betED.com - The View from the Couch - by Gavin McDougald!
July 16th, 2008 - Mid-Summer Flaccid
The first half of the yearly epic that is the major league baseball season has come and gone, so tradition dictates that now is the time to look back at what happened.
Well, screw that. While we are dealing with this, the third straight day without any meaningful sports, the question needs to be asked, why is there an All-Star break at all?
Seriously.
Hey, everybody needs a holiday. Even the boys of summer who only work 60% of the year. But do we sports fans need a mid-season baseball break, when we are essentially limited to this one sport right now?
If the players need a three-day vacation, we'll give it to them. What do we care? Spread out their time off between teams so the game goes on.
Because the object of this three days off exercise, the All-Star Game... clearly its time has come and gone as well.
First held in 1933, because of the nature of the game, it has long been the standard against which every other all-star game has been measured.
What was once known as the "Mid-Summer Classic" now is neither. It's held in early summer and there is nothing classic about it. Sure, this year's home run derby was an epic story, watching recovered drug addict and alcoholic Josh Hamilton hit a record 28 home runs in the first round - several of which went over 500 ft.
However, truly symbolic of the event's decline, in the end he lost.
A great concept, but the reality is; all All-Star games have had their day, even the best of the bunch, baseball's.
There are three main reason's why.
First, nationally broadcasted games on television were the initial nail in the coffin to this game's uniqueness. Players like Bob Gibson, Hank Aaron and Al Kaline, who most of us could only read about or see once a year in the All-Star game, or perhaps in October, are now a regular feature in our living rooms.
Second, true free agency allowed these legendary names to be moved around from city to city and league to league reducing the uniqueness of both.
But what was the death knell was sounded on a specific date and in a specific place: June 12th, 1997, at the Ballpark in Arlington as the Texas Rangers hosted the San Francisco Giants.
The first interleague game, instituted by that genius of baseball, Bud Selig, killed what we now know was the only true allure of the All-Star game.
Players facing one another for the first time.
Prior to that date the only time American League teams faced National League teams was in spring training games, the All-Star game and the World Series.
Spring training games were just exhibition games, and few except for the Florida and Arizona locals paid much attention to them. The World Series on the other hand, everybody paid attention to, and the All-Star Game was a much appreciated aperitif to October.
A taste of things to come perhaps. Killer matchups heretofore unseen between each league's best pitchers and best hitters all playing in front of the greatest defenses imaginable.
Prior to interleague play AL players had actual pride in their league, as did AL fans.
The same could be said for the NL and the meeting of the best from both provided bragging rights for players and fans alike.
As a result, although technically meaningless, the games mattered. The players wanted to win. They played hard to win. In 1970, Pete Rose almost killed a guy, Ray Fosse, trying to win.
Now?
Players have to be paid to even show up.
In 2003, MLB tried to remedy the situation by mandating whichever league wins gets home-field advantage for the World Series. They called it their "This time it counts " strategy.
All that has done is diminish what is supposed to be the games biggest showcase. The last eight times a World Series has gone to a 7th game, the home team has won.
In the last five years, since "this time it counts" began, the American League has won all five All-Star Games and have gone a combined 8-2 in the first two games of those World Series.
That's a pretty big deal for a game the players no longer care about.
As for we fans, we don't either. Ratings for the All-Star Game have been on a steady decline since about the time interleague was introduced. Last year's game drew the second-lowest ratings in history.
Traditionalists will say there has to be an All-Star game because there always has been one. Well, not only is that untrue, the first third of baseball's history was minus the game, but we know traditions are meaningless in this game.
Just look where last night's game was played. Yankee Stadium. At the end of this season, they are tearing down the "house that Ruth built."
Time to do the same for the Mid-Summer Classic.
Cheers - Gavin McDougald - AKA Couch
Bet MLB Baseball at betED.com now!
July 16th, 2008 - Mid-Summer Flaccid
The first half of the yearly epic that is the major league baseball season has come and gone, so tradition dictates that now is the time to look back at what happened.
Well, screw that. While we are dealing with this, the third straight day without any meaningful sports, the question needs to be asked, why is there an All-Star break at all?
Seriously.
Hey, everybody needs a holiday. Even the boys of summer who only work 60% of the year. But do we sports fans need a mid-season baseball break, when we are essentially limited to this one sport right now?
If the players need a three-day vacation, we'll give it to them. What do we care? Spread out their time off between teams so the game goes on.
Because the object of this three days off exercise, the All-Star Game... clearly its time has come and gone as well.
First held in 1933, because of the nature of the game, it has long been the standard against which every other all-star game has been measured.
What was once known as the "Mid-Summer Classic" now is neither. It's held in early summer and there is nothing classic about it. Sure, this year's home run derby was an epic story, watching recovered drug addict and alcoholic Josh Hamilton hit a record 28 home runs in the first round - several of which went over 500 ft.
However, truly symbolic of the event's decline, in the end he lost.
A great concept, but the reality is; all All-Star games have had their day, even the best of the bunch, baseball's.
There are three main reason's why.
First, nationally broadcasted games on television were the initial nail in the coffin to this game's uniqueness. Players like Bob Gibson, Hank Aaron and Al Kaline, who most of us could only read about or see once a year in the All-Star game, or perhaps in October, are now a regular feature in our living rooms.
Second, true free agency allowed these legendary names to be moved around from city to city and league to league reducing the uniqueness of both.
But what was the death knell was sounded on a specific date and in a specific place: June 12th, 1997, at the Ballpark in Arlington as the Texas Rangers hosted the San Francisco Giants.
The first interleague game, instituted by that genius of baseball, Bud Selig, killed what we now know was the only true allure of the All-Star game.
Players facing one another for the first time.
Prior to that date the only time American League teams faced National League teams was in spring training games, the All-Star game and the World Series.
Spring training games were just exhibition games, and few except for the Florida and Arizona locals paid much attention to them. The World Series on the other hand, everybody paid attention to, and the All-Star Game was a much appreciated aperitif to October.
A taste of things to come perhaps. Killer matchups heretofore unseen between each league's best pitchers and best hitters all playing in front of the greatest defenses imaginable.
Prior to interleague play AL players had actual pride in their league, as did AL fans.
The same could be said for the NL and the meeting of the best from both provided bragging rights for players and fans alike.
As a result, although technically meaningless, the games mattered. The players wanted to win. They played hard to win. In 1970, Pete Rose almost killed a guy, Ray Fosse, trying to win.
Now?
Players have to be paid to even show up.
In 2003, MLB tried to remedy the situation by mandating whichever league wins gets home-field advantage for the World Series. They called it their "This time it counts " strategy.
All that has done is diminish what is supposed to be the games biggest showcase. The last eight times a World Series has gone to a 7th game, the home team has won.
In the last five years, since "this time it counts" began, the American League has won all five All-Star Games and have gone a combined 8-2 in the first two games of those World Series.
That's a pretty big deal for a game the players no longer care about.
As for we fans, we don't either. Ratings for the All-Star Game have been on a steady decline since about the time interleague was introduced. Last year's game drew the second-lowest ratings in history.
Traditionalists will say there has to be an All-Star game because there always has been one. Well, not only is that untrue, the first third of baseball's history was minus the game, but we know traditions are meaningless in this game.
Just look where last night's game was played. Yankee Stadium. At the end of this season, they are tearing down the "house that Ruth built."
Time to do the same for the Mid-Summer Classic.
Cheers - Gavin McDougald - AKA Couch
Bet MLB Baseball at betED.com now!
