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Having watched the last of the MLB All Star game, I was very
disappointed in how it ended. Afterwards I started to think
about it for awhile. I tried to decide if the game was for everyone
to have a chance to play before their fans or is it NL vs AL
for winners bragging rights.
I think it was more for bragging rights before interleague
play. Now suppose the NL wins the All Star game but the AL wins
70% of the interleague games - bragging rights start to get
more complicated and not as interesting. So nowadays it seems
more for the fun of competing and giving all the players a chance
to be seen on the field. With that being said, I don't have
a problem with a tie.
I do have a problem with how it ended. They knew before the
game the managers were going to try to play all the players.
Thus that meant that in extra innings they would run out. I
also agree with not over using players from another managers
team out of respect for that teams chances at winning games
that matter. Couldn't they then have set an inning cap before
the game started?
If nothing else don't announce in the middle of the inning
that this is it. That was unfair to the AL. It could have provided
a little more incentive to the AL batters in the top of the
inning. Instead they should have made the decision at the start
of the 12th and announced it then so both teams would have the
same knowledge when their time at the plate was due.
Hopefully they will decide for next year what they are playing
for and, if necessary, set a cap before the game or at least
at the beginning of an inning depending on player usage by the
managers. I like the idea of just having the commissioner calling
it at the beginning of one of the extra innings depending on
player usage. That will add a little extra strategy to the managing
of the game. If one manager wants to showcase, he can. And if
the other, wants to play to win he can then keep a pitcher in
reserve and force the other manager to overextend. This way
the managers can play the way they feel their fans most want
them to.
Couldn't they still have awarded an MVP to whoever most helped
keep their team from losing?
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