Great All-Star Game, Selig. No. Seriously.

By: T.R. Slyder

There are only so many ways to describe when something is boring. So I won't bore you with trying to describe last night's All-Star game. But I do have a suggestion for a rule tweaking for future All-Star Games.

Allow players to enter/exit the game more than once, like in little league. Since this game has devolved into a fan-centered exhibition in the last 20 years, but now "means something" we need some rule tweaking to mitigate the two worlds. This rule would do just that.

As it is currently, the best (or most popular) players start the game, but then for the sake of fan-pleasing, are always substituted for 1-4 innings later. This guarantees that the best players will not finish the game. In a real game that "means something", you want your best players playing at the end. As a National League fan, I wanted Dan Uggla out of the game, and I would have liked Pujols to get an at-bat in one of the final 11 innings of the game. I had to endure Uggla going 0-4 with 3 strikeouts. If my rule were adopted, you could have the best of both worlds- start the leading vote-getters, substitute them with the reserves, get a feel for who's playing well, then finish with your best team on the field.

It's too bad that game wound up being Adrian Gonzales, David Wright, Dan Uggla and Christian Guzman versus Dioner Navarro, Carlos Guillen, Ian Kinsler, Justin Morneau and JD Drew. These aren't the players the fans most wanted to see. Do you know which pitcher pitched the most innings last night? David Cook. I'd never heard of him either. Did the fans really demand that?

My favorite team is the Cubs, if this game determines home field advantage in the world series- this game affects my team (let's be honest, they at least have a chance to make it) much more than it does Christian Guzman's Nationals or David Wright's Mets. Yet Aramis Ramirez had one plate appearance (drawing a walk from Mariano Rivera) then was pitch ran for. Thanks for coming out. You just lost home field advantage (if you get that far).

If my rule were in place, Clint Hurdle could have at least said "Jeez, it's late and I'm tired. I don't want to be here and I don't blame anyone else for not wanting to play. But I know some guys that should care- Fukudome, Soto, Ramirez, Pujols, Braun, Hardy, Hanley Ramirez, et al.- you guys get out there, at least you care." If there were any players that could have kept the fans at Yankee Stadium until 1:41, they certainly were not on the field in the 15th inning.