Enjoy the MLB All-Star game for what it's worth
There is often outrage during the MLB all-star due to fan voting, and how it interferes with the fact that it can be an important game for the players. In an effort to make the game meaningful, the MLB decided to reward the winning league with home-field advantage during the World Series, which they have been doing since 2003.
The all-star game has always been an event for the fans, and adding meaning to a game that the rosters are decided by fans is ridiculous. The players who make the World Series should be rewarded for their play throughout the season, and the team with the best record should have home-field advantage.
Every baseball fan knows that one game is not an accurate representation for 162 baseball games. They play 162 for a reason, and for one game to decide which team has home-field in the World Series is crap.
While the intentions for the MLB were great, it's really unnecessary. The MLB made this decision with the fans in mind and doing its best effort to avoid being a resemblance of the NBA's all-star game, which is an absolute joke. The league wanted to make the game interesting for fans, and meaningful enough for players to where they will play hard enough and compete for a victory.
I'm not saying the MLB made this decision with the NBA in mind, but I think they are afraid to break away from their format when they see James Harden allow Lance freakin' Thomas to drive by for wide-open dunk. Oh wait, that was a regular season game? My bad.
The point is that watching the NBA all-star game scares the MLB, and they probably are terrified by the idea of having their midsummer classic resemble anything close to the NBA's all-star game.
However, baseball is completely different from basketball in the "effort" sense. In basketball, it is easy to just skip playing defense and let the opponent score on you at will. Baseball does not require the same physical toll as basketball does, and it is much more difficult to score in baseball than it is in basketball. This is stuff every common sports fan can agree with. I can go out on a basketball court and hit a jump shot, but there is a better chance of me landing a date with Selena Gomez than of me hitting a 95 mph fastball, which is not a credit to my smooth-talking manner. Baseball is really hard.
With that being said, these are professional athletes. Athletes that are at the top of their sport. The last thing MLB all-stars want to do is perform poorly on the second biggest stage of the season. Therefore, they are gonna put forth the effort to compete in a baseball game and win, regardless if there is a prize. Going along with that, I would not expect many diving catches in tonights all-star game, even if the game does have meaning. If Mike Trout is running down a line-drive to deep center, I highly doubt the thought "If I catch this baseball, we might have home-field advantage in the World Series" is crossing his mind. The players are still going to worry about their own safety, because deep down they know this game is a small piece to a bigger puzzle.
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Last years National League champions, the New York Mets, were represented by one player in last year's all-star game. Yet, that team felt the consequences of the NL losing that game. It would not have mattered under my suggested format because the eventual champion Kansas City Royals had a better record and would have had home-field, but if the NL would have won that game, then the Mets would have reaped the benefit while having only one player make the all-star game.
Home-field advantage is a major factor in a seven-game series. Since this rule was implemented in 2003, the team with home-field advantage in the World Series has only lost three times. Shouldn't this clear advantage be given between the two teams?
Baseball fans will be lined up tonight to watch the All-Star game all across the globe.
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With everything being said, enjoy the game tonight and take it for what it is worth: it's for us, the fans. While I essentially bashed the league for most of this post, you have to respect them for trying to make the game interesting for the fans. The Home-Run Derby last night was a perfect example. The Derby is a lot of fun to watch, and everyone loves watching these monsters hit the baseball over 450 feet. The new format allows more home runs to be hit, and more excitement as two hitters compete against each other.
The game is meant for the fans, and enjoy watching your teams favorite players compete on a big stage. It's a great chance for players that play in a small market to showcase their skills to the rest of the country. Personally, I will be doing my best effort tonight in winning my own challenge. I will be attempting to complete the "100 Mcnugget challenge" in which I must eat 100 Mcnuggets during the course of the All-Star game. It can be done, but it will not be enjoyable. The taste of dignity will taste much, much sweeter than nuggets 85-100.
