Yet another suggestion for improving the ASG

[Railsplitter]

Daily Herald columnist Mike Imrem has floated a suggestion for improving the All-Star Game: give the winning manager $1,000,000.

I'm not a big Imrem fan, but he might be on to something here.

[TomBradley72]

The ASG isn't perfect- but it's still 100X better than any other professional sport's All Star game- I don't really think it needs fixing- I still love it and it's one of my favorite days of the baseball season- along with Opening Day and the first day or 2 the post season (Wild Card games and then the first day when all 4 Division Series games are being played).

I know alot of people don't like every team being represented- but I like it- maybe back to the days of Lemon/Baines/Guillen being the lone White Sox rep.

I know alot of people don't like the winner = home field advantage for the World Series- I think that's a flawed approach, but not more flawed than just alternating every year (like it used to be) or using best record (which doesn't really work based on the 2 leagues).

It's a great night of baseball and almost always generates a few memorable moments- and I still watch the player introductions like it's 1971 and I'm coming inside from playing wiffle ball in our back yard.

[HomeFish]

I think you'll be very hard pressed to deny that the quality of play at the ASG has improved dramatically since it started to count. The 2002 game didn't just end in a miserable tie: the quality of play was abysmal.

I do think the skills challenge at the NHL All Star game is really cool. Probably doesn't translate well to baseball: there are just so many skills in baseball and many of them are a big injury risk.

[chicagowhitesox1]

I hate the All-Star game only because there's no fantasy baseball. I think they should have it at the end of the year and I don't think old players like Derek Jeter or a old Cal Ripken should be playing. It should be for only the best players of the season.

[TomBradley72]

Originally Posted by chicagowhitesox1

I hate the All-Star game only because there's no fantasy baseball. I think they should have it at the end of the year and I don't think old players like Derek Jeter or a old Cal Ripken should be playing. It should be for only the best players of the season.

After the World Series in November?

[SoxSpeed22]

I don't think a 'Break the Targets' challenge for pitchers would be realistic, but still fun. A situational baseball skill, like 'get the runners over', finish the relay, or hit and run, would also be fun.
And of course, a dance contest at the end.

[TDog]

Originally Posted by chicagowhitesox1

I hate the All-Star game only because there's no fantasy baseball. I think they should have it at the end of the year and I don't think old players like Derek Jeter or a old Cal Ripken should be playing. It should be for only the best players of the season.

An all-star game at the end of the season would be pointless. Players wouldn't want to play. Fans wouldn't want to watch.

The idea of an all-star game only works if its in the middle of the season, and it started as an idea of a Chicago sportswriter to give fans a chance to see their favorite players, veterans mostly, go up against each other, a dream game.

Baseball is the only major sport that has come close to getting it right. The NBA has increased the excitement over its all-star game, but there is more excitement over other things going on than the game itself, basketball involving too much teamwork for what amounts to a pickup game among the best players in the NBA to have the same qualities as a meaningful regular season game between two top-level teams.

A lot of people don't like the idea of leagues playing for World Series home field advantage, but it's really not such a bad idea considering it's less arbitrary and less capricious than alternating advantage or awarding it to the team with the best record, which could have been aided by playing the majors' worst team (tanking to be better sometime in the nebulous future) 18 times against an opponent with a wildly more difficult schedule during a six-month season with injuries and deadline trades. Work out the percentages of which league did what and who had the most difficult schedule and you may satisfy some that have a natural reaction against the way it's done now, but playing the game or home-field advantage makes the issue, a small one really, competitive instead of statistical.

At the same time, the break has evolved into checkpoint where teams can regroup, reset their starting rotations, rest up nagging injuries. Baseball, which is pretty much played every day with only the occasional off day, has pretty much evolved around that midseason break.

I apologize for not caring about your fantasy baseball.

[Chez]

I think home field advantage for the World Series should be awarded to the league that wins the most interleague games that year.

[TomBradley72]

One of the reasons baseball's ASG works so much better than other sports is the natural "tension" built into the game itself- as long as a pitcher and hitter are trying their best, the dynamic is the same as a regular season game, etc.

Other sports like football, hockey and basketball have a much higher risk of injury if the players play at a "normal" rate of intensity- so they become glorified exhibitions with no real intensity and often(especially with football and hockey)- with modified rules that make the game itself a joke.

I was really impressed last nght with the how the ASG has such a balance of the players playing hard to win the game- while at the same time seeming to have so much joy in the experience.

I think it's as great of an event as it's ever been-