Status of All-Star Game still unsure

[love_that_reefer]

Yes three innings of work is way too much

[Fishercat]

What I would do to change the ASG.

-Fan Voting: Limit the potency but expand the power. By that, make fan voting count for pitchers and hitters (meaning fans vote to select eight position players, their top SP and top closer), but it turns into one-third of an equation. The other two-thirds would be selected by the media (one-third) and coaches/players/executives (one-third). With this, the fans shouldn't complain about losing the potency, but the idiocy of the fans is limited. Another option is the fans get the 1/3 power and their top (x) vote-getters automatically get a bid. Obviously, I would say stats, but

A. There's no good way to do that
B. They would choose unimportant shit, like RBI and Wins

The HFA: I would ditch it. It's a dumb idea, and it alters a series between two teams because Doug Mientkiewicz couldn't hit Brian Fuentes' fastball with Ichiro at third, with none of those three in the WS.

Ties: Hell, it's an exhibition. First, it's a nine inning game. No extra innings. Let all the players in so their fans are happy. Then, if it's tied at the end of nine, give the fans a show. Have a sudden-death home run derby. Order the players up by manager's choice, the hitter gets one BP pitch (assuming it's a strike). If he hits a HR, the team wins (or the other team gets their shot if they haven't), if not, back of the line. I think this allows all the players to get in and gives some drama. I don't need three innings of extras with no scoring, then a tie.

Players Dropping Out: Make it a mandatory exhibition. Meaning, the HRD and Skills and such can be skipped. However, if a player is selected by the manager or fans, barring injury, he must show up. If the manager decides not to play him, so be it. But make it mandatory, and if they don't, they are docked pay for the time they don't play or suspended by the league. At the very least, if a player really cannot play (say he pitched on the Sunday before the ASG), force him to go, dress up, and acknowledge the fans and select a replacement.

[love_that_reefer]

Ok, We let the members of this forum vote and then the players and managers. Then we put chocolate sauce all over the floor and let Chunk eat his way out!

[Lynch]

what's wrong with rotating it like they used to in the days before they totally bastardized baseball (with 6 divisions) and having 4 rounds in the playoffs?

"Back when I was younger" .... they rotated it. AL/NL/AL/NL and the pennant round rotated too, E/W/E/W

So, with all things considered, the home field advantage, if everything went well, would go like this (in a rotating order)

AL-E
NL-W
AL-W
NL-E
AL-E
NL-W
etc etc etc

Personally, I can't stand they way baseball's postseason is done now. And this crap with the All-star game suddenly determining who hosts the first 2 games of the WS is retarded. Baseball's AS game is bad enough the way it is, that just convalutes what it's always been, making it worse.

[Fishercat]

Or they could go with best overall record between the two teams. The way they do it now is horrid though

[love_that_reefer]

Baseball playoffs=ten times better than any other sports

[HollywoodLeo]

before they totally bastardized baseball (with 6 divisions) and having 4 rounds in the playoffs?

old timers, afraide of change

[Lynch]

old timers, afraide of change

Damn right! (ya pup!)





Honestly speaking though, the change isn't what bothers me. It's that it's done for the wrong reasons. If change is made to improve the game, speed up play, make it more interesting, improve ump's plate-calling skills, etc, I'm fine with that. The changes they made regarding the postseason and reallignment and shit was done soley for money. THAT is what I have a problem with.

Wildcard in baseball!? I guarantdamntee you that my grandfather rolled in his grave when that was passed (and continues to roll for 4 weeks in october when the "playoffs" are going on). Thankfully he didn't live to see it.

[love_that_reefer]

Most things t are done for money because its a business. The WC has been good to baseball!!! The Red Sox would still be in misery if it weren't for the WC.

[HollywoodLeo]

So what?

Regardless of the intentions it made the post-season much better if you ask me.

[Dam8610]

Or they could go with best overall record between the two teams.

That's what they should be doing, especially since now more than 1/10 of the season is interleague play.

[Fishercat]

Seriously, the intentions may not have been pure for the WC, but I personally find the playoffs to be a lot more interesting. Especially considering the most succesful sports league in the states uses a very similar system with one more WC and one more division

[Giants666]

Baseball needs to dump the best of 5 in the 1st round it needs to be best of 7........and get rid of the 2-3-2 format.

[nyjunc]

It's silly to have homefield determined by the ASG, homefield should be determined by best record. if they don't do it by best record or the winner of the ASG then I assume the AL gets homefield again as this would have been an AL year prior to the silly 3 yr stretch of the ASG winner getting homefield.