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Damian: All-Star Game Tie No Problem
There should be no controversy surrounding the 2002 All-Star Game ending in an 11-inning tie. The television, radio, newspapers, and Internet media outlets are blowing this ending out of proportion. It was only a day before the “mid-summer classic” that sportswriters and radio show hosts were complaining about how boring the All-Star Game has become in recent years, since it is not a “competition” anymore. Now, they are complaining because the exhibition game was shortened.
It is true, Major League Baseball -- run by Bud Selig -- promoted the game as a fiery match-up of today’s hungry lions. It is true that MLB sold the game as an important event that had to be watched. Some people defend the fans’ “outrage” by saying they can’t be faulted for buying into this notion that the game is more than a friendly exhibition -- that it actually matters who wins and who loses. I say “buyer beware”. All of a sudden fans feel cheated because they wasn’t a “winner”. Okay, if it is so important, could anyone tell me which teams won for the last five years? They can’t. Because no one really cared who won.
The players were relaxed, and seemed genuinely happy to be there. There were Hall-of-Famers being honored in the pre-game ceremonies. Managers Joe Torre and Bob Brenly wanted all of their guys to get in there and play; those All-Stars were voted by the fans, and the managers were not at fault for trying to get everyone an at-bat. Back in the early days of All-Star Game play, there was much more of a rivalry between the National and American Leagues. In fact, most of the guys never played against each other before. Now, with interleague play, free agency, and the elimination of league presidents, there isn’t a competitive fire between the two leagues. It is simply an exhibition showcasing popular baseball players. It is impossible to make the game more than a friendly exhibition game. Commissioner Bud Selig was mistaken when he said that the rosters need to be expanded. All that will do is force the managers to squeeze more guys in the game. Selig, who for some reason happens to be one of the most pessimistic and negative authority figures walking around, declared that this would never happen again. It is unnecessary to make new rules to prevent a tie exhibition game. If anyone is at fault, it is Selig for not seeing that the rosters were being depleted in the 9th inning and the score was still matched evenly. He did not act swiftly enough. It seems crazy, but sometimes I feel that Selig purposely sabotages baseball. This is the man who cancelled the World Series in 1994, the first person in line to moan about the competitive imbalance in baseball, the man who wants to contract franchises, and the businessman who owns the Milwaukee Brewers (through his daughter) and doubles as the Commissioner. But I digress. People should have more important things to complain about than a “fan-fest” game that ended in a tie after 11 innings. Like how George Bush is running this nation…. |
