just give the players a few days off. Go back to the alternating WS schedule and move on.

"Happiness? A good cigar, a good meal, a good cigar and a good woman - or a bad woman; it depends on how much happiness you can handle." ~ George Burns

by tville on Jul 15, 2008 3:54 PM CDT reply actions

You make some good points....

Perhaps move it to the end of the season in a warm weather climate…it would be our last chance at baseball before the dark of winter…

Let my ashes blow in a beautiful snow from the prevailing 30 mile an hour southwest wind...
When my last remains go flying over the left field wall, I'll bid the bleacher bums adieu,
And I will come to my final resting place, out on Waveland Avenue. --Steve Goodman

by NotSure on Jul 15, 2008 4:26 PM CDT up reply actions

You'll still have..............

............the concerns over injuries, and if a guy is going into free agency, what are the chances his agent would let him participate?

Trust me, the idea of eliminating this event completely disgusts me, but the way it is being handled currently also leaves me empty.

"Happiness? A good cigar, a good meal, a good cigar and a good woman - or a bad woman; it depends on how much happiness you can handle." ~ George Burns

by tville on Jul 15, 2008 6:25 PM CDT up reply actions

True, but it works for the NFL and the Pro Bowl...

...and it might (I say might…I’ll admit this is a weak argument) offer a showcase for free agent all-stars against elite competition.

by NotSure on Jul 15, 2008 7:29 PM CDT up reply actions

I wouldn't say the Pro Bowl "works".

Does ANYONE pay any attention to it?

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al Yellon on Jul 16, 2008 4:04 AM CDT up reply actions

A second point...

The selections would be based on full season stats instead of two months worth.

by NotSure on Jul 15, 2008 4:27 PM CDT up reply actions

why

can’t the ASG just be about fun. I hate the fact that there is anything tied to it. Speaking of, didn’t the home field advantage come from the ASG being a tie and people thought that was dumb (7-7 tie in 2002)? I don’t recall forsesure.
I just enjoy watching arguably the best players in the game playing some ball. If anyway, just my thoughts.

when asked about his performance against the Reds - Lieber said the following
"Well obviously I made some bad pitches today, left to many over the plate and they got good wood on the ball. The only good thing was that I was able to get back into the clubhouse earlier then I planned so I could eat."

by 1060 W Addison on Jul 15, 2008 4:19 PM CDT reply actions

Here are some other ideas for the EXIBITION Game

1. Why can’t the game end a tie? It didn’t used to count and it still shouldn’t.

2. If you do not want it to end in a tie then have a shootout – HR contest in the 10th or 1th inning.

3. If you do not want the game to end in a tie and you run out of players, you could try limited free substitutions where players that have been used could re-enter the game.

Remember it is just an exibition game.

by Chodes on Jul 15, 2008 5:03 PM CDT reply actions