This Time, It Shouldn't Count

She's mad about this, too.  Easy, Madam Attorney General.

I actually had a different topic lined up for the first article not written by Janet Reno in awhile, especially since I have absolutely no interest in the MLB All-Star game or the 2011 Home Run Derby presented in crystal clear, high quality HD by State Farm.  Fun for the young fans, not the 30 somethings and up.  Unless you're in Vegas, then I'd gamble on it.

Anyways, watching Sportscenter this morning and came across this little nugget of a stat...



The home team has won 20 of the last 25 World Series.

That's 80%, for those scoring at home.  Who scores at home, anyways?  This may not seem surprising, and it's not to me, either.  So it's only fair that the team with the best record in baseball earns this privledge, right?  Just like all the other sports, right?  Of course not!  Bud Selig, in all his stupidity (now seriously considering a second wild card team... stupid), has long since declared that the winner of the Summer Classic will determine home field advantage.

Sign up your kids.  Free LL endorsement!



Yeah, I know this is old news, but doesn't that stat piss you off a little bit?  If you're a Phillies or Red Sox fan, do you really want your fate partially determined by a game where every team has to be represented?  This isn't freaking Little League.

The good news is that, unlike Gary Bettman, whose tenure may never end, Selig is stepping down after next season.  Thank... God.  It's unlikely we're going to get rid of this rule any time soon, so Logical Betting is here with common sense solutions to a rule that defies... ummmm... logic.  Shut up.  Here we go.

1.  Eliminate the "every team has a player" rule.  Only exception is the city hosting the game.  Aaron Crow is having a nice little year, but raise your hand if you've heard of Aaron Crow before now.  Put it down if you play fantasy baseball.  Exactly.  With all due respect to Mr. Crow, I'll take CC Sabathia or Michael Pineda, among others. 

It's all about you...

2.  Elminate the fans voting in the starters.  If we're playing to win, let the players and managers vote.  I know this is supposed to be "the fan's game," but you take that away when you "make it count."  Sorry, fans.  On that vein, I would actually keep the "vote in the last guy" thing to preserve some sort of fan involvement.  And they have the aforementioned Home Run Derby, brought to you by something.

3.  Make the players play.  All of them.  No fake injuries or "exhaustion."  Example:  Derek Jeter, siting emotional and physical issues, said he was sitting out the All-Star game.  Understandable, given the chase for 300, right?  Oh, and pretend for a second he shouldn't have even been in the game in the first place (Peralta?  Cabrera, a legit MVP candidate?).  Anyways, we later learned that Jeter spent the weekend in Miami with his girlfriend.  Hmmmm... Injury, I get it.  Starting pitchers who pitch Sunday before the game sitting out, I get that.  You can't ask teams to change their rotation for the All-Star game.  But Jeter got his freaking All Star bonus for that.  (Scroll up for the article... my favorite part is where Selig supports him.  Shocking).  And if "it counts," then these guys gotta suit up.  Fine them 100K if they don't, and donate all of that money to charity.

4.  Speaking of cash, regular LB readers know that the only way to really get people to do anything is to pay them.  So what, then, is the best way to get All Stars from non-contending teams to play harder?  100K per man to the winner.  Where do we get the cash?  Sell sponsorship to the All Star game, which, surprisingly enough, does not appear to have a true title sponsor.  Pay out the winners, rest goes to charity.

Lucky for us, the National League won, meaning presuming "team with the best record" Phillies would get home field throughout the playoffs, though the Red Sox and Yankees aren't far behind.  Tragedy if either ended up with a better record.  Ironically enough, the team with the best record usually comes from the same league that wins the All Star game.  Maybe there the baseball gods do exist.

Simple solutions, game should be more competitive, and here's guessing that more people would watch it than the ESPYs, which I am proud to say, I am joining every other sports fan in not watching.  Though tying it into the V Foundation is great.  I doubt Janet Reno could even argue with this.  But this guy might...



Ken Starr!  NOOOOOOOO!!!

Thanks to those of you who got me back into this.  If you don't know who you are, maybe you should...

 

Contact Logical Betting at logicalbetting@gmail.com or twitter.com/logicalbetting.