MLB Players collective opinion on "whether it should count"

by kanderber on Jul 8, 2009 9:05 PM CDT Comment 29 comments

This week's SI Players MLB Poll asked the question "Should home field advantage in the World Series be decided by which league wins the All Star Game or by which team has the better regular season record?" The results...

83% of players polled said regular-season record
16% said the All Star Game
1% said neither/don't know

Most fans think the "This time is counts!!!" thing is dumb and the players generally agree. For the record, this was based on a survey of 380 current MLB players. As an aside, I can't help but wonder if Kyle Farnsworth was one of the few that made up the 1% that couldn't come up with an answer.

Thoughts?

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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Yes. It was Farnsworth.

In all seriousness, I hate the format. Always have.

I'm singing, "GO CUBS GO! GO CUBS GO!" -- DrCrawdad on Jun 12, 2009 7:23 AM CDT

Facts are meaningless. You could use facts to prove anything that's even remotely true! -- Homer J. Simpson

by Shanghai Badger on Jul 8, 2009 9:08 PM CDT reply actions 1 recs

actually,

farnsy wrote in “I want to tackle someone.”

by tim815 on Jul 8, 2009 9:23 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Should be based on record

the NL team should not be awarded home field advantage because Ryan Zimmerman hit an RBI single in the 9th against Andrew Bailey or any other rediculous combination you can think of. The ASG should be recognition for the best players in the game, and a spotlight for the fans who want to see them. I’m sorry, but I wouldn’t want Aramis Ramirez (if participating) trying to bowl over a catcher to score just for hopes of home field advantage. It’s not a realistic notion that “this one counts”. The players’ involved have a priority to their respective clubs, first and foremost.

"Yes, dear. You're right. I'm sorry." -Bob Brenly

by ambrosiadreams on Jul 8, 2009 9:25 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

It should be based on

a tug of war between central and north americans.

by beckmania on Jul 8, 2009 9:32 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Bud's heart was in the right place.

But this has been a failure.

"Pounding sand since 1982...."

by cubswynn on Jul 8, 2009 10:14 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Bud's heart wasn't in this at all.

He was embarrassed by the tie game played in his home town, reached into his ass and pulled out the horrible idea that the All Star game should count.

Other ideas included: making the losing team run laps; having a fan pull the name of the winning team of the World Series from a hat during the seventh inning stretch of the All Star Game; and, in case of a tie, a game of running bases featuring the fattest players from each team. Fielder vs. Sabathia with it all on the line!

by the nth on Jul 9, 2009 7:03 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I like those ideas.

They’d be more fun than the one we have now.

"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra

by Al on Jul 9, 2009 8:50 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

First of all.

The guy is allowed to make a mistake. He tried fixing it and it SUCKS. But at least he admitted to making a mistake and tried to correct it. Second of all his intentions to make the ASG more enjoyable for fans was pure, I think.

"Pounding sand since 1982...."

by cubswynn on Jul 9, 2009 8:54 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

it should only count

if both teams going into the world series have the same record.

end of story.

It's not about money. It's about winning and getting over the hump. We've had the appetizer now, but we left the main course on the table.
-rod beck

by laidbackliam on Jul 8, 2009 10:14 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

interesting idea

could be better than a coin toss

"Fasten your seatbelts"-Pat Hughes

by katie casey on Jul 9, 2009 8:30 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I never liked the idea of the ASG deciding home field for the WS

and I don’t like best record method, either.

If a team in one league happens to be in a weak division and fattens up on those teams en route to a WS berth, and a team in the other league ends up being the WC and runs the gauntlet in the playoffs and earns their way into the WS that way, I don’t feel the best record should decide the home team.

Honestly, I liked it when the WS rotated back and forth every year between leagues. Everyone knows up front who the home team is and there’s no BS way to decide it. No matter which way you try to award the home field, there will most likely be an argument that can be made not to do in a certain manner.

To me, the ASG scenario is the absolute worst way to decide.

"WGN, Channel 9 Cubs Baseball, Excitingly, Importantly, Dramatically Yours." - Jack Brickhouse

by BigJohnAZ on Jul 9, 2009 1:47 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

NEUTRAL SITE!

There is no such thing as an ugly female breast

by Worf on Jul 9, 2009 6:19 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Whoever said there's no such thing as an ugly female breast

was not with me when, at the age of 11, I accidentally walked into a changing room at a lake in Wisconsin only to discover my grandma… well, you get the idea.

by the nth on Jul 9, 2009 7:08 AM CDT up reply actions 1 recs

EWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!

