All-Star games are supposed to be showcases for the fans. In all sports, fans have the opportunity to vote for their favorite players to see them play on a stage of superstars. Dream team-like rosters dueling it out to see whose stars are superior. Whether it be the NBA, Major League Baseball, the NHL, or the NFL, All-Star games are meant to showcase the best talent each sport has to offer.
So, why does it feel as though every year, in every sport, All-Star games have become more of a "who wants to play" than a "who we want to see" atmosphere?
Of the four major sports, Major League Baseball's All-Star Game is the one that has the most significance, given the recent change to the format making the All-Star Game the determining factor for home-field advantage in the World Series. The NFL's showcase of stars, the Pro Bowl, occurs after the season and the Super Bowl have been completed. The NBA's All-Star Weekend arrives every February, just past the mid-point in the season, as does the NHL's All-Star Game.
With tickets to the MLB All-Star Game on Tuesday night going for between $67 and $5,500, the event is pricy for the average Joe. It is an event, no doubt about it, but one where people would more than likely be interested in watching stars like Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, Jose Reyes, Ryan Braun, and Justin Verlander and not as interested in watching guys like Jhonny Perolta, Pablo Sandoval, Miguel Montero, Ricky Romero, and Craig Kimbrel. Unfortunately, injuries sometimes determine who it is we all get to see, and more often than not, that's the case. In the event of some pitchers, however, their normal starts on Sunday prevent them from taking part in the showcase.
This year, it seems as though more of the superstars of the game are absent from the event. Pitchers like Justin Verlander, C.C. Sabathia, Cole Hamels, and Felix Hernandez will all be out of the game itself, having pitched on Sunday. That's a combined 44-19 record that won't be throwing during the game. Yankee stars Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, and Mariano Rivera will be out of the game, nursing injuries (Rodriguez opting to have surgery on his knee on Monday). Perennial all-stars Joe Mauer, Albert Pujols, Mark Teixeira, Ryan Howard, and Jimmy Rollins will not be present, thanks to sub-par years on their parts (although Pujols has come on late in the first half, despite a wrist injury). So, is it really an "All-Star" game if the game's best players won't actually be playing?
Sure, it's disappointing for fans who tune in to the game to watch their team's stars or to see players they don't normally see, when those players aren't playing for a variety of reasons, but that's not the true point of the game. The All-Star Game, regardless of sport, is to showcase the best talent in the league that season. To reward those players who are deserving of that spotlight, regardless of popularity. The fact that the fans get to vote in the starters is one thing, but the overall game itself is where players performing at their best get to become household names. Let's be honest and say that, aside from his 3,000th hit coming just three days prior to the game, Derek Jeter has not done much at all this season to warrant a starting spot in the All-Star Game, and that's coming from somebody that would consider himself a Derek Jeter fan. Asdrubal Cabrera of the Cleveland Indians has been the best shortstop in the American League throughout the first half, and is truly deserving of the start.
What becomes irritating is when players decline to partake in the All-Star Game to "avoid" injury. You tend to see this more in the NFL and NBA than you do in Major League Baseball, but it occurs anywhere. With the NFL, the Pro Bowl takes place after the season. When you're on a team that has just played two, even three games in the playoffs, you tend to see players decide to just end their season after that final loss, as opposed to suiting up just one more time for the fans. That's where it becomes unfair to the fans. For the NBA, it's even worse. When each conference has 15-16 players on their roster, in a league with only about 15-20 superstar names like Kobe, KG, and LeBron, it can be devastating for one of these superstars to back out of the game to avoid injury or to just "rest up" for the second-half of the season.
We as fans deserve to see the best players on this special stage. If there are injuries, it's understandable that you not participate. If you're electing to stay away to remain healthy and not risk hurting yourself, stop being selfish.
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