I have to ask, who cares about the All-Star game? Obviously I must care a little, or else I would not have posted this column. I have to have something to bitch about to make my day complete, so here we go.
Many years ago, back in my youthful days of collecting baseball cards, actually playing baseball, and beating the socks off all comers in Intellivision MLB Baseball, I actually looked forward to the All-Star game. Somewhere in between those bygone days, playing marathon sessions of R.B.I. Baseball (NES of course) in college, a strike ruined season, and steroids, I stopped paying attention.
I admit that every year I may casually follow the All-Star voting to see which players (according to the pundits and various blog writers) are getting screwed out of an appearance, who is popular, and which Braves are getting attention. If there is really a compelling reason, I may even watch a few minutes of the game, but I cannot remember tuning into an All-Star game in the last 2-5 years. With that said, this year’s game has the Yankee stadium thing going for it, but being a Braves fan, and not caring much for the Yankees, I doubt I will bother to watch.
The Atlanta Braves put two players on the 2008 All-Star team: Chipper Jones (starting 3B) and Brian McCann (backup C). Jones is having an incredible year, only recently falling off the .400 mark. McCann can hit the cover off of left-handed pitching, and certainly deserves an appearance. I am sure someone that is not a Braves fan will complain that their 3B and C got hosed. Such is the nature of All-Star teams.
So go Braves, but otherwise I could care less. I am down on the rest of the All-Star festivities, and cannot understand why the game still warrants so much attention.
For what it is worth, I am an equal opportunity All-Star game hater. It has been years since I watched the NFL and NBA equivalents. I guess someone cares, or the games would just go away.
