Too Much Power

                The All-Star game has always provided many memorable moments, no matter what sport it's in. From Michael Jordan's final shot in an All-Star game as a Washington Wizard in the NBA, to Wayne Gretzky's final bow in his last NHL All-Star game, to countless memories in both the NFL and MLB All-Star games as well. One memory this writer will never forget is seeing Sandy Alomar, Jr. of the Cleveland Indians hitting what turned out to be the game winning home run in the 1997 mid-summer classic. In spite of all these timeless pieces of time, the All-Star games in all 4 major sports have one major flaw in them. The flaw is that the fans are able to vote for the players they want to see in the game. Now I'm all for Democracy in sports. However, it bugs me just a little when I see guys like Derek Jeter and Albert Pujols as leading vote getters despite what they do on the field. I'm not saying that either one of those players aren't good ballplayers. When players like that are struggling to hit .300 and are still considered All-Stars, something needs to change and fast. I hate to say it, but it's gotten to the point where even American Idol has more validly in their voting process then any All-Star game. At least American Idol is actually based on talent. What it comes down to is that the All-Star game is nothing more than a popularity contest. If you want proof, look at the current leading vote getters for MLB's version this year. The players and teams that they represent are all from big market teams. Last time I checked, in the American League, the Yankees have three players represented just in the infield. I wasn't sure if they were showing the vote leaders in the All-Star game or the next Yankee game. In the National League, you always have Ryan Howard and Albert Pujols represented despite the numbers they produce on the field. Especially this year since, as of this writing, Pujols is on the Disabled List. In spite of this, Albert will probably be named the starter of the game. This will be in spite of the fact that he will not be able to play in the game. I feel this takes away the true meaning of the game which is to put the players with the best numbers in the game. This rings true especially now since the winner of the All-Star game has home field advantage to begin the World Series. What needs to happen is all four sports need to take the voting out of the fans hands slightly. I would have the fans vote make up for 50% of the overall vote. Have the other 50% be a collection of the fellow players and Major League Baseball officials. To make it even more interesting, have the umpires weigh in on who gets to go to the game. Yes, the various All-Star games do provide lasting memories. Unless we fix the way the players go to that game, the game as a whole will be a forgotten memory.