I don't see an All-Star Game thread, so I figured I'd start one. I have to say, I'm normally totally against the ASG. I don't have a problem with any player saying "Thanks but no thanks." It's at least a 162 game season for the guys picked. Right smack in the middle they get an opportunity to take few days to go home, hit the tropics, whatever. I'd do it too. It's a nice recharge to gear up for the coming races to the finish line. I'm tired of hearing about how Jeter should be there, or how there have never been so many selections to the game. Buster Olney has crusaded to eliminate guys who aren't going to show from getting on the ballot. He refused to answer when I asked him why a player who gets a bonus for being selected should choose to take his name off the ballot. On another topic, the home run derby was fantastic. What a show by Gonzalez and Cano. I despise the Sox, but I was thoroughly impressed with AGonz last night. Those two have the sweetest swings I've seen since Griffey Jr. was in his prime. Smooth and powerful. It was fun to watch.
I don't understand why. Maybe a pitcher I can see the argument with, but not an everyday position player. Three days is a long time to rest and heal an aching body. Personally, I would rather see the All Star game after the World Series. Give the whole league 3 days off in the middle, then do the ASG festivities a couple of days after the World Series, like the Pro Bowl used to do. Any non-essential game during a season makes no sense to me. And all the leagues are now doing it. Why risk injury in a game that is meaningless (regardless of the "it counts" garbage) when you can instead take a few days off with your family?
I couldn't imagine the excrucuating pain these guys cope with standing in sunny fields and swinging a bat a couple dozen times a month
Because nobody cares about baseball (unless you are watching Major League)... it is just something to occupy the summer.
Look, I get it. I'm usually the guy who says these guys don't appreciate what they have (in all sports). In this case though, it's a vacation from the aches and pains of daily strains on the body. It's hard to argue they don't hurt, considering just how many injuries there have been this year around the sport. I didn't see it. Is it with him with his arms out? That was pretty fun to watch. He was pumped up. I thought it was even better to see him and his father hug. I'd give just about anything to have my father throw a pitch to me, especially in the home run derby. I don't think it will. Long advised him before he went to swing like it was a particular drill they do. Besides, it's not like he was hitting a ton of homers before. He, like Gonzalez, is just an amazing hitter. Well, I care. Honestly, these days I care about baseball far more than football. I love the Jets, but this whole strike/lockout thing is pissing me off the same way the baseball strike did almost 20 years ago. It took me a decade and a half to forgive baseball. I'm just hoping the NFL does pull the deal off this month and no games are lost, otherwise football might lose me like baseball did.
No one is a fan of this lockout but I seriously can't understand how someone would get angry at a sport for inconveniencing their life a few months. Besides, free agency is going to be wild once they sign this thing in about a week's time.
I can't believe people/media are making a big deal about players not going to the ASG. I'd much rather have my teams' players rest up than play in this game. If Jeter showed up and played all we'd be hearing about is how he didn't deserve to be there.
You mean everyone cheating for those 20 years wasn't a turn off? Baseball is dead to me until every last cheater (and those letting them get away with it) has retired (or resigned). Only then can baseball really matter in my mind. I can understand and easily get passed money squabbling, but cheating? Once a cheater, always a cheater.
I think people are mad at Jeter because he won't be there after being the first Yankee to reach 3k hits. He blew off Bob Shep's funeral with a bullshit excuse about being caught in traffic from a lethal accident. This is probably more of the same, he paid some media dues this past weekend and probably decided to stay home, bang his girlfriend, and have a party. These guys don't owe us anything, but they should. If it weren't for the fans and the kids idolizing them/him with pinstriped #2 jerseys and navy blue yankee fitteds then their lifestyle wouldn't exist. Like I said before, they get tens/hundreds of millions of dollars to stand in a field, jog a bit, swing a bat, and travel. Then they bang the hottest broads in the world and win a bunch of championships if they're on a team that's dominant. I would take that career for 40k a year, let alone $15,000,000 a season. People pay good money to go to these home run derbies and all star festivities, and they go to see the guys they voted in -- the faces of the league. Instead they all fuck off and stay home so a bunch of reserves can play.
Yeah, I overstated a bit I guess. I think my frustration so far has been all the media attention paid to it. It doesn't help that this is the first labor squabble where there have been so many sources to see it (web, tv, social media, news outlets). I'll forgive in a heartbeat if no regular season games are lost though. (I'm still irritated at the outright greed from both sides though. Fans are dead broke and these guys are arguing over how to split a few billion.) That's true too. All throughout the voting people were whining about Jeter (who was on the DL at the time) leading the voting. Then he makes it and the same people whine that the guy they thought shouldn't be there isn't going. Which is exactly why the game should be played after the season. Then anyone who makes an excuse without legit medical reasons is a douche and deserves whatever crap he gets.
You're fucking delusional if you think the players in NFL are clean. To the topic at hand, I briefly considered making a thread, but then I remembered the ASG is boring as fuck and is totally meaningless in the long run. Home field dosen't mean shit, ask Texas.
Arms out, bat in his left hand, huge Cano grin like he's a little kid who just won a lifetime supply of ice cream, and "American" in large ironic letters across the front of his jersey. Pretty fucking cool.
Pretty sure Michael Cuddyer forgot to mention Alex Avila. Skipped right over him. And the announcers say "well done" :lol:
Already two guys thrown out at the plate and a guy caught stealing (Berkman, although he beat the throw. lost contact with the base). 3-1 nl
