This past week was the end to Major League Baseball's first-half and is being capped off this week with the ceremonial All-Star Week. The festivities are taking place in St. Louis at the new Busch Stadium. They began Sunday with the futures game, continued Monday with the Legends & Celebrities Softball Game followed by the Home Run Derby and wrapped up by the game on Tuesday. MLBs All-Star Week is not unique, as every other sport also showcases their talent with an exhibition game, but there are several things that distinguish this game from the rest. The festivities preceding the game, the venue and the actual game make this All-Star Week the best in sports.Sure the festivities surrounding the NBA receive much more publicity and may even be more widely watched but they fall short of what the Bigs provide. In Detroit a few years back Bobby Abreu participated in the Home Run Derby and hit a record 23 home runs in his opening round. That set the record, it may not have been a record like Joltin' Joe's 56 game hit streak, but still a record. A record that is until Josh Hamilton came along of course. Hamilton hit 28 home runs in round 1 showing the world why the home run derby reigns supreme. Sure Dwight Howard jumped high and far but Hamilton did the hardest thing in sports, hit a baseball, 28 times, really really far.
'Nothing beats a day at the old ballpark.' That's how the cliche goes and it without a doubt rings true, especially when the day you go it happens to be for the All-Star Game. The week showcases a stadium unlike any of the other major sports. The NFL provides a great Hawaiian vacation for its players but does very little else as far as the game's venue is concerned. The NBA and NHL simply do not have the facilities to compare to the cathedrals that are Major League stadiums. These cathedrals often come with great views of their home city, for example this year just past right center St. Louis's Arch is seen. There are also the tons of different unique attributes each stadium has, like the Ferris wheel in Detroit. Then there is the history, which was summed and displayed last year in New York at Yankee Stadium.On top of all the rest, the actual game play in this All-Star games is far superior to that played in any other sport. In those other games you get nothing but offense, which is exciting but at the same time extremely sloppy. In this game you actually do get defense and all out effort from those playing in the game. Just think back to Milwaukee when Barry Bonds hit a towering fly ball to center thinking it was a home run, only to have it brought back by then Twins centerfielder Torii Hunter. Or watch Tuesday when AL and NL starters Roy Halladay and Tim Lincecum are hurling fastballs in the mid to high 90s.
Whether it counts or not this All-Star game is the only one not only worth watching but that actually lives up to the hype. And unlike any other sport fans from every city have at least one player to cheer for, even those fans in Washington.
1 comment:
The all-star game itself is the worst out of any sport. im going to have to disagree respectfully of course. but how on earth, when these teams play 162 games, can one game, decide who gets a huge advantage for the most important series of their lives? not only is this one game a joke, fans who know nothing about baseball, and vote for players based on popularity should be enough reason to make the game an exhibition rather than a must win game. there is also another reason why this game should not count. you have a rule in place that states one player from each team must participate. well, why should a guy who doesnt even qualify to be there in the first place, probably on the shittiest team in baseball, have a chance to maybe decide the outcome a home field advantage. an all-star game is about show casing the best of the bests talents. not trying to make it something more than it really isnt. i do however understand the concept of trying to make the game competitive, and fun for the fans to watch, but auctioning off home field advantage is just plain stupid. the exact same thing could be done for the home run derby. why not have the winner of that be the winner of home field advantage for his league. its just as idiotic. but makes just as much sense.
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