With increased access to multitude forms of entertainment, brands need to create new and exciting products, or find ways in which to make their older products viable in this new market. Therefore, it makes sense that Major League Baseball has tried to reinvent their All-Star Game (ASG) the past few seasons. I applaud Bud Selig for doing this and trying to make the ASG mean something again – even if it did take a tie game to spur him into action. I think that making the winning league of the All-Star game gain home field advantage in the World Series made the players more interested in the game. Having the fans vote in an extra All-Star was also a nice addition. Finally, the new approach to the Home Run Derby helped to add a fresh take on the event. Why stop there though? There are at least two other changes that could help create a better ASG.
Move the Game to Wednesday
Having the winning league of the game gain home field advantage in the World Series was a great move. Yet, many players, especially pitchers are missing the game for reasons other than injury. Having the All-Star Game on Tuesday means that pitchers that pitched on Saturday cannot pitch in the game, which does not seem like a big problem. It is, however, since the list of pitchers that were not available for this reason this year included CC Sabathia, James Shields, Justin Verlander, Felix Hernandez, Cole Hamels, and Matt Cain. That is an amazing starting five to miss such an important game, especially with the Yankees, Phillies, Giants, and Rays all vying for postseason spots. Would the NL have won so easily if Sabathia, Shields, Verlander, and Hernandez were on the AL’s roster? I’m not sure, but it would have been a much more interesting game.
The solution to this problem is simple. Move the game to Wednesday. This would give the pitchers that pitched on Saturday the extra day of rest needed and would allow them to pitch an inning or two at the All-Star Game. This means the fans get to see more great players and would increase the value of the product on the field.
Speed Challenge
During the All-Star Game we have the Home Run Derby, usually reserved for the power hitters, but not always (Rickie Weeks anyone). What about the ‘little’ guys, who bang out singles and doubles and create mayhem on the base path, I want something for them. I enjoy watching home runs as much as anyone else, but I also think it is exciting to see a player fly around the bases stretching singles to doubles, or beating out a ground ball for a base hit. The NBA All-Star Game has the dunk contest, the 3-point contest, and the skills competition, which helps to showcase different aspects of basketball. I want to do something like this for baseball.
My idea would be to have the six quickest players in the All-Star Game line up and compete against each other. Each player would have ten outs to accumulate a maximum of four hits. Home runs would count as outs, as well as foul balls. There would be three infielders, two outfielders, a pitcher and catcher. Anytime a ball is hit into play, without being caught in the air, the hitter would race around the base path and accumulate the most bases they could before they are ‘out’. To avoid injuries, being out would constitute the ball reaching the pitcher (yes, for those well versed in yard baseball, this is better known as pitcher’s poison). The top two base getters would move onto the final round. During the final round there would be two outfielders, and one infielder, along with a catcher and pitcher. Each player gets one hit to run around the bases. The player with the most bases wins. If there is a tie, then they keeping going hit for hit, until one player accumulates more bases.
These are just two ways in which the All Star Game could be improved. Feel free to add your own improvements or to disagree with mine.