Amazin' Avenue: An SB Nation Community

Navigation: Jump to content areas:


Sports blogs for fans, by fans.
Around SBN: Fedor vs Rogers Results and Live Coverage

Who Is The All-Star Game For?

In one of his "Baseball Abstracts", Bill James writes about Robin Yount and his answer to a question posed by a beat-writer, "Who do you think should vote for the All-Star teams?".  Robin's answer was: "I don't know-- I'm not sure who the game is for."  Whenever I see anything involving the All-Star game, pertaining to who should be voted for and who should do the voting, I always ask the question "Who is the game for?"  Who, exactly, is the game honoring?  Is the game for the best players of the current year?  Is it to honor the players from the previous year? Is it to honor the great players that are still around?  Is it to honor your favorite players?  Is it all of these and more??

When you cast your All-Star votes, what criteria do you use? After reading the diary "Your Mets Need Your Vote!", I decided to change my comment for that into a separate diary.  Thanks for any and all comments.

0 recs  |  Comment 3 comments

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

Display:

It's a "what if" game
"What if" you assembled teams of the best players in both leagues and played them against each other...imagine the lineups...who would be waiting in the pen...etc.

Plus it's a celebration of the best and most favorite players...an annual hall of fame for active rather than retired stars.

by peeder on Jun 18, 2006 4:53 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

It's for the players
They get contract incentives and showcase themselves to each other, rub elbows, trade testing secrets, etc. The fans being able to vote is just icing on the cake.
Joshua P. Rosenstock is the Managing Editor of TheSportReport.com

by The Sport Report on Jun 19, 2006 4:32 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Two things:
It's for the fans, and it's a celebration of the best players in the game, and those two go hand in hand.

Even though it is for the fans, I think they shouldn't be able to vote. This game should be played as a showcase, to let casual or local fans see all the exciting and great players that are playing all over the country. When fans vote, they seem to most vote for their favorite players whom they probably get to watch on a regular basis. Thus, I think you stick with the format that every team gets an All-Star but fans don't vote, so that the players selected are truly the best players in the game.

This method would be most satisfying to purists and mega-fans who follow the whole league and want the best players, not the most popular. And it would work to expand the fanbase amongst casual and local fans, by opening their eyes to players they may not know, but who are really outstanding. I'm the former, but that is my argument on "it's for the fans terms" against fan voting.

by Nick T on Jun 21, 2006 10:23 AM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Comments For This Post Are Closed


User Tools

Start posting about the Mets »

Join SB Nation and dive into communities focused on all your favorite teams.

FanPosts

Community blog posts and discussion.

Recommended FanPosts

The_buddha_by_lord_karsus_small
2009 Mets Gangsta and Grission Awards
Buckner_small
The robcast Mets Offseason Plan
Hamheadshot__1__small
Poem: There's Only One October Wish

Recent FanPosts

Mwsos8pj_1__small
How Would Other Teams Do in 2009 With The Mets Injuries?
Small
Gonzalez over Davis?
Small
Off-season reading: the best baseball books
Small
Thoughts on Yankees vs. Phillies
43cd0dee9d920fd72b0a2b2bce4f8a00-getty-90957610bb021_los_angeles_k_small
Just curious as to why Met fans "hate" the Phillies
Small
It All Started With Torrealba...
Metseyes_small
'10 Mets Sep-Oct Schedule: Advantage Mets

+ New FanPost All FanPosts >

FanShots

Quick hits of video, photos, quotes, chats, links and lists that you find around the web.

Recommended FanShots

Pricks Beat Douchebags to Win World Series

Recent FanShots

Scouts opinions and grains of salt
Hustle, Dedication, Intelligence, and Teamwork
Myers done with Phillies
Chapman likes New York
White Sox Buy Out Dye's Contract
BA Mets Top 10
Carlos Gomez dealt to the Brewers for JJ Hardy
Hit-and-run victim outside Phillies game dies from injuries
Bill James sez:
Red Sox acquire Jeremy Hermida

+ New FanShot All FanShots >

Sponsors


THE BIG GUY

Aa_avatar_small Eric Simon

THE INCREDIBLES

Blackfish2_small Alex Nelson

Cj_small Sam Page

Best_infield_ever_small James Kannengieser

THE NEWS GURU

Wrightfront_small Joe Budd

POET LAUREATE

Hamheadshot__1__small Howard Megdal