Fixing the All Star Game

by DaheelzCM on Jul 17, 2008 1:13 PM CDT Comment 36 comments

It's either an exhibition or a real game. It can't be both. Pick one and go with it. If they are intent of having it "count" then go with these changes.

#1 - No games until Friday after the AS Game. Give all the players (especially pitchers) an extra day off.

#2 - Have the starting pitcher go at least 4 innings unless he's ineffective. With the extra day off the worst that will happen is that he won't be available to his own team until Saturday.

#3 - Have the second pitcher be a starting pitcher and have him go at least 3 innings unless he's ineffective.

#4 - Reduce the roster back down to 25 players and eliminate the "every team gets a spot" rule. There is WAY too much substituting in the game to make sure everybody gets in. If everyone has to play then make sure they get a juice box with a bendy straw after the game too.

#5 - Tell the relievers it's like a real game.....they may or may not be needed. Then use them as if you would in a real game based on matchups.

#6 - If a pitcher makes the team and he really shouldn't be pitching (Kazmir/Webb) then replace him on the roster with a guy who can pitch if needed. He can still come to the game and go through pre-game festivities and such but he won't be on the official roster.

#7 - Eliminate the fan vote or at least minimize its effect. The Pro Bowl is a terrible game but I think they have a good way to select the players.

#8 - No matter where the game is played there should always be a DH in the All Star Game. A guy like Ben Sheets didn't make the team based on his .225OPS so he shouldn't be hitting.

#9 - Bud Selig is not allowed to attend.

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I like #2, but how do you determine "ineffectiveness"?

I know it sounds stupid, but you’d have some people claiming that a pitcher is ineffective after issuing one walk, and others saying that a pitcher is still effective after giving up nine unearned runs.

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by ghtd36 on Jul 17, 2008 1:18 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Up to the manager

just like in any other game.

Time you enjoy wasting was not wasted.

by t ball on Jul 17, 2008 1:41 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I don't think you have to go that extreme.

In the ‘70s you’d see pitchers go 2-3 innings all the time. With the depth of talent available, and the number of bodies, you should easily be able to go as many innings as needed.

Rule 8 is silly. Get rid of the DH in baseball, and tell pitchers to hit the cage on their off days.

"And I stopped beating my wife just a couple of weeks ago." -John McCain

by DJCahill on Jul 17, 2008 1:27 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

agree with the first part

as to the second: yeah, let’s also make the manager and mascots hit too

""If they'd have told me you can make the team but you've got to shine the shoes, I'd have been there shining shoes." -Bradley

by ab03 on Jul 17, 2008 1:33 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

When pitchers go all game, every game...

...and your “starting” pitcher starts 75-80% of your team’s games, like the other 8 positions, then the pitcher should bat and be treated the same as the other 8 positions…

by Adam J. Morris on Jul 17, 2008 1:38 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I agree

You shouldn’t mandate that the pitchers pitch four innings, but the pitchers should be told that if they are going to be part of the team, they should be prepared to pitch 2-3 innings or 50 pitches or so. Otherwise they lose their spot to someone else. The idea that teams send pitchers with the “wink and nod” that they won’t pitch very much is as stupid as trying to get everyone in the game.

If their team wants to pitch them the Sunday before the break, then they should pull them out a little earlier or just tell the guy to give up his spot on the team.

As for the DH – I agree with having it in every all-star game. Having the pitchers spot come up is just another excuse to quickly use a player / pull a pitcher, which puts us in this mess to begin with.

by JBImaknee on Jul 17, 2008 1:40 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

9 inning game

Stop having the managers manage the game like it is only going to last 9 innings. Get all the players in if it is a blowout. Otherwise, save players for the possibility of extra innings.

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by RangerMad on Jul 17, 2008 1:35 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

If a manager can't come up with a pitcher

have him forfeit the game, and make a big notation in the game box:

Game Forfeited due to Managerial Stupidity

and award the game, and the world series to the other team.

"And I stopped beating my wife just a couple of weeks ago." -John McCain

by DJCahill on Jul 17, 2008 1:49 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

All Star Games

The only way to fix them is to do away with them in every sport. They can still elect a team but who really cares who wins the All Star game (in either baseball or basketball) or the Pro Bowl. They’re all worthless games that needlessly risk injuries to the best players in the game.

If they have to have an some sort of all star festivities, they should expand the skills competitions. I watched more of the Home Run Derby than I did of the actual game and I’d be somewhat interested in some other competitions.

Revenge of the Birds

by cgolden on Jul 17, 2008 1:38 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

eh

the baseball all-star game doesn’t needlessly risk injuries to players. Football’s does, obviously, but the odds of being injured in any one football game are probably 5% – in any real game usually one or two guys have at elast a mild injury. Whereas in baseball, the vast majoritiy of games don’t have injury problems.

by JBImaknee on Jul 17, 2008 1:48 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

very true

But it only takes one guy diving for a ball or running into a wall to separate a shoulder or break a wrist. Not to mention something as small as pulling a hammy trying to run the bases. How crushed would we have all been in the Hambino tweaked a quad trying to steal a base?

Revenge of the Birds

by cgolden on Jul 17, 2008 2:41 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

good thoughts

i agree on a few. i’d like to see more starting pitchers make the teams and go 2-3 innings and have fewer closers. i just don’t get having that many closers on the roster when they wont be used in save situations. better off having guys who can go a few innings.

