All-Star Madness

Bud Selig has finally won.

Major League Baseball's much-maligned commissioner has finally come up with a plan that works. While it may not be a major breakthrough, like a steroid testing policy that ACTUALLY works, Bud Selig has done something that no other commissioner can say they have accomplished. He has brought relevance to his league's All Star Game in a way that has changed the showcase for the better.

Think back to the NFL's Pro Bowl or the NBA's All Star Game. Oh wait, you probably don't remember. This is not to say that you have some sort of memory disorder or are "out of the loop", but merely serves to show that neither of these league's star exhibitions are at all significant. No one knows the score of the Pro Bowl, and the only showcase people care about in the NBA is the Dunk Contest. But Bud Selig, by virtue of giving the All Star Game's victorious side home-field advantage in the World Series, has brought value and importance to the game that has only served to make the game better.

I cannot deny that MLB's All Star Game is still somewhat of a mess. This year's game, which was played last night, only serves as an example. The game featured an early exit from A-Rod, 1 inning stints from quality pitchers, several questionable late-game calls from umpires, the longest game in All Star history, and no Tim Lincecum. But people talked about it. People cared about it. And ultimately, people watched it. That has to be a success for any All Star Game.

Plus, the emotions involved in the game were just awesome. You had Giants complimenting Dodgers, Cardinals high-fiving Astros, and, when it was all said and done, Yankees hugging Dodgers (gasp!). The point is, the players were involved and emotionally attached to the game because it had some weight behind it, a tangible pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. This continued even into the late night, and as the game went to extra innings, the tension was visible on the players' faces. AL team manager Terry Francona looked like he was going to cry. Derek Jeter was the first player to leap out of the dugout as his AL squad won on a play at the plate. The stars were there, but more importantly, the stars cared. And in this day and age of multi-million dollar contracts and tabloid news headings, passion, caring, and teamwork is all fans really want to see.

Speaking of passion, no one has more for the game than Josh Hamilton. The man has been to rehab 8 times after being declared the next baseball great, only to emerge this year as a bonafide star. Here is a video recap of his absolute terrorization of the baseball in the first round of the Home Run Derby, in which he hit 28 total homeruns and 3 blasts of more than 500 feet. That's in the first round!