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On the Level 7-10-06
First, a number of baseball writers have said this, and I agree with them, that it's not necessary to have every single team represented at the All-Star Game because it leads to crummy players making the All-Star rosters while more deserving players are forced to miss out. Take Mark Redman of the Kansas City Royals. Any pitcher with an ERA over 5 should not be allowed within 1,000 feet of PNC Park, much less be on an All-Star roster. (As an aside--heck, if it was so important to have the Royals represented, why not take their best player, which is outfielder David DeJesus?) Second, and this one will be met with much disagreement, is this: Being a top vote-getter in the All-Star balloting should guarantee that they will play at least 4 innings in the All-Star game, nothing more. The managers should be allowed more power in determining the starting lineup. How do I back up my argument? Two simple words: Reggie Jackson. Some of you remember the early '80s, when Jackson was a perennial top vote-getter (indeed, one of the most popular players ever). Thing is, his defensive skills had eroded so severely that AL All-Star managers of that era cringed at the prospect of having to start him in right field. A minor factor that favors this little tweak is television. I'll bet that the majority of viewers will tune away from the All-Star Game by the time the 6th or 7th inning rolls around, in favor of stuff like "Boston Legal" or ECW wrestling. Would they tune away so quickly if certain favorite players had just gotten into the game (or were still on the bench)? I don't think they would. Going back to the Reggie Jackson situation, it would have been more intriguing to see him come into the game in the 6th inning as a pinch-hitter for the pitcher (assuming the game was being played in an NL park) than to see him butchering base hits in the bottom of the 1st. In summation, the question driving the ballot shouldn't be "Who do you want to start in the All-Star Game," but just "Who do you want to SEE in the All-Star Game?" That's all for now. I'll have a report or two on the ongoing Farm Draft later on in the week. Until then, I am out. |
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