Marlin Maniac RTD: Miami Marlins Trades, All-Star Choices

Should the All-Star Game “count”? 

Sean Millerick:  Of course not. Ending in a tie is ridiculous, but just expand the roster by a spot. Have fans vote in an extra starting pitcher, or better yet, allow for one of the young guns in the Futures Game to enter if the roster gets thin in an undecided game. Fans don’t care about baseball’s All-Star Game because “it counts”.  They care because, more than any of the other major sports, baseball lends itself to the entire premise of an All-Star Game actually being compelling to watch.

David Marcillo:  Absolutely, unequivocally, eternally NO. The All-Star Game is an exhibition game that requires plenty of written rules like “every team gets a player” and unwritten rules like “pitchers can’t go more than two innings” which makes it not a normally-competitive baseball game. If it counts, then the two best teams should play against each other without fan votes, roster restrictions, or playing time restrictions. That wouldn’t be nearly as fun to watch. Having the All-Star Game count is ridiculous. The team in the World Series with the best record should have home field advantage. Same record? Then maybe the team with the best Interleague record. Still the same? Team with the most runs scored. Fewest runs allowed. Plenty of “if-then” scenarios, but all of them make more sense than, “the team whose league won the exhibition game three months ago.”

Eddie Noy:  It hardly “counts” now. The extent that an extra home game means much in baseball is certainly debatable. But for what it’s worth, for the reasons listed under question four, no – it should not count. The All Star Game should be a fun showcase for the game’s biggest stars (Trout, Harper, Sir. Stanton, Kershaw, St. Jose, Big Papi, et al.), not the corporate ad-rush beneath a ridiculous veneer of this-time-it-counts. I want to see some jacks, not be subjected to Ned Yost making 47 reliever changes, or googling the double switch. 

Alert Reader Answer:  ASG shouldn’t count. Best regular season record between the two pennant winners should get home-field advantage in the WS. None of the major sports’ ASGs need to “count”. Baseball doesn’t get ratings as it is anymore. Making the ASG “count” isn’t going to make an average baseball fan watch it.

That’s it for this week.  Remember to find us at Marlin Maniac on The Facebook, or @MarlinManiac on Twitter if you have any questions you’d like us to tackle; we might even publish your answer as well, if you share them.