With the controversy of that last thread hopefully defused, I'd like to start a new thread that will go a lot better.

As we know, the MLB All-Star Game is a week and a half away, and most of us members have a rooting interest in either an A.L. team or an N.L. team.

What are your thoughts on the Midsummer Classic?

I lost what little interest I had in the All-Star game years ago.

I always love it. This year, Charlie is the NL manager. World Champions and the NL is going to win the game! Remember I told you that Chris, I'm calling it. I just think the All star game is great for the game. They just added a player to each roster this year, in case it goes to extras again.

I always love it. This year, Charlie is the NL manager. World Champions and the NL is going to win the game! Remember I told you that Chris, I'm calling it.

I actually do agree with that prediction; I see the N.L. ending their long losing streak.

Ironically, the last time they won an All-Star game was in, of all place, PHILLY!

Here's what was going on the last time the National League won an All-Star Game:

You know the logo and helmet design the Eagles have nowadays? 1996 was the year it was introduced.

The CoreStates Center- now the Wachovia Center- opened

The 76ers had just drafted Allen Iverson, who resuscitated the franchise

Have they announced the starting pitchers yet? I'd like to see Doc Halliday from the Toronto Blue Jays start for the American League.

I actually do agree with that prediction; I see the N.L. ending their long losing streak.

Ironically, the last time they won an All-Star game was in, of all place, PHILLY!

Here's what was going on the last time the National League won an All-Star Game:

You know the logo and helmet design the Eagles have nowadays? 1996 was the year it was introduced.

The CoreStates Center- now the Wachovia Center- opened

The 76ers had just drafted Allen Iverson, who resuscitated the franchise

Eric Lindros was on the Flyers still- in 1996! :lol:

yeah good observations......

do you think the score will be close, or a blow out?

Have they announced the starting pitchers yet? I'd like to see Doc Halliday from the Toronto Blue Jays start for the American League.

No the managers usually announce who the starter will be, a day or two before the game starts....so they can prepare.

The game is in St. Louis this year. I know Chris Carpenter won't be starting, so they better prepare for somebody else.

Thanks for the info Kyle.

Thanks for the info Kyle.

No problem man!

Marv, what happened to our beloved Blue Jays & Phillies-lol? Division leaders all the way, then it takes a turn for the worst. At least the Jays are still in contention and the Phillies are still technically in 1st place but my god :o .

I don't know what happened to the Phills but Toronto's problem is injuries. I think they have four starting pitchers currently on the D.L.

I don't know what happened to the Phills but Toronto's problem is injuries. I think they have four starting pitchers currently on the D.L.

The Phillies are just worn out, from a long season last year, and a crazy, up and down season so far in 2009. We have injuries as well, but it doesn't look good. If we can make it to the all star break and still be in 1st, it would be a true miracle :lol:.

I lost what little interest I had in the All-Star game years ago.
:yeahthat

Meh,

I lost interest in baseball since the Indians can't even get a good bullpen together. So the All-Star Game doesn't matter to me.

I lost what little interest I had in the All-Star game years ago.

Same here.

All 3 of you, why did you lose interest in the All star game?

I can see losing interest in a sport in general, but the all star game is nothing but fun for me. Just Curious guys.

I lost interest because I have lost interest in baseball in general, especially since the Reds, the team I followed religiously growing up, haven't gone to the World Series since 1990 and the playoffs since 1995. Of course, they kind of did go to the playoffs in 1999 for a one-game playoffs with the Mets and lost. Free agency has killed the sport (union thuggery at its worst!), as well as big corporations naming the stadia. Plus, the fact that the Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago White Sox are contenders has turned me off. Forget the Yankees, my passionate hatred for the Brewers and ChiSox has exhausted my emotions so much I don't have time to hate the "Bronx Bombers"!

The fact that that joke of a Commissioner Bud Selig started to use the result of the All-Star Game to determine home field advantage in the World Series only poured salt into the wound. Talk about change we CAN'T believe in! Like they say, if it ain't broke ...

Free agency has killed the sport (union thuggery at its worst!)

I think free agency is a good thing.

It allows a bad team to get better.

It sounds like you think the poor should get poorer.

The only reason I want to see the All-Star game is that I read that Pres. Obama is throwing out the first pitch. That will be so cool to see, if it's true!!!
When does it air? On Tuesday? Seems these games are always played on Tuesday. Or at least they used to be.

Andrea

All 3 of you, why did you lose interest in the All star game?

I can see losing interest in a sport in general, but the all star game is nothing but fun for me. Just Curious guys.

I'm just very bad following sports, especially baseball and football. The bread and butter teams in my city...even though they suck!

I think free agency is a good thing.

It allows a bad team to get better.

It sounds like you think the poor should get poorer.

A more appropriate term would be "redistribution of wealth." Look what it did to the Cincinnati Reds' "Big Red Machine" in the 1970s with Pete Rose and Tony Perez bolting. :( I'm sorry, but I like it when a player stays with one team his entire career like Hall of Famers George Brett, Ted Williams, and Carl Yastrzemski did instead of following the big money. It is easier for the fan to identify the player with one specific team.

The fact that that joke of a Commissioner Bud Selig started to use the result of the All-Star Game to determine home field advantage in the World Series only poured salt into the wound. Talk about change we CAN'T believe in! Like they say, if it ain't broke ...

