Let It Count

                As I was watching the afternoon recap show of Mike and Mike In The Morning, I saw something very troublesome. Mike Gohlic and Buster Onley, who was filling in for Mike Greenberg that day, were both in agreement that the MLB All-Star Game should NOT count towards deciding who gets home field advantage in the World Series. What was more disturbing is that players such as Braves catcher Brian McCann were in agreement with the two hosts on this philosophy. I feel that this thinking is inaccurate and sort of unhealthy in my estimation. Their thinking is that the game should be nothing more than an exhibition game. This would be similar to the other All-Star Games in the NBA, NHL and NFL. Having the MLB All-Star Game be an exhibition game? Are you kidding me? Do people not remember the debacle that was the 2002 All-Star Game? It started out well with Torii Hunter robbing Barry Bonds of a home run by leaping over the right field wall and catching the ball. After that though, the game went downhill from there. The decline started with Tommy Lasorda coaching third base. Tommy may have been a great manager in his day, but there's absolutely no way Major League Baseball should put him in harm's way by putting him in charge of third base. In fact, in that game, Tommy was put in danger when a bat shattered due to a pitched ball. The bat flew Lasorda's way and caused him to fall right on his behind. Of course the announcers just laughed it off as some funny joke. It looked like something out of a Benny Hill skit. Things got progressively worse as the night went on. I will never forget seeing Rudy Giuliani in one of the dugouts and thinking to myself "What is he doing in the dugout?"  Then came the ultimate sign of disrespect to the mid-summer classic. Going into the 11th inning, the score was tied at 7 apiece. Due to the absurd rule that every player should play in the game, by the time the 11th rolled around, neither team had anyone left on their bench. Nobody scored that inning so what did the commissioner do? After deliberating with the umpires, he decided to declare the game a tie. Really? Do people really want to go back to those shenanigans? I know I don't. I want to go back to the days of Ray Fosse being tackled by Pete Rose like in the 1980 game. Perhaps the game shouldn't count as home field advantage in the World Series. To say that the game should mean nothing though is also inaccurate I believe. Let the game count for something. That way, the game will be more enjoyable for the fans, the players and for the game as a whole.