All-Star Game

It’s final year, the House that Ruth Built was given the Mid-Summer Classic; a great way to send off one the temples of sports.
I have written repeatedly of my admiration of the All-Star game and all its festivities. All the criticism that it receives is coming from people who just want complain. It’s that chance for the best players to come together for one night and play together. It’s the best of the best. And the rest of just get to sit back, take a break form rooting for anyone, and just watch baseball. It’s a pure from of baseball.
There is also the Home Run Derby. Ok so Justin Morneau end up taking home the crown but it always be remembered for Josh Hamilton’s incredible performance. He didn’t win in the final round but it really didn’t matter. Everyone knew he was the best hitter on the field; he had just simply run out of gas towards the end and understandably so. The man crushed 28 home runs in the first round alone. Yes, that is a record and yes, he is the guy that wasn’t even play baseball a few years ago because of drug and alcohol problem. Now that is a comeback story. I think just about everyone would like to see win the MVP award this year; and he will if is the Triple Crown champ.
Back to the game and that was a nice little opening-ceremony with all the past living greats from each position coming out on to the field to meet the night’s starter. It’s always important to honor those that come before us and that was a great to it.
As for that game itself, it was little long. 15 innings did tie a record and 4 hours and 50 minutes did break a record. That’s a few All-Star games that have gone long in the past few years, including the infamous tie. The problem isn’t the game itself going to long, it’s the last batch of players that have to stay out there especially pitchers. They are running the chance of injury. I don’t know about reinserting players after being subbed out, that’s a little un-baseball-ish but something needs to be done. I do like the idea of the starters playing longer from the beginning. The starting pitcher going for three innings and the field players going for four or five innings. Yes, some players aren’t going to get in the game at all, but hey, sometimes life is not fair. But is also not fair that the last guys got to play more than the starters. I think most people would rather see Derek Jeter and Chipper Jones on the field more anyways.
By the way, here’s a surprise: the American League won. Oh wait, no it’s not. The National League hasn’t won since gas 0.99 a gallon.
Well, it was a nice way to send out Yankee Stadium. The place deserved it. It’s played home to the best franchise in baseball history. And what’s reassuring, it that’s it replacement is going to avoid any corporate tag-lines and keep the same name. Now that’s another pure form of baseball.