That problem effects all of baseball not just the All Star Game. The main culprit is the star players earn 10 to 25 million dollars a year which has created a bunch of prima donas who could care less about time wasting events like All Star Games.
A good example was Milke Mussina who retired after the 2008 season, no doubt a superior pitcher who won 270 games in a career playing on winning teams but he never won a Cy Young award in 17 seasons in the bigs while cashing checks that added up to $144million and change during his career. His last All Star game was in 1999. There are many similar cases.
Look at the last several World Series - there hasn't been a game 7 since 2002 when The Angels beat the Giants (two Wildcard teams) Anaheim won game 7 behind John Lackey 4-1. Lackey has 95 career wins (4-4 this year) and earns $10M this season.
Blame Bud Selig if you want but teams with $150M and $200M payrolls force baseball to earn money anyway they can which is why the All Star Game is now an etravaganza with Home Run Derbys etc.
wil.
you guys sound like a bunch of old farts. true, we all long for the "good old days". things are never the same as they were 38 years ago. hot dogs were 50 cents, a subway ride was 35 cents, and a player that made 6 figures was a rich superstar. ballplayers made the same salary as the rest of us, many had to work in the off season, they were smaller and nicer. all the wonderful memories of coming home from day camp as a 10 year old when the world to me was baseball and camp, and nothing else was important. the world changes and our perceptions as middle age men with jobs and responsibilties change as well.
one can argue that the talent level these days is way higher than the good old days. bigger more athletic players, a huge woldwide talent pool, including tremendous contibutions from latin america have changed the game forever, not to mention steroids. but to trash these players for making money is silly. baseball generates hunderds of millions in revenue. would it be more fair if the fat, bloated talentless owners pocketed all this money when the players have the talent? true times have changed. but i think that the product we see on the field is top notch entetainment. i personally enjoy the hr hitting contest. when can you ever see fielder hitting 500 foot bombs over and over? maybe the rules can be tweaked for this exhibition, but how much would you old farts like to see reggie or aaron or guys like frank howard or boog powell or richie allen hit in a hr hitting contest? we'll never see how far these guys could really hit. maybe reggie would show you alot of 500 footers as well.:toast:
one can argue that the talent level these days is way higher than the good old days. bigger more athletic players, a huge woldwide talent pool, including tremendous contibutions from latin america have changed the game forever, not to mention steroids. but to trash these players for making money is silly. baseball generates hunderds of millions in revenue. would it be more fair if the fat, bloated talentless owners pocketed all this money when the players have the talent? true times have changed. but i think that the product we see on the field is top notch entetainment. i personally enjoy the hr hitting contest. when can you ever see fielder hitting 500 foot bombs over and over? maybe the rules can be tweaked for this exhibition, but how much would you old farts like to see reggie or aaron or guys like frank howard or boog powell or richie allen hit in a hr hitting contest? we'll never see how far these guys could really hit. maybe reggie would show you alot of 500 footers as well.:toast:
Home Run Derby is nothing new,
Home Run Derby was a television show pitting the top sluggers of Major League Baseball against each other in 9-inning home run contests. The show was produced and hosted by actor and Hollywood Stars broadcaster Mark Scott.
The series aired in syndication from April to October, 1960 and helped inspire the Home Run Derby event that is now held the day before the annual Major League Baseball All-Star Game and is televised on ESPN.
Participants.
Hank Aaron
Bob Allison
Ernie Banks
Ken Boyer
Bob Cerv
Rocky Colavito
Gil Hodges
Jackie Jensen
Al Kaline
Jim Lemon
Harmon Killebrew
Mickey Mantle
Eddie Mathews
Willie Mays
Wally Post
Frank Robinson
Duke Snider
Dick Stuart
Gus Triandos
Tom Saffell -- pitcher[2]
John Van Ornum -- catcher[2]
Venue choice
Scott noted that Wrigley Field in Chicago (the name of the stadium was never mentioned) was chosen to host the event because its fence distances were symmetrical and favored neither right-handed or left-handed hitters (although the left field wall was a few feet higher than the right field fence). It was also the only "true" baseball stadium in Los Angeles at the time that was available for offseason tapings. The Los Angeles Dodgers played at the Memorial Coliseum during 1958-1961, a site that, even if available, would have given an unfair advantage to right-handed batters.
Prizes
The winner received $2,000 and was invited back for the next week's episode against a new opponent. The runner-up received $1,000. If a batter hit three home runs in a row, he would receive a $500 bonus. A fourth home run in a row would be worth another $500 bonus. Any consecutive home runs hit beyond that would each be worth $1,000. Each show would end with the host presenting each player with their prize checks (beginning with the loser), and would award separate checks for consecutive home run bonuses. These were the real checks, not the jumbo "display" checks typically used today. For example, if the winner hit three homers in a row, they would receive one check for $2000 and another for $500 instead of one check for $2500. Also, as an incentive for throwing good home run hitting balls, the pitcher who threw the most pitches for home runs also received a bonus, according to the host.
Unlike more modern home run derbies, which usually award prizes in the form of charity donations to a player's choice of charity, the economic realities of the era meant that the cash prizes earned by the players on the show were a substantial income supplement.
Records
Hank Aaron held the record for most money won on Home Run Derby, winning $13,500. His run of 6 consecutive wins was ended by Wally Post, who was defeated in his next outing by Dick Stuart.
Jackie Jensen was the only player to hit 4 and 5 home runs in a row in the final episode. However, he lost 13-10 to Mickey Mantle.
