Thread: Article: Minnesota Twins at the All Star Game

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Your last bullet point is a typo, the Twins did not host the AS game in 1984, it was 1985.

Kent Hrbek has as many All-Star First Basemen appearances as Ron Coomer.

Ouch.

Originally Posted by jjswol

Your last bullet point is a typo, the Twins did not host the AS game in 1984, it was 1985.

You are correct! Thank you!

Originally Posted by rocketpig

Kent Hrbek has as many All-Star First Basemen appearances as Ron Coomer.

Ouch.

That was, at least in part, his own fault. After getting snubbed one year, he said he would never play in an All Star game again... He didn't.

Originally Posted by Seth Stohs

That was, at least in part, his own fault. After getting snubbed one year, he said he would never play in an All Star game again... He didn't.

I forgot about that. He was raking in 87 or 88 when he wasn't chosen and got mad about it.

Your point about not using the AS game to determine home field advantage in the World Series is spot on. The team with the best record should get the home field advantage.

Originally Posted by rocketpig

I forgot about that. He was raking in 87 or 88 when he wasn't chosen and got mad about it.

There was also the Don Mattingly thing. Mattingly took too many AS games from other players because he got votes playing in NY.

Not to say that Mattingly wasn't a good player, he just got voted in more often than he should have because of playing in NY.

Originally Posted by rinkratfrits

There was also the Don Mattingly thing. Mattingly took too many AS games from other players because he got votes playing in NY.

He was also one of only a few decent Yankees during those years so his votes were compounded.

Anybody putting stock into being a starter on the All-Star team should be ashamed of themselves. This is a fan love fest, and the more populous cities tend to have more of their people starting.

Originally Posted by bteichr

Your point about not using the AS game to determine home field advantage in the World Series is spot on. The team with the best record should get the home field advantage.

That, or the league with the best record in interleague play. At least those would be real games determining it.

Anybody putting stock into being a starter on the All-Star team should be ashamed of themselves. This is a fan love fest, and the more populous cities tend to have more of their people starting.

COmpletely agree... as others have said, it is and should be an infomercial for MLB and its teams and its players. It is OK to say it is an exhibition!

One thing I'd like to see is every 3rd or 4th year you do a US vs the World sort of all star game. You can still get one player from each team on a roster I imagine, no?

Also, I'd LOVE to see a rookies vs rookies game (AL vs NL) game each year. (you could be liberal with the "rookies tag" i.e. anyone with less than 400 total ML PA by the all star game or 150 IP)

Originally Posted by Seth Stohs

That, or the league with the best record in interleague play. At least those would be real games determining it.

I used to think this was the best way but I've changed my mind. Imagine a scenario next year (with interleague games every day) that has the overall interleague record within a game going into the last weekend and the interleague series is something like Seattle and the Cubs. Would having the winner of that series determine home field be any less of a farce than having the winner of the all star game determine it?

Probably best just to go to best overall record or alternate each year.

This was a very depressing game for me. I hate it when the NL wins.

But it was OK compared with the most depressing All Star game of all time, in 1968, when that butthead Jim Fregosi made a crappy throw to Harmon Killebrew, who was playing first base. Killebrew stretched like a trooper and made the play, BUT totally blew out his hamstring. Killebrew was out for the year.

Originally Posted by drjim

Would having the winner of that series determine home field be any less of a farce than having the winner of the all star game determine it?

no, it wouldn't since each team would actually be trying to win the games.

Originally Posted by drjim

I used to think this was the best way but I've changed my mind. Imagine a scenario next year (with interleague games every day) that has the overall interleague record within a game going into the last weekend and the interleague series is something like Seattle and the Cubs. Would having the winner of that series determine home field be any less of a farce than having the winner of the all star game determine it?

But that's the thing, it wouldn't be that game deciding it. What decided it was the hundreds of games played earlier. Just because it's the last game doesn't mean that that game decides it. No team could complain - if they had won that game back in April, this situation would not have arisen.

And wouldn't it be great to have that game matter? To have fans of playoff teams cheering for Starlin Castro or Feliz Hernandez in a meaningful game late in the season? Watching the Orioles last year was great because they got to experience a playoff atmosphere game. We should encourage that.