Four Complaints About Major League Baseball's All Star Game

Is the Major League Baseball (MLB) All Star Game worth watching? I know I won't be tuning in on purpose. If I happen to catch a little bit of the game while channel-surfing, so be it. What makes this game so unwatchable for me as a fan? It's a strange mixture of irrelevance and undue importance.

The irrelevant portion of the MLB All Star festivities is due to players pulling out of the MLB All Star Game due to injuries (which I don't think has happened yet this year), fan voting for starters, and the requirement that all teams have at least one representative.

The undue importance portion is a result of the rule granting the All Star Game's winning league home field advantage in the World Series.

Here are my biggest complaints with Major League Baseball's All Star Game, along with a special comment regarding MLB's Home Run Derby.

MLB All Star Game Complaint #1 - Phantom Injuries

So far, this is not a problem for this year's All Star Game. But, more and more, in baseball (and other sports) it seems that some of the superstar players find a way to avoid playing in the All Star Game. This is a disservice to the fans and reeks of self-importance. Sure, some players really are injured and can't compete.

MLB All Star Game Complaint #2 - Fan Voting

While fan voting is good to help keep baseball fans interested and engaged, you get some head-scratching results. This year, the two who come to mind are Kosuke Fukudome of the Chicago Cubs and Ichiro Suzuki of the Seattle Mariners. Fukudome is having a nice first year in American baseball, but he really doesn't have All Star numbers. Suzuki is obviously a great player, but I'm not sure he's having an All Star year either.

MLB All Star Game Complaint #3 - Representation Requirement

This complaint has not been an issue for this year's MLB All Star Game. This complaint and complaint #4 are unique to major league baseball. None of the other major sports require that every team have at least one representative in the All Star Game. Unlike years past, I don't disagree with any of the players put in the All Star Game as a result of this rule. I'm sure next year will be a different story.

MLB All Star Game Complaint #4 - World Series Home Field Advantage for Winning League

Let's be honest here... This rule is an overreaction to the 2002 All Star Game debacle that ended in a tie. It's a stupid rule in baseball and it is going to hurt a deserving team in the World Series one of these days.

Imagine this scenario. The Cubs and White Sox make it to an historic World Series confrontation (it's a dream, OK?). Although the White Sox have only two representatives on the American League All Star team (and the Cubs have seven on the National side), if the National League wins Major League Baseball's All Star Game, the White Sox will not have the home field advantage for the World Series. Now again, let's imagine that these two teams make it to a deciding game seven in the World Series. The White Sox would be playing at Wrigley because of an idiotic overreaction. Home field advantage should be based on record during the regular season. That's the only method that makes sense.

As for the Home Run Derby portion of the All Star festivities, we have Ryan Braun, Chase Utley, Dan Uggla, Lance Berkman, Grady Sizemore, Josh Hamilton and two players to be named later... Some of these guys are young studs who are becoming star players. But, there are no superstars in this mix. The Home Run Derby is becoming the NBA Slam Dunk contest. Just a few years back in 2002 I remember being at Miller Park to watch Giambi and Sosa hit bomb after bomb.

The game is at soon-to-be torn down Yankee Stadium and Alex Rodriguez is not in the contest? It just doesn't seem right.

Major League Baseball should do itself a favor and review some of its All Star Game processes. I know not all of my complaints would be solved, and maybe not all of them should be (fan voting). But, right now, it's so frustrating that I won't watch the MLB All Star Game. Maybe, I'm alone in that sentiment, but I'm guessing I'm not. If I'm not alone, it will be interesting to see what kind of ratings this year's All Star Game gets.