"Hats for bats.....keep bats warm." - Pedro Cerrano
"Hey bartender, Jobu needs a refill !!!!!!!" - Eddie Harris

by willie mays hayes' gloves on Jul 9, 2009 9:46 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

and give up the possibility of winning game 7

at Wrigley? No, thanks.

I'm a Cubs FANATIC. They are my team, through thick and thin. [ibid] This is the kind of fan I am.

by drewishdrewid on Jul 9, 2009 9:48 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

You didn't hear?

Unless the World Series is moved to New Mexico in July, the Cubs won’t be able to hit.

There is no such thing as an ugly female breast

by Worf on Jul 9, 2009 9:51 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

heh-heh

we could get a bunch of those propane heaters, put ’em on the foul lines.

I'm a Cubs FANATIC. They are my team, through thick and thin. [ibid] This is the kind of fan I am.

by drewishdrewid on Jul 9, 2009 10:52 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

All-Star Game solution

Baseball puts up $5 million. The union puts up another $5 million and some sponsor puts up another $5 million.

Top three vote-getters on each side pick their favorite charities. Winning team donates $9 million ($3 million each) to those charities. Losing team donates $6 million ($2 million each)

Baseball looks good. Some worthy charities get money. Players still feel some pressure to play and managers still feel some pressure to try to win.

Then you go to best record to determine home-field.

There is no such thing as an ugly female breast

by Worf on Jul 9, 2009 8:21 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

How did it use to work,

before MLB came up with the ASG plan? I don’t think it was based on overall record, wasn’t it simply switched back and forth each year (NL/AL would get it every other year)?

by BatCubFan on Jul 9, 2009 8:27 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Yes.

"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra

by Al on Jul 9, 2009 8:51 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

best record.

"Fasten your seatbelts"-Pat Hughes

by katie casey on Jul 9, 2009 8:30 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Well, I like the idea of a competitive ASG,

When it is right, the baseball ASG can be the best of its kind. To me, the problem of competitiveness isn’t resolved by dictating the WS rule. The competitiveness problem is created by the bloated rosters that cause crazy substitutions, inflated salaries that cause players and GM’s to think it is not worth the risk of playing, and of course uninformed fan voting that put undeserving players on the team. Fix those issues, and you’ll have the most interesting game of the year.

My fondest all star memory is Rose bowling over Fosse at home after Cub Jimmy Hickman lined a single to center. I guarantee you none of those guys needed any motivation for “making it count”.

by BatCubFan on Jul 9, 2009 9:21 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

how about

best record IN THE PLAYOFFS?

That way, it doesn’t matter if you had a weak division. It’s the number of games you win/lose in the playoffs.

I'm a Cubs FANATIC. They are my team, through thick and thin. [ibid] This is the kind of fan I am.

by drewishdrewid on Jul 9, 2009 9:49 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

What if there is a tie?

That’s not bad, though.

I'm singing, "GO CUBS GO! GO CUBS GO!" -- DrCrawdad on Jun 12, 2009 7:23 AM CDT

Facts are meaningless. You could use facts to prove anything that's even remotely true! -- Homer J. Simpson

by Shanghai Badger on Jul 9, 2009 10:37 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

flip a coin?

go off some additional stat?

I'm a Cubs FANATIC. They are my team, through thick and thin. [ibid] This is the kind of fan I am.

by drewishdrewid on Jul 9, 2009 10:53 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Technical balks

I'm singing, "GO CUBS GO! GO CUBS GO!" -- DrCrawdad on Jun 12, 2009 7:23 AM CDT

Facts are meaningless. You could use facts to prove anything that's even remotely true! -- Homer J. Simpson

by Shanghai Badger on Jul 9, 2009 11:05 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

there ya go

I'm a Cubs FANATIC. They are my team, through thick and thin. [ibid] This is the kind of fan I am.

by drewishdrewid on Jul 9, 2009 7:39 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I don't know if it's the Cubs struggles or what...

…but I’ve never been as cynical about the All-Star Game as I am this year. I just can’t bring myself to care much about it.

In any case, I applaud the results of that poll – the ASG shouldn’t count because it’s not played like a real baseball game. Real games don’t feature the manager constantly substituting players so everyone gets some on-field face time. The teams that get to the World Series should have the say in home field advantage – not some overhyped exhibition game.

I've committed to tweeting about the Cubs for the rest of the season. (Does that sound as ridiculous as I think it does?) Anyway, if you're on Twitter, you can follow me here.

by dat cubfan daver on Jul 9, 2009 11:13 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs