The All Star Game will be more offensive
By
Major League Baseball just can’t keep its hands off the All Star Game. Although this glorified exhibition game “counts” for something, the powers-that-be have been tinkering with the format over the last few years. After the 2002 game ended in a tie, the All Star Game became the determining factor for home field advantage in the World Series, and the rosters expanded to ensure a deeper bench.
Today, MLB announced a new round of changes — including the universal DH no matter the home ballpark — that will be implemented this year when the game heads to Anaheim. The changes came out of the workings of the Commissioner’s Special Committee for On-Field Matters, and the Players Association has given them its blessings. They are as follows.:
- The designated hitter rule will now be utilized by both teams regardless of whether the All-Star Game is played in an American League or a National League ballpark. The National League’s starting DH will be selected by the N.L. All-Star manager, while the American League’s starting DH will continue to be selected via fan balloting.
- Any pitcher selected to an All-Star Team who starts a regular season game on the Sunday immediately preceding the All-Star Game will not be eligible to pitch in the All-Star Game and will be replaced on the roster. The pitcher who is ineligible to play in the All-Star Game will be recognized as an All-Star, will be welcome to participate in All-Star festivities and will be introduced in uniform.
- Rosters will be expanded from 33 players to 34 players, consisting of 21 position players and 13 pitchers. Last year’s 33-man rosters consisted of 20 position players and 13 pitchers.
- In addition to the existing injured catcher rule, one additional position player who has been selected to an All-Star Team will be designated by each All-Star manager as eligible to return to the game in the event that the last position player at any position is injured.
By and large, these rules seem to guard against the injury potential while also enhancing the entertainment value of the game. With pitchers no longer batting, AL managers aren’t forced into some awkward double-switch situations, and the reality is that fans would rather see a slugger rather than a weak-hitter pitcher come to the plate during the Midsummer Classic. Perhaps with some extra offense, the NL, winless since 1996, will have a fighting chance.
These recommendations are among the first in a series that should come from the Commission’s committee. Consisting of, according to USA Today, “Tony La Russa, Mike Scioscia, Jim Leyland and Joe Torre, eight current and former front-office executives and Hall of Famer Frank Robinson,” this group has already urged MLB to compress the playoff schedule, and the panel is set to release a longer report on the game last this year.
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/obligatory’d
I’m happy for the universal DH, though. The absolute last thing that I’d want to see happen at the ASG is a pitcher getting hurt while batting/baserunning.
actually, the absolute last thing I’d want to see would be a Yankee getting hurt. A random pitcher getting hurt would be pretty terrible, too.
The All Star Game will be more offensive
By Benjamin Kabak
It’s working, I’m offended already.
Heh, I had the same thought when I read the article’s title.
GMTA.
Get more tits and ass, friendo.
I usually do.
I have some friends who are fans of National League teams who would disagree with this statement.
They claim that the double-switch, et al., causes games to become more interesting because of the additional strategic decisions that must be made with a pitcher hitting.
I disagree, though.
I buy that argument for the regular season somewhat. I don’t buy it for the All Star Game.
I have never bought that argument. In my opinion it just gives managers an excuse to over-manage.
“Gee, should I put my 4th best reliever into the number 2 hole in the lineup spot because one of my regulars didn’t start today, or should I put him in the 8th spot because I have a better hitting but weaker fielding shortstop on the bench…”
STOP IT!
It really comes down to one’s individual opinion of what Real Baseball™©®* is.
If you are a fan of offense, you will be pro-D.H.; whereas, if your idea of a great game is a low-scoring, pitching-duel-type-affair, with lots of sacrificing and stolen bases, you will prefer to see the pitcher bat.
Having spoken to the aforementioned friends of mine, it is obvious that, if you are a fan of a National League team, the chances are over 90% that you like a National-League-style game, and if you are a fan of an American League team, you prefer the A.L. brand of baseball. What is amusing to me is the convoluted, or pure-emotion based, arguments you get when the proponents of one league or the other attempt to “prove” their league’s version of baseball is the Real, True version.
One of my favorite quotes, though I cannot recall the source, goes something like this:
*Real Baseball™©® is a derivative of True Yankee™©® Enterprises. All Rights Reserved.
+1, watching an awkward AB in the all-star game just doesn’t jive.
“..watching an awkward AB in the all-star game just doesn’t
jivejibe.”/friendly-help-out’d
They claim that the double-switch, et al., causes games to become more interesting because of the additional strategic decisions that must be made with a pitcher hitting.
Come to tonight’s Cardinals/Dodgers game with Joe Torre v. Tony LaRussa and watch all the heart-pumping, adrenaline-increasing managerial machinations!!!!
YOU’LL PAY FOR THE ENTIRE SEAT, BUT YOU’LL ONLY NEED THE EDGE!!!!!
+Infinity
Thank you for making me crack up in class, Tommie.
I give because I love.
By and large, these rules seem to guard against the injury potential while also enhancing the entertainment value of the game. With pitchers no longer batting, AL managers aren’t forced into some awkward double-switch situations, and the reality is that fans would rather see a slugger rather than a weak-hitter pitcher come to the plate during the Midsummer Classic.
Hopefully this is the first step towards the DH in both leagues. Selig’s all but admitting that it’s a more enjoyable form of baseball to watch by adopting the format for the sport’s premier fanfest baseball showcase.
If the NL gets the DH we can no longer laugh at them for being silly and putting their pitchers at risk. I don’t want to give that up.
We can still laugh at them for this:
http://www.google.com/images?h.....38;start=0
and this:
http://www.google.com/images?h.....38;start=0
and this:
http://www.google.com/images?h.....38;start=0
I actually kind of like the old school Astros uniforms. I think they’re kind of cute in an old-school way. I will forever laugh at the Diamondbacks and Padres, though. Oogly.
http://sportscasm.com/wp-conte...../colts.jpg
Only in Texas, folks.
I have the throwback Astros and Padres hats. I love them both.
Being a huge Dave Winfield fan, I will always love those God-awfully ugly Padres/Ray Kroc/McDonald’s uniforms.
I have a throwback Astro t-shirt somewhere around here. Three guesses whose it is!!!!!
Looking at those old-school Astros uniforms brings back memories of seeing my favorite-ever-baseball-player-name on a mid-70′s baseball card:
Joaquin Andujar.
Wow. This is pretty incredible. I thought it was the intention of this committee to abolish the DH altogether, and now they’re doing this. Hopefully this means the foot is in the door to finally have the
hopelessly second-ratebackwards National League adopt the DH as well. You know, they might actually win something then.Good work on the universal Dh, though it’s long overdue. I don’t understand why they didn’t add more pitchers though. Sure, you don’t want a million “all-star” pitchers, but what happens in extra innings? We ran into this issue a couple years ago and it has still not been addressed. Maybe have 1st team, and 2nd team allstars.
Maybe they introduce this with an eye toward gauging future response to switching the whole NL to the DH?
Anyone know how the process went down when the DH was first introduced to the AL?
Anyone know how the process went down when the DH was first introduced to the AL?
There was massive teeth gnashing, wailing, histrionics, and rioting in the streets.
George Will stabbed a guy.
Himself? Do us all a favor.
Can’t wait to watch the differences between the riots in Philly, St. Louis, & San Francisco.
ietcvvm.
When are they going to put the DH in the NL and reorganized all of MLB into conferences and geographic divisions like the NFL? Time to lose the archaic and essentially meaningless “League” differentiation.
Every other organized baseball division or league uses the DH. The only exception outside the NL is in the various Farm leagues when both parent teams happen to be NL teams – if either has an AL legaue parent they use the DH.
The war has been fought, the DH won – now let’s all play by the same rules.
Meh, I’ve got no real problem with the AL/NL system. I’d maybe like the eliminate divisions and just have the top four teams via record make the playoffs from each league.
It seems like the new DH rule creates a slight advantage for the NL. Off the top of my head, AL DHs are a group restricted to moderately priced ageing sluggers – Matsui, Vlad, Papi/Lowell. But the NL can choose its DH from the pool of second best 1B, 3B and OF, like Howard and Fielder. Then again, the NL hasn’t won since 1996.
Charlie Manuel will still put a pitcher in the DH spot.
Josh Johnson can hit!
Tony LaRusa would.
/20innings’d
Only if you make sure said spot is right behind Pujols
as long as they take a Padre pitcher and put him in the game the AL will win.
Inter-league play does not bear that out – the AL still holds the edge in games played with the DH. (Too lazy to look for the numbers)
There’s a logical fallacy in your argument. Regular-season NL teams aren’t built with a DH in mind, but in the All Star game, having the DH means that Albert Pujols and, say, Ryan Howard or Prince Fielder can both be in the starting lineup at the same time. That’s a big advantage over using the pitcher.
Or Pudge Rodriguez
/SSS’d
I like the DH as well. It let’s the old guys play too!
It gave me an extra outfielder spot on the All-Time Yankees team, allowing me to put Feared Williams in there.
Who got the axe?
My list would have;
#3 in RF
#5 in LF (although he played great CF)
#7 in CF
#44 as DH (as he sucked as an OF)
Williams & Maris are close though…hmmm
Bernie’s likely my fourth OF. OR you could start Dickey/Berra at catcher and use the other at DH with Reggie and Bernie as bench OFs. Oh snap.
Reggie got the axe.
Bernie’s 16 years >>>>>>>>>> Reggie’s 5 years.
Furthermore:
Bernie’s 5 year peak (.325/.411/.548 147+ in CF from 1997-2001) >>>>> Reggie’s 5 years in pinstripes (.281/.371/.526 148+ in RF/DH)
Reggie’s WAR in NYY: 16.9
http://www.baseballprojection......ckr001.htm
Bernie’s WAR from 1997-2001: 26.8
http://www.baseballprojection......llb002.htm
Anyway to compare Reggie’s UZR (don’t think this data is available) or rating with the leather with Hawpe’s?
Just wondering who was the worst RF I had the pleasure to watch (Hawpe has a better gun though).
I don’t know, but that would be nice.
Good points.
Bernie had the same clutch gene in the fall classics as well.
I’m alright with trading in a few candy bars and fur coats for a guitar.
The question is:
Once the NL switches to the DH, how will the Junior Circuit be able to maintain that youthful “edge?”
Suggestion: Hitters continue to wield the bat as they run the bases.
That…or rocketboots.
If you asked me to name the four managers I would least like to have making decisions about the rules of baseball, those four would probably be amongst the first 10 I named.
The tie game was the 2002 All-Star game not 2003. Pretty sure Torre and Brenly were the managers, and since their teams played the 2001 Series they would’ve managed the following year.
Bud Selig is the biggest smacker on the face of the earth. Rosters should be 25 men per league. So freaking keep some players in the entire game. They won’t break.
No. Pass. Terrible idea. It’s the All Star Game. Who wants to see some team’s clean-up hitter get injured at a glorified exhibition game? Not worth the risk by a long shot.