All the Stars
As long as we’re letting the players choose the reserves for the All-Star games, why not remove even one more of the manager’s jobs: choosing the starting pitcher. The fans get to choose all other eight (or nine) starters, why not the starting pitcher?
I know, I know—because you can’t ever tell which pitchers will be available up until game time. So what. A pitcher who goes to the game has to expect to pitch at least an inning. So even if the guy pitched Sunday, let him go out and pitch the first inning. Nobody expects a complete game out of him. And in the “everybody gets to play” era, having a pitcher go more than one inning means one of the other ten guys on the staff probably doesn’t get to touch the grass after the opening ceremonies.
The All-Star game is an entertainment, not a contest. The fans should get to choose who they want to see on the mound.
While we’re at it, can we get rid of the “Every player gets a representative” rule for all-star rosters. Does anybody think that the folks in Tampa Bay have more interest in the game because Danys Baez is on the team? Are people in Oakland going to rush home to catch the one-third of an inning in which Justin Duchsherer pitches? Would viewership in Colorado suffer if Brian Fuentes were left off the roster?
No. Of course not. This rule stinks of third grade competitions in which everybody gets an award.
Wake up, baseball! The All-Star Game is not the Special Olympics. If a player isn’t good enough to be chosen by the fans or his fellow players, nobody outside of his family wants to see him play on the national stage.
I know, I know—because you can’t ever tell which pitchers will be available up until game time. So what. A pitcher who goes to the game has to expect to pitch at least an inning. So even if the guy pitched Sunday, let him go out and pitch the first inning. Nobody expects a complete game out of him. And in the “everybody gets to play” era, having a pitcher go more than one inning means one of the other ten guys on the staff probably doesn’t get to touch the grass after the opening ceremonies.
The All-Star game is an entertainment, not a contest. The fans should get to choose who they want to see on the mound.
While we’re at it, can we get rid of the “Every player gets a representative” rule for all-star rosters. Does anybody think that the folks in Tampa Bay have more interest in the game because Danys Baez is on the team? Are people in Oakland going to rush home to catch the one-third of an inning in which Justin Duchsherer pitches? Would viewership in Colorado suffer if Brian Fuentes were left off the roster?
No. Of course not. This rule stinks of third grade competitions in which everybody gets an award.
Wake up, baseball! The All-Star Game is not the Special Olympics. If a player isn’t good enough to be chosen by the fans or his fellow players, nobody outside of his family wants to see him play on the national stage.
posted by John Rosenthal @ 8:11 AM
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