[James_F]

Man, baseball just can't buy a break... Its just cursed. I understand why the stopped the game, but could they screw up the announcement anymore?


Also, am I just the only person who is tired of Tim McCarver? He just really annoys me.... :bang

 

[Mike]

I'm so pissed off right now. I was going to post something myself. I'm watching the press conference and Baseball Tonight feeds on G11-Ku. Why no MVP? You just named it after Teddy. Peter Gammons said on the backhaul that is just wrong. Darn it, mics cut during the commercial breaks now. . This is just messed up.

Tim's an idiot. I hated him on ABC and CBS way before he got to FOX. My friend in junior high had WWOR in Chesapeake, VA on COX Cable in the early 80's and Tim got my nerves at that time. What color was Tim's hair tonight?

You might want to get a new singer next year for the national anthem that knows all of the correct words. Just a thought???

This is such a joke! Time to finally expand the rosters.

 

[James_F]

You're right. The more I think about it the more it just sucks. I mean, why not make Barry Bonds MVP for almost 2 homers? Or Freddie for getting the tie? I can understand why they don't want to let Freddie and Padilla pitch more innings, but could they mess it up anymore?

The quality of the broadcast was so amateurish. How do you have the commissioner and then let him leave because you have too many commercials? Look this was a disaster for MLB and Fox didn't have an interview with the "used car salesman". What a joke!

How much longer does the contract with FOX last? You would think with all the FoxSports Net games, they could find some people who knew how to produce a ballgame.

Again... :bang:

 

[Mike]

FOX has the deal thru 2006. ESPN thru 2005. Doesn't Mike Weismann from NBC Game of the Week fame produce/direct some of these games now for FOX? I couldn't believe Bud didn't talk to FOX. Someone messed up that one with Jeanne. I heard Bud on the press conference feed afterwards that was also on ESPN and ESPNEWS. You didn't want to talk about labor strikes or steroids? Let's talk about a tie game in baseball? I just can't believe it. Torii Hunter would of been a good candidate as well for MVP. Berkman for the 2 run single. This is just totally unbelivable. Maybe there should be a strike. MLB will realize the fans aren't as stupid as some people think. There might not be a all-star game/season next year. I'm just dumbfounded right now.

 

[John Corn]

First, we have to hear about a strike and nothing about a game. . Then I can't see the tribute to Buck and Kile that I'm 99 percent sure it appeared during a commercial. Then the game ends in a tie. I understand not wanting pitchers to stress their arms, but you can't decide to end the game in the middle of an inning, and announce it in the middle of the game. What they should of done is after 11 say 12th inning is last. Pathetic display by MLB.

 

[Pete K.]

Just awful. The game didn't start until after 9pm on the
East Coast. I believe that is the latest start ever, for an
All-Star game. I fought to stay awake through the 11th
inning, only to have em quit. Geez! On top of all that
no MVP. MLB and Selig just don't get it!

 

[Mike]

The backhaul was MPEG digital on T5-c-band (You need like a $5000 receiver to see it), so I didn't see it, but I was wondering about the tributes myself. I was waiting for them as the game went along. They introduced Jack's wife on the network feed, but nothing about Darryl. I thought for sure that would of made it on the air. Were the 30 greatest plays necessary at all forcing to start the game so late for the east coast? I remember these things starting around 5:20-5:25 local time and this time it was near 6. Way way way way way too late for the east coast kids and probably adults. MLB markets themselves to the east coast. That didn't make sense at all. I'm just as dumbfounded now as I was last night. It will be interesting to see what happens from all of this if/when the labor issues get resolved. I just remember pitchers pitching longer in the all-star game back in the 80's and not everyone got in the game. Now there is a sudden need to have everyone play. You end up with stuff like last night. I just can't believe a MLB game ended in a tie in a domed stadium in the 21st century.

 

[Maniacal1]

What a spectacular mess, from start to finish! I've had the privilege of attending 2 previous All-Star games, the 1999 game at Fenway Park, which was a real and fitting tribute to Ted Williams, and the 1987 game in Oakland that went 13 (yes, 13) innings with two American League pitchers and one National League pitcher left in the bullpens. Lee Smith went three innings in that one, and he wasn't exactly used to doing that.

Only baseball could screw up by naming the MVP award for Ted Williams and then not giving the award. Where is it written that the game needs a winner to have an MVP?

Have any of you seen Lance Jerkman's comments yet? He said that the fans should be satisfied because they paid for 9 innings and got 11. In the current labor environment, he'll be paying for that remark for a *long* time.

 

[Pete K.]

On the starting time, even the hopelessly late World
Series games never started after 9pm Eastern.
What on earth is wrong with starting the game at 8pm?
As for the World Series, couldn't they play at least one
game in the daytime?