Yeah Bud Selig is a TOOL. Game 5 Bud, Game 5. Philly phans hate you. Just wait for the Rays to score to postpone Game 5 of the WS last year. That makes sense! But yeah, the all star rule I like, but I don't like. I'm 50/50 on it counting, for who gets home field advantage in the WS. The ASG is for fans, but my only other solution I made up, to determine who gets Home field advantage in the WS that respective year is, whoever has the best record OVERALL in the majors gets it. Whoever has the better record overall in the regular season of the two teams that make it to the WS each year should get the advantage for home field in my mind. It makes the absolute most sense, and would be the only other (reasonable) thing to do.

James, I kinda agree, but only a little bit, and based on the fact that I like home grown talent. The Phillies have much of it, and I've fallen in love with the respective players, that happen to be home grown on top of it- Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Cole Hamels, Carlos Ruiz, Jimmy Rollins & Chris Coste. But, sports need free agency....as much as humans need water.

The only reason I want to see the All-Star game is that I read that Pres. Obama is throwing out the first pitch. That will be so cool to see, if it's true!!!
When does it air? On Tuesday? Seems these games are always played on Tuesday. Or at least they used to be.

Andrea

That's pretty cool. I think the president in his first year in office should throw it. Otherwise, each year, wherever city the game is going to be played in, that a player, past or present that is respected, and well represents the franchise, and is a very good player should throw it out. Example, this year the game is in St. Louis. Pujols fits the mold of what kind of player or people should throw it, but he's not been around long enough. I think Ozzie Smith, if Barack wasn't throwing it this year, should throw it. Jack Buck, if still alive to this day, would be another home grown candidate to throw it.

And yeah, the All star game is on a Tuesday this year. Tuesday, July 14th to be exact. The festivities and action starts at 8:00 pm EST, on channel FOX I believe. Yeah it's weird how it's not a day on the weekend, but I like it being on a weeknight.

I think the Phillies may have taken a giant step in climbing out of their slump.

They sweep the Mets.

I think the Phillies may have taken a giant step in climbing out of their slump.

They sweep the Mets.

this is the wrong thread to talk about, same sport....but I agree with you Chris!!!!

mets go back to NY all beat up, swept & we beat their best player, best pitcher and best competitor...and one of the best in the majors period...mr. johan santana...2-0, joe blanton outpitched him!!!! :crazy:

and I think Jimmy Rollins is back....whoo I'm so excited...the headlines read Manny Ramirez is back, but we got Scott Eyre back off the DL, Ibanez will be back within the next week or two, Condrey will be back in the next week...so I'm thinkin the headlines should read, the Phillies are back to contend as well...but that's just how I feel personally.

A more appropriate term would be "redistribution of wealth." Look what it did to the Cincinnati Reds' "Big Red Machine" in the 1970s with Pete Rose and Tony Perez bolting. :( I'm sorry, but I like it when a player stays with one team his entire career like Hall of Famers George Brett, Ted Williams, and Carl Yastrzemski did instead of following the big money. It is easier for the fan to identify the player with one specific team.


Very true... the other great thing about the All Star games from when I was growing up in the 70s was that you had career National Leaguers vs. career American Leaguers.

Year in and year out, you had National League all stars like Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan, Mike Schmidt, Tom Seaver, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Roberto Clemente, Willie Stargell and Bob Gibson trying to beat the holy crap out of American League all stars like Yaz, Rod Carew, Brooks Robinson, Harmon Killebrew, Thurman Munson, Jim Palmer, Catfish Hunter and Frank Robinson... for the most part, the same core group of players not only showed up every year, but, with few exceptions, always played in the same league. That's how real rivalries are created.

Even if guys today want to win the games, and I don't doubt that they do, you can't have a rivalry when you have guys switching back and forth between leagues every year. Curt Schilling is an all star with Philly and then Arizona, but then all of a sudden, he's a member of the AL All Star team as a Red Sox. Randy Johnson, same thing... several all star games with Seattle, then all of a sudden, he's a National Leaguer.... Pedro Martinez... all star with Montreal, then all of a sudden, from one year to the next, he's with the Red Sox as an all star.

It's also a joke the way the games are managed now. There have always been extra inning games, but it was never a problem having pitchers available... it used to be, if you made the team but didn't get into the game, well, tough, just be glad you were there. Now, EVERYONE HAS to play, so if the game goes into extra innings, the managers don't know what to do with the pitchers, and they've already used their pinch hitters.

I still watch the all star games, and I've enjoyed them for the most part, but regardless of what ESPN or MLB tries to tell us, there is no rivalry between the AL and NL all star teams any more. What they have now is the 1970s equivalent of choosing up sides before the game... "oh man, you had Pedro last year, we want him this time!!"

Very true... the other great thing about the All Star games from when I was growing up in the 70s was that you had career National Leaguers vs. career American Leaguers.

That reminds me of when I collected baseball cards. The figures on the back divided up their National League and American League statistics. I believe it was the Donruss brand that did this. With players changing leagues so much (although it did allow Ken Griffey, Jr., to go to the Reds, but I digress!), even one season, their stats for one league could be for like 20 seasons and the other league just one, making those statistical lines very funny looking!