Home Run Derby

Yesterday was the home run derby at baseball's All-Star Game. The biggest story to be associated with it before the event was the fact that Alex Rodriguez opted not to participate. This fact, of course, caused ESPN's crack team of hack journalists to immediately jump on him for not attending. For not attending an event that is glorified batting practice, A-Rod's ego is called into question: " But it's not important enough, apparently, for Alex Rodriguez to risk not living up to his own ego. How sad is that?" (Thank you, Jayson Stark, for helping to continue the demise of real journalism). However, what's not said is that A-Rod would also be called out for egotism if participated and won the event. Then there's the possibility that he would participate and lose the event to some other player. That would lead to comments defaming his 'clutchness' and declarations would be made about him not being a 'real Yankee' (whatever that means).

Personally, I stopped caring about the All-Star festivities many years ago when it became apparent that the players didn't really take it seriously anymore. Watching Barry Bonds get taken out of the game a few years back for a replacement in the field (players typically don't see more than two or three innings these days), then walk out of the dugout through the clubhouse and just leave the stadium, well... that was very representative of how little most of the players cared. Watching Pedro Martinez decline to show up to the game because he didn't feel like it, that kind of killed it for me.

"This time, it counts", of course. Now that Bud Selig has decided to continue to destroy his legacy (which wasn't really bad before this and steroids happened) by making the game count for home-field advantage in the World Series. I had already ceased caring about the game before this decision, but the decision itself forced me into a boycott of the whole damn thing. I will not watch an All-Star Game again until that rule is removed. The home-field advantage in the World Series should go to the team that won more games during the regular season.

Bah, I can't wait until real baseball starts up again when the Mets play the Reds on Thursday for the start of a four game series. Here's hoping the Mets can continue to play the way they did to get on that 9-game win streak before the break.