"This one counts"...yea or nay?

[brewtown82]

I say nay. It's too one-sided, it just seems arbitrary, and the players who benefit from the rule almost never have anything to do with the outcome. The All-Star game is supposed to be a show. It should be 12-10, not 4-3. And nobody should have home field because of it.

[trwi7]

I agree. At the very least, if you are going to make it for home field advantage, at least take the best players and not have the rule where one player from every team has to go.

[DougJones43]

You're exactly right that it's an exhibition game, and should therefore be a show. This rule was a result of a massive overreaction to the tie in 2002. I still really don't understand why people were so upset about game ending in a tie, but the outrage and declarations that it was an "embarrassment" directly led to this silly stipulation.

 

Nay.

[The Truth]

I enjoyed the game. It was about (mostly) great pitching

[Jay Zahn]

Yea. The old method for assigning the winner was rotational anyway, so nothing lost. It seriouses up the All-Star game a bit, which is good. Otherwise it was going to turn into a goof-off farce like all other all-star games. They used to play them all more serciously, but then they used to play preseason football seriously too.

[nate82]

I don't really care but there should be a DH no matter what. I don't want to see a pitcher hitting ever again at the All Star game.

[Diskono]

I can't think of any better ideas. Deciding home field by team record doesn't work, because there are so few common opponents. Record against common opponents would be ok, but most years there won't even be any. The All-Star game is better than flipping a coin IMO.

[TSack27]

Nay. I'd like it to be based upon regular season records ("These 162 Games Count").

 

I'm OK with the All-Star game being an exhibition. During the Brewers down years, all I had to look forward to in those games was hoping for a late inning appearance by the Brewers' lone representative. How many guys got selected but where never seen by their fans last night? One of the MLB Network guys pointed out Cleveland's lone representative being intentionally walked because they were managing to win the game... but if you were managing to win the game, then why not go all the way and have your megastars play more than a few innings (Braun still may not be a Cameron-esque left fielder, but having a RF play LF late in the game seems to have lead to the game being decided on a bad route on the Granderson triple)?

 

More deserving guys don't get selected because of their pitching availability or the requirement that each team needs to be represented (how does that jive with the "this game matters" philosophy? and do players still get contract bonuses for all-star selections... if so, you'd think the questionable final (non)selections would have some beef?)

 

If this is really just because they are embarassed about the 2002 tie, how about a hockey style shoot-out to break a tie - each team sends up three guys for three swings - homerun derby style? Or for the more traditionalists, couldn't a few of those extra spots they keep adding just be designated as "alternate" pitchers that would only appear in the event of extra innings?

[sheethead]

Yea. Until MLB figures out a way to balance the schedule, I am fine with the ASG determining home field in the WS. Like others have said, an inflated record due to playing so many games in a weak division should not net a shot at home field advantage anymore than the 50/50 outcome of the ASG. Granted the AL has not lost for 12 or so years, but it is still a 50/50 game in my book.

[JohnBriggs12]

The game itself was pretty much a bore as usual though it did move along faster than normal. If you miss the pregame stuff, you miss the show.

[sheethead]

If you miss the pregame stuff, you miss the show.

 

I agree, the All-Star among us segment was so riveting I missed the first two innings because I was sleeping.

[Invader3K]

I don't know...I'm kind of indifferent to whether it should count or not. I think it's better than just having it alternate NL/AL like they used to.

[ClubLevel]

I think HFA should be determined by the cumulative league records in interleague play. So for example if the AL "wins" interleague play with a 120-98 record during the season, they get HFA. Those games "count".

[MarquesJohnson2000]

I say nay.

 

There will always be common opponents because each team will have played interleague games. I don't think it's a good method for determining home field, but it's not impossible to do it that way.

 

The rotation between leagues never bothered me, I wouldn't object to using that method again.

[RockCoCougars]

Yea. I got really tired of all these guys cooking up injuries so they could take a short vacation to Miami beach to miss the game. It was starting to get ridiculous for a couple of years there. Now they are pressured to play somewhat, which is a good thing.

[MJLiverock]

I don't really care but there should be a DH no matter what. I don't want to see a pitcher hitting ever again at the All Star game.

I hadn't thought of it but yeah they should just assign a DH spot for the pitcher, nobody wants to see the hit and are most likely going to be pinch hit for anyway.

 

I don't have a problem with awarding home field advantage as a result of the game, the other deciding ways will be somewhat arbitrary anyway, either rotational, or best record (when the obviously don't play the same the schedule), or interleague results. None are perfect and all have flaws so why not make the All Star game mean something.

[TooLiveBrew]

Nay.

 

The idea that 'this one counts' has to be my least favorite Selig implementation.

[CheezWizHed]

How about diverting HFA completely by playing game 7 at a neutral site? Granted, you still have to figure out where to start the series...

[endaround]

Since Game 7s happen only rarely it wouldn't work. Too much effort to pre-plan something like that. Now having the first game at a neutral site could work. The big problem with that is that all the likely sites (San Diego, Phoenix, Miami, Dallas, Los Angeles) have major league teams.

[davego]

I like the inter-league option, but don't hate this all-star gimmick that much. Always having a DH is an excellent idea. Now that the rosters are 33(?) I don't think fans voting for 8 players really hurts the game much. While some players may not care about the game, I suspect since baseball is a pretty individual activity (and the attention that comes with it) players "try" when it's their turn. Just would seem to be the nature of athletes at this level.

[nate82]

The NL this year would have had a perfect lineup for the DH this year with 4 1B on the team. The DH should be in the All Star game all the time I just don't see the reason why the pitcher needs to hit in the all star game.

[Tbadder]

I don't get the All-Star game at all and would like to see it disappear. I'd also like to shorten the season (154) games. No Wildcards. Then we wouldn't have to play baseball in the snow.

[Diskono]

The NL this year would have had a perfect lineup for the DH this year with 4 1B on the team. The DH should be in the All Star game all the time I just don't see the reason why the pitcher needs to hit in the all star game.

But all pitchers had only one PA combined last night. I'd think say that having the pitchers "bat" in the All-Star game would create more pinch hit opportunities for other players, if anything.

[TabbertBB]

Since 2003 it has been 3-3 for the World Series winner.

2003- Florida

2004- Boston

2005- Chicago White Sox

2006- St.Louis Cardinals

2007- Boston

2008- Philadelphia

 

so does the HFA really matter?

[nate82]

I don't get the All-Star game at all and would like to see it disappear. I'd also like to shorten the season (154) games. No Wildcards. Then we wouldn't have to play baseball in the snow.

If you don't have the wild card then you have to return to the 2 division format or go into a 4 division format. There is no way that there is going to be anymore realigning in MLB for awhile now at least. The All-Star game is for the fans and the majority of people who watch baseball and are just sports fans wouldn't want it gone plus the MLB wouldn't want to lose a money maker like the Home Run Derby and the All-Star game. So the All-Star game is here to stay if you don't like it don't watch it simple as that.

 

But to reiterate I wouldn't want to go back to hte 2 division format again. The Brewers would never be able to compete against the Cubs, Mets, Phillies, and the Braves. Those would be the top 3 teams in the NL division 1 and you know darn well that the Brewers would be stuck competing against those four teams and don't forget the Cardinals who could also be in that division. There is no way I would want to return to the 2 division format again baseball would become non competitive again.