I agree that if a team has no player worthy of representing them then they don’t get a rep, BUT i do like seeing guys rotated out. otherwise jeter would play the whole damn game and i’d be subjected to hearing how great he is for 9 innings.

6 is a great point, if the guy shouldnt be pitching then they aren’t on the team. i say if they get voted on make sure they get whatever bonus for being voted in, but open up their spot for a pitcher who’s available. 7 is dead on, not sure about eliminating the vote but don’t make it count 100%. fan voting is too easy to rig and get players who have no business being there get on the roster.

and yes, make sure the all-star game has a dh no matter where it is. the games an exhibition why make pitchers bat

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by rentz on Jul 17, 2008 1:41 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

How about the final vote player

being a mandatory “save until extra-innings/emergency” guy? Heck, you could even have fun with it, by making the only guys eligible for the vote be utility guys – no more than 50% of 60% games played at any one position. May be silly, but it’d give a chance for the DeRosa’s and Vazquez’s to make the team and also provide better insurance than Brian McCann being the sole guy on the bench.

by JBImaknee on Jul 17, 2008 1:46 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

final vote

grieve brought up on one of the recent broadcasts that he thinks the asg needs to open up a utility player spot much like the probowl has the special teams specialist

"I'm against picketing, but I don't know how to show it." - Mitch Hedberg

by rentz on Jul 17, 2008 1:48 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

ha

what can I say – great minds think alike!

by JBImaknee on Jul 17, 2008 5:41 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Agreed

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by TheBZA on Jul 17, 2008 1:49 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I think the most important fix would be to end this garbage of awarding home field advantage in the series

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by Brian Thomas on Jul 17, 2008 2:16 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Yep

best record should get home field advantage, every time, no exceptions.

Time you enjoy wasting was not wasted.

by t ball on Jul 17, 2008 3:30 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

There are plenty of issues

with that as well.

"So you think the Celtics will beat Detroit? Hell will freeze over before that happens, mark my words." miles 5/20/08

by badradiorules on Jul 17, 2008 3:47 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

No, there aren't

It’s a simple rule.

Time you enjoy wasting was not wasted.

by t ball on Jul 17, 2008 3:50 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Well

So is using the All-Star game. It’s all simple, just not without faults.

Look at it this way. Say the Arizona Diamondbacks get hot in the second half and end up in the World Series against the Red Sox. Say the D-Backs final record is one game better than the Red Sox, then they would have home field advantage. However, there may not be another team in the NL West with a .500 record and the AL East is the best division in baseball.

This is the most extreme case, but just using records is not as fair as people make it out to be.

"So you think the Celtics will beat Detroit? Hell will freeze over before that happens, mark my words." miles 5/20/08

by badradiorules on Jul 17, 2008 4:15 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

So what

You can’t have some stupide strength of schedule thing to decide it. I think having the home field advantage decided by the team’s play during the season makes a LOT more sense then having an exhibition game decide it.

Time you enjoy wasting was not wasted.

by t ball on Jul 17, 2008 4:46 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I don't see it as a big deal

I think either way is flawed. At least the current system makes the All-star game somewhat interesting. Didn’t they just rotate it before? There’s no good way to determine who has home field advantage, I don’t mind it at all.

"So you think the Celtics will beat Detroit? Hell will freeze over before that happens, mark my words." miles 5/20/08

by badradiorules on Jul 17, 2008 5:16 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I don't know about plenty

There is one big one though. Even with interleague play, the teams don’t even come close to playing a similar schedule so going by best record could be lopsided in favor of one league.

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by DaheelzCM on Jul 17, 2008 3:56 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Another one

What if the 2 teams have the same record?

Let me have a diablo sandwich, a Dr. Pepper, and make it fast I'm in a God damned hurry!

by DaheelzCM on Jul 17, 2008 3:57 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

tie breaker

I just don’t see the strength of schedule argument. One team might have had a lot more injuries to overcome, more travelling to deal with, bad weather makeups, etc. etc. Blah blah blah. There are so many ways the game can be “unfair” to one team or the other. They can solve all that in one way – win more games.

W-L record to me is the best and simplest way to decide home field advantage.

Time you enjoy wasting was not wasted.

by t ball on Jul 17, 2008 4:48 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

So...

What if they have the same record?

Let me have a diablo sandwich, a Dr. Pepper, and make it fast I'm in a God damned hurry!

by DaheelzCM on Jul 17, 2008 4:49 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

tie breaker

of some sort. Personally I’d use pythag record for this, but I don’t see MLB doing something that sabermetric.

Time you enjoy wasting was not wasted.

by t ball on Jul 17, 2008 4:56 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

The league with the best interleague record

gets homefield. That kind of corrects for the year-to-year variation in the quality of the leagues, which is ultimately who you want to reward (the team who wins the hardest league gets home advantage)

by JBImaknee on Jul 17, 2008 5:41 PM CDT up reply actions 2 recs

We have a winner!!!

Let me have a diablo sandwich, a Dr. Pepper, and make it fast I'm in a God damned hurry!

by DaheelzCM on Jul 17, 2008 7:07 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Tom Grieve proposed that a week or two ago...

and I completely agreed with him. That seems like the best since it’d be pretty close to balanced. You’ll still have a bit of imbalance, but it’d be the most balanced measure you can get I think. I’m definitely not a fan of the all star game deciding it, especially with the every team has to have a rep thing.

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by rangers85 on Jul 17, 2008 8:41 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs