The All-Star Break is over.
That means it’s time to begin the second half of the 2022 MLB season.
The All-Star Game took place on Tuesday night, with the American League pulling out a 3-2 win for their ninth straight All-Star Game victory.
It was a fun atmosphere at Dodger Stadium as the best of the best from each league came together for a showdown.
However, there is one MLB analyst who has a bit of a bone to pick with this year’s All-Star Game.
Jayson Stark of The Athletic tweeted about how we spend weeks voting for players to start, only for them to be pulled after about an inning or two.
Here’s my ASG pet peeve:
We spend weeks debating who should start.
Then Betts, Goldschmidt and Devers are out of the game after 2 1/2 innings.
FWIW last all-star to play all 9 innings wasn’t in like 1962. It was Carlos Beltran, 2006.
— Jayson Stark (@jaysonst) July 20, 2022
An All-Star Problem
This is a legitimate argument by Stark, who is one of baseball’s premier reporters and writers.
The All-Star voting process is long and arduous, and then once starters are decided, they only get to play in the game for a little bit.
On the other hand, you want as many guys as possible to get a chance to play, especially since the game is a ceremonious experience, rather than a game that has a lot at stake.
At the same time, Stark points out how the starters don’t really get a whole lot of action to begin with.
They only see about an inning or two, and with so many players on the All-Star roster, it’s hard to get everybody into the game.
So what Stark is saying is true.
While you want to try to get as many guys in as possible, it’s a hard thing to do.
You’ve only got nine innings, and extra innings have been phased out of the All-Star experience in favor of a Home Run Derby.
The last All-Star to play all nine innings was Carlos Beltran in 2006.
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