Eddie Mathews and Duke Snider were the only left-handed batters to compete. Switch-hitter Mantle batted right-handed in the contests; he hit his legendary 565-foot home run in 1953 against the Washington Senators at Griffith Stadium from the right side. Mantle hit 372 homers left-handed in his career, and only 164 right-handed, presumably due to facing far more right-handed than left-handed pitchers. He chose to bat exclusively right-handed for this series, reiterating in the first episode that his longest home runs had come right-handed.
Demise:
Scott's straightforward play-by-play and interviewing style was described by ESPN's Chris Berman as "dry", but his style was not very different from many of the announcers of that era, straightforward and upbeat. He died in 1960 from a heart attack at the age of 45. Once Scott died, the producers decided not to replace him and the show was cancelled.
The entire Home Run Derby series is available on 3 DVDs that were issue during 2007. The entire series was also released as a DVD set in March 2008.
Amazon
Home Run Derby was a television show pitting the top sluggers of Major League Baseball against each other in 9-inning home run contests. The show was produced and hosted by actor and Hollywood Stars broadcaster Mark Scott.
The series aired in syndication from April to October, 1960 and helped inspire the Home Run Derby event that is now held the day before the annual Major League Baseball All-Star Game and is televised on ESPN.
Participants.
Hank Aaron
Bob Allison
Ernie Banks
Ken Boyer
Bob Cerv
Rocky Colavito
Gil Hodges
Jackie Jensen
Al Kaline
Jim Lemon
Harmon Killebrew
Mickey Mantle
Eddie Mathews
Willie Mays
Wally Post
Frank Robinson
Duke Snider
Dick Stuart
Gus Triandos
Tom Saffell -- pitcher[2]
John Van Ornum -- catcher[2]
Venue choice
Scott noted that Wrigley Field in Chicago (the name of the stadium was never mentioned) was chosen to host the event because its fence distances were symmetrical and favored neither right-handed or left-handed hitters (although the left field wall was a few feet higher than the right field fence). It was also the only "true" baseball stadium in Los Angeles at the time that was available for offseason tapings. The Los Angeles Dodgers played at the Memorial Coliseum during 1958-1961, a site that, even if available, would have given an unfair advantage to right-handed batters.
Prizes
The winner received $2,000 and was invited back for the next week's episode against a new opponent. The runner-up received $1,000. If a batter hit three home runs in a row, he would receive a $500 bonus. A fourth home run in a row would be worth another $500 bonus. Any consecutive home runs hit beyond that would each be worth $1,000. Each show would end with the host presenting each player with their prize checks (beginning with the loser), and would award separate checks for consecutive home run bonuses. These were the real checks, not the jumbo "display" checks typically used today. For example, if the winner hit three homers in a row, they would receive one check for $2000 and another for $500 instead of one check for $2500. Also, as an incentive for throwing good home run hitting balls, the pitcher who threw the most pitches for home runs also received a bonus, according to the host.
Unlike more modern home run derbies, which usually award prizes in the form of charity donations to a player's choice of charity, the economic realities of the era meant that the cash prizes earned by the players on the show were a substantial income supplement.
Records
Hank Aaron held the record for most money won on Home Run Derby, winning $13,500. His run of 6 consecutive wins was ended by Wally Post, who was defeated in his next outing by Dick Stuart.
Jackie Jensen was the only player to hit 4 and 5 home runs in a row in the final episode. However, he lost 13-10 to Mickey Mantle.
Eddie Mathews and Duke Snider were the only left-handed batters to compete. Switch-hitter Mantle batted right-handed in the contests; he hit his legendary 565-foot home run in 1953 against the Washington Senators at Griffith Stadium from the right side. Mantle hit 372 homers left-handed in his career, and only 164 right-handed, presumably due to facing far more right-handed than left-handed pitchers. He chose to bat exclusively right-handed for this series, reiterating in the first episode that his longest home runs had come right-handed.
Demise:
Scott's straightforward play-by-play and interviewing style was described by ESPN's Chris Berman as "dry", but his style was not very different from many of the announcers of that era, straightforward and upbeat. He died in 1960 from a heart attack at the age of 45. Once Scott died, the producers decided not to replace him and the show was cancelled.
The entire Home Run Derby series is available on 3 DVDs that were issue during 2007. The entire series was also released as a DVD set in March 2008.
Amazon
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MLB All star weekend is boring to me.
The HR derby has no appeal to me, i dont even know who win.
All star game is an exhibition baseball game. I dont like baseball that much to begin with so I wont watch.
the only all star weekend i like is NBA. Slam Dunk will be big time next year when lebron is in it, i like the skills competition and the 3 point shootout.
the actual nba all star game im not interested in. will be intriguing to see it at the dallas cowboys stadium though venue wise.
The HR derby has no appeal to me, i dont even know who win.
All star game is an exhibition baseball game. I dont like baseball that much to begin with so I wont watch.
the only all star weekend i like is NBA. Slam Dunk will be big time next year when lebron is in it, i like the skills competition and the 3 point shootout.
the actual nba all star game im not interested in. will be intriguing to see it at the dallas cowboys stadium though venue wise.
i know many many people that went down to HR derby last night...only a few of which are going to AS game tonight. Nobody was "forced" to the ballpark for the HR derby!
facts is...many people enjoy going to the festivities surrounding the MLB All Star game, especially this year, when it's in the best baseball city in America. MLB and host cities are making millions off of the fans going to this event. Very good for baseball...even though I've never been into it, there is plenty of interest with common baseball fans.
I am just looking forward to the great holiday.."Degenerate Day" on Wednesday. The only day the entire year where there is no major US sports game being played. Going to take the family to the park spread out a blanket, get some KFC, listen to the birds chirp, take a nap..@)