 

[Charles Oliva]

I know that I'm big time in the minority on this, but I don't have a big problem with the game ending in a tie. The era when the All-Star game was truly played like it meant something to the players ended a long time age. The game now is basically a celebrity exhibition event, and fans opportunity to see the "stars" all together. I went to last years game in Seattle and who won was the last thing that people talked out, instead what people talked about was Giambi 14 homers in the HR derby, Ichiro beating out Randy Johnson to 1st base, and Torre selecting more Yankees than Mariners. I do though agree that they should have named a MVP for the game.

 

[RandyAB]

Originally posted by Pete K.
On the starting time, even the hopelessly late World
Series games never started after 9pm Eastern.
What on earth is wrong with starting the game at 8pm?
As for the World Series, couldn't they play at least one
game in the daytime?

Unfortunately if the game is started at 8pm the people on the west coast would probably miss at least part of the beginning of the game, because most folks are still getting home from work at that time. That is generally why the game does not start until at least 5:30 pacific time, even though a pre-game show will start at 5pm pacific.

 

[Pete K.]

I appreciate the West Coast point of view but I grew up in
an era when WS games started at 1:30 pm Eastern.
I would always miss the first few innings, unless
someone snuck a radio into the classroom and
passed along the score.
It never seemed to bother anybody the games were played
while most folks were at work.

 

[RandyAB]

personally I would not care too much either if I missed the first couple of innings, because I have Tivo. But the people that do are are the television rights holders. They need to make sure that as many people as possible are able to watch the game. That is the reason why start times are later then normal.

Back when world series games were started at 1:30 est. is back when big money was not being paid for the rights.

 

[Maniacal1]

Originally posted by Charles Oliva
I know that I'm big time in the minority on this, but I don't have a big problem with the game ending in a tie.

I agree with you that a game ending in a tie is not a problem. It's the way they went about it that bothers me. It should have been announced in the previous inning that the next inning would be the last inning. (Whether they announced in the 10th that the 11th was the end, or in the 11th that the 12th was the end, makes no difference.) You don't announce in the middle of the current inning that it's going to be over.

The American League was precluded from a chance of winning the game and may have played a different strategy if they had known their last offensive half-inning was indeed the last one. In any baseball game, because there is no point in time that both teams can score, you make an announcement like that before the inning begins. It's a simple matter of fairness.

Yes, it's only an exhibition game, but I've known enough All-Stars to know that the results do matter to the players involved.

 

[John Corn]

It's a reflection on the state of affairs in MLB. Nobody is held accountable. The managers failed to keep adequate reserves on hand for contingencies. There have been plenty of instances where pitchers throw to one guy and then are lifted. Have the sense to have the early guys, who are usually starters, pitch 2 or 3 innings.

Players might get hurt? I saw a lot of fine, aggressive play out on the field that could have resulted in an unfortunate injury. There's risk in any ballgame.

Some may counter-argue that the players preparation was not sufficient for more than a brief stint. Again, if you're going to play, be prepared to play. Players have to be accountable too.

After the all star game is done, pitchers who weren't selected should be well rested. I don't want to hear that the last pitcher used is scheduled to pitch on Friday. Change the rotation and deal with it.

The fans had every right to boo the decision! Prices for this exhibition game are as high as for the World Series. When was he last time somebody paid $125 for an obstructed view seat? It's compounded by the fact that game tickets were only sold in "strips" that included tickets for the Sunday events, Monday's Home Run Derby, and the Fan Fest. That's a lot of money for exhibition baseball. The fans are simply holding MLB accountable.

But it's not the way of MLB to have a sense of accountability. Owners overspend on players, then cry about the "economic climate." Players don't want to increase revenue sharing, but charge "collusion!" if owners don't pony up to salary demands. Discipline is neither consistent nor just coming out of Bob Watson's office. The commissioned fails to look out for what's best for baseball, insisting on contraction in a bullheaded manner that defies all logic. In the end, it's the fan who suffers.

 

[Rage]

Boring baseball drops the ball again with the lowest rated game ever. This doesn't even include the late numbers. Baseball is dead and will be gone forever IMO when the strike happens. If you want to see a real all-star game then tune into the Winston in May where the Nascar drivers dash for cash which is usually the best racing of the year.
According to the ratings... not many people gave a rat's ass about baseball's all-stars. To start the game after 9PM is just assinine and Bud "the jerk" Selig is an anus with teeth who has destroyed the game.

 

[Steve Mehs]

Ah, theres the old Rage, the one we all know and love

 

[Rage]

And if boring baseball goes on strike then so ******* what? Preseason NFL games are just a few weeks away. Besides, the only drama in boring baseball is who will the Yankees play this year?

 

[Ray_Clum]

I'm sorry... have they been playing baseball with professional players??? I haven't watched pro baseball since the strike in the mid 80's (one exception, I watched Mark McGuire hit #70).