Thoughts on the 2011 MLB All Star Game and Festivities
The All Star Game has come and gone and it was definitely a fun last couple of days. Monday was the Home Run Derby featuring 8 heavy hitters. It was really fun watching a Red Sox-Yankees final in the derby. Robinson Cano defeated Adrian Gonzales in the finals. Later on that evening was the Celebrity Legends Game featuring guys like Ricky Henderson, Luis Gonzales, Ozzie Smith, and Mike Piazza. A lot of these guys are in great shape and it’s always fun to watch them play. It’s a great tradition that never gets old.
As far the All Star Game itself, it was very one sided. The American League was at such a disadvantage because of that horrible rule. The rule being that if you pitch the Sunday before the game you cannot pitch. This rule needs to be thrown out the window for one reason and one reason only. Since this game has so much riding on it the best players need to be playing in this game no matter what the circumstances are. Look at all the pitchers the American League was missing because of the rules. The National League had the game handed to them on a silver platter.
I will tip my hat to Prince Fielder because he smashed a nice a three run homer to get himself the MVP. I really think he has stepped out of his father’s shadow and made a name for himself. I honestly think that he has become a better player then his old man ever was.
Speaking of former Tigers one of the highlights for me was watching a former Tigers pitcher Jair Jurrijens get out Miguel Cabrera and Jhonny Peralta in the game. I say this because Jurrijens is my favorite National League pitcher and I always tell people that the Tigers should have never gotten rid of him. If it weren’t for Halladay and Lee being in the National League Jurrijens would be a Cy Young shoe-in this year.
The last thing I am going to say is that if the best players cannot play due to a rule then World Series home field advantage should not be determined by this game. If anything, it should be determined by who has the better inter-league record. The All Star Game doesn’t mean anything if you have to replace half of the roster for a rule that shouldn’t exist. One inning isn’t going to kill a guy unless your Josh Beckett who already had an injury going into the game.
The league resumes play on Friday and the rumor mill will be going strong because the trade deadline is coming in three weeks. It will be interesting to see who gets dealt and what teams will make a push in the second half. Stay tuned for more as the deadline approaches.
