Laurence Simon reminded me that All-Star Voting for the MLB has begun. If you're into that sort of thing, by all means knock yourself out.
The All-Star Game itself is on July 11, which gives baseball fans approximately two months to get their votes in. It's about the same amount of time for the NFL, but the difference is this: when the NFL Pro Bowl voting booths are closed, the season is about 85% complete. The baseball season is only about 50% over when the All-Star Ballots are counted. How can you know if a player is having a good month vs having a good year? At least in football you know a little more about a player's overall performance; you'll have had most of the season to watch him play.
Of course, the NFL's Pro Bowl voting has its own problems: it's supposed to judge how you do throughout the season, but ends before the season ends; and the game itself is "meaningless" in that it doesn't affect anything major in the season. It's just a fun game. At least the MLB All-Star Game helps decide who gets home field in the World Series. (Personally I think it should go to the team with the better regular-season record; if both teams have the same record, it should then go to the winning conference in the All-Star Game.)
Still, it's tough to change traditions. The quarterback position will never be revitalized or reimagined a la Mike Vick or Vince Young, college football players will never have to conform to NFL jersey number rules, baseball managers will always wear uniforms instead of suits or "officially-licensed gear", and so on. Changing the date of or reasoning behind the MLB All-Star Game isn't likely.
Not that I care all that much. I wouldn't know about baseball at all except that I'm in charge of a sports database at work.
Josh Cohen posts at three sites across the Wizbang! network, and also maintains Multiple Mentality, which no one seems to read.
Permalink | Send To A Friend | Linking Blogs | Digg this!
Filed under:
MLB
Comments (1)
MLB's All-Star game is the ... (Below threshold)1. Posted by Peter F. | May 2, 2006 2:21 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
MLB's All-Star game is the ultimate popularity contest. Guys who should be All-Stars aren't chosen, and guys who shouldn't be chosen are always starters. It happens every year.
Other than determining home field advantage in the World Series which gives the game some meaning, the only gratifying and relatively fair selection of players comes when the managers chose the reserves and pitchers. Even then it plays to your point; the guys usually having the best half-years get selected—like, say, the Chris Shelton's of the baseball world.
1. Posted by Peter F. | May 2, 2006 2:21 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on May 2, 2006 14:21