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Dickey: An All-Star makeover
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SAN FRANCISCO (Map, News) - Baseball is prospering, but there are changes that could improve the game, starting with the All-Star Game. Here are some suggestions:
¤ Take the All-Star voting from the fans. This system was always open to abuse, but it’s become intolerable with the advent of online voting. Clubs tell their fans to vote multiple times. They do, with some fans voting hundreds of times.
¤ Extend the All-Star break so it doesn’t impact starting rotations. Every year, there are All-Star pitchers who, at best, are available for only one inning because they’ve pitched two days before. It’s happened this year with Tim Lincecum and Justin Duchscherer. So make the All-Star break five days, with the game itself on Wednesday. I’m sure MLB could find more silly events to fill the days. Pitchers would not only get their rest, but players would get a break that would keep them fresh for the rest of the grind.
¤ Drop the idea of having the winning league also be the home team for the first two and last two games of the World Series. Commissioner Bud Selig did this because he wanted to make fans think the game meant something, but there’s a better way. Instead of telling managers they have to get every player in the game, tell them to manage as if it’s a regular season game they’re trying to win. That’s the way it used to be. In the first All-Star Game I saw in 1961 at Candlestick Park, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron and Roberto Clemente played key roles in a 10th inning rally that won it for the National League. The key is that they were all still in the game. That’s the way it was, and everybody was really trying to win the game. Now, starters are out of the game early, so they shower and get out of there. Think they care how the game turns out?
As for the rest of baseball:
¤ A division winner that finishes under .500 — hello, NL West! — can’t be in the playoffs. Take the second-best wild card.
¤ Do something about the schedule. It’s a mess. One example: The A’s have played 55 home games already. In the second half of the season, they’ll have only 10 home games in each of August and September.
¤ Make the National League adopt the DH, conforming with the rest of professional baseball, high school and colleges.
I can hear the screams from National League fans. “We’re playing the game the way it was intended to be played.” Good thing these fans weren’t making the rules for the NFL or we’d still have one platoon football.
In fact, NL baseball is nothing like the early product, when gloves were tiny and the ball was so dead it could hardly be hit past the infielders. Want to go back to that?
NL fans say they want players to play the whole game, but pitchers don’t.
If a manager had a serviceable starter who won 13-14 games but didn’t get a hit all season, do you think he’d take him out of the rotation? Of course not. He’s a specialist, in the lineup for one reason. If you substitute a DH in the batting order, you’re just replacing one specialist with another.
It’s time for the National League and its fans to enter the 21st century.
Glenn Dickey has been covering Bay Area sports since 1963 and also writes on www.GlennDickey.com. E-mail him at glenndickey@hotmail.com.
Comments from Examiner Readers
11:48 AM MST on Wed., Aug. 13, 2008 re: "Dickey: Bonds towers above naysayers"
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Examiner Reader said:
interesting and stimulating article... I am not sure about the idea Selig doen not want Bonds in baseball...
2 agree | 2 disagree
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examiner reader said:
Bonds is as bogus as Ben Johnson, yet you rant on about him. Besides being pathetic in your unrequited admiration for him you have lost any and all objectivity about him. Barry Bonds, prior to the Mark Mcquire, Sammy Sosa era, was the ultimate five tool player. 6ft 1 inch tall 185 pounds he was without a doubt a first ballot Hall of Famer. Suddenly (in his early thirty's) he grows to 6-2 and 250 pounds. the fact is that you choose to ignore these facts by saying "he never failed a drug test" astounds me. We know that his trainer probably had a reason to stay in jail but i have absolutely no idea what yours is?
3 agree | 2 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
It's time to move on... bring back the Bulldog! Orel would be a great GM, his ties to LA and the Dodgers runs deep. He's played, coached, worked in the front office of the Texas Rangers... So what are they waiting for. Time to rid the Dodgers of all the people Ned brought to LA, Stan Conte, can pack his bags too! quick before he throws another GM and owner under the bus to save his own skin!!!
2 agree | 2 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Frantz = Jim Rome wannabe
2 agree | 3 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
what the giants need to do is to get her heads out there butt and get some solid bats.
3 agree | 2 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Hey Frantz: Barry Bonds isn't responsible for the hi price of gas or 4000+ soldiers killed in Iraq. In comparison, Barry's a saint.
3 agree | 5 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Hmmm...the media. Gotta love these hypocrites. Love to judge other people but think the media are a godsent to the masses.BB was an all-star long before the Bash Brothers started using steroids. Don't believe what the media tells you.
3 agree | 2 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
What do you know about Barry Bonds? It was the media that killed the former Princess Diana. People like you.
3 agree | 2 disagree
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examiner reader said:
what a collection of mutts! the giants are the county pound of baseball!
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Examiner Reader said:
giants are a complete mess.. they dont know how to bring up young tallent and foster it into confident everyday players.. the organization for years has been built on established players.. it is kind of like a person who switches professions and has no clue have to work in the new arena.. the giants. baring a small miricle are in for years of a tough learning curve in terms of bringing up tallent.. but it is sooner better than latter.. hopefully the area of overpriced soso free agents is coming to an end
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Sam in Reno said:
As you point out, the truth will be told if Bowker (who leads the team in HR's) sits against left handers. If he has to play Aurilia put him at third and sit down that slug Castillo. Castillo is a bad fielder and mediocre hitter. There is a reason he was cut by Florida and Pitsburgh.I have never seen so many errors and doubles hit past this guy at third.
4 agree | 3 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
You have no idea what this man has really accomplished until you pick up a bat and play at a level above little league...how about you just write about the game and leave the personal vendetta's out of it...
2 agree | 3 disagree
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John P Slevin said:
Finally, a writer who admits that coverage of Bonds is based on personality disputes he's had with writers. Sports writers who assail Bonds are far from reaching the level of excellence in their profession that Bonds has reached in his profession. They are supposed to be writing about baseball...not settling scores.
3 agree | 2 disagree
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Alameda said:
Jealous...I know your jealous...cause you have no skills...and Barry has set records...you WISH your little words could have the same power as a SPLAH HOMER...JealousI now your jealous
4 agree | 2 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Great observations and pretty basic. I think you'll find that most of us Fans agree with you.
4 agree | 4 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
This team is old as hell and Bochy and Sabean LOVE IT! Forget about evaluating the rookies, let go after thw NL West title while we're 12 games under .500. We're 7 games backs out of first but in reality we are 2 games out of being in LAST PLACE in the West. HELLO!!!! We're freaking closer to last place than we are to first.
8 agree | 6 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
they play the old guys because the other guys suck and wont get any better
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Examiner Reader said:
Glenn, do you feel guilty about accepting a paycheck?
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Examiner Reader said:
Come back Barry! All is forgiven.
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Lloyd Christmas said:
Personally I think they gave vizquel and other veterans more playing time in order to try and get some value for them on the trade market. Vizquel is worth more with a swing than with out.
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