Selig proposes end to alternating sites

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

After Pittsburgh in '06, NL could get repeat game

 

PITTSBURGH -- Baseball might abandon its long-standing policy of alternating All-Star sites between National League and American League cities and award the 2007 game to another NL city, commissioner Bud Selig said Tuesday.

 

Minutes after officially announcing Pittsburgh would host its second All-Star game in 12 years in 2006, Selig said he expects to reveal the 2007, 2008 and 2009 sites later this summer.

 

With San Francisco, Arizona, Cincinnati, Philadelphia and San Diego all playing in new or relatively new ballparks and St. Louis to follow in 2006, one NL city would have to wait until 2018 for an All-Star game should baseball stay with its traditional but no-longer mandatory rotation.

 

By contrast, only the refurbished Anaheim Angels ballpark and Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg won't have been All-Star sites among the newer AL parks, once Detroit stages the 2005 game.

 

"I don't believe that it [the rotation] is as important as it used to be," Selig said. "I think the important thing is to try to be fair. In a perfect world, you would alternate NL and AL, but it's more important to reward franchises, I think, that really need to have the game because of their venue. There are so many great new ballparks, and that's the nice part."

 

The hard part, he said, it deciding which cities must wait, especially when teams such as Kansas City already have waited more than 30 years for a game.

 

"What I'd like to do even during the course of this summer is to at least award the games for 2007, 2008 and 2009 so they have enough time to get to work on it," Selig said. "There are a lot of cities that have new ballparks and have an intense desire to have an All-Star game. I'll just have to be as fair as possible."

 

Phoenix and San Francisco also wanted the 2006 game, which was awarded to Pittsburgh partly to pump up the Pirates' slumping attendance. Their average crowd has dropped by 10,000 a game since PNC Park opened in 2001, even though the riverfront ballpark is widely regarded as one of baseball's best venues.

 

Pirates managing general partner Kevin McClatchy was "relentless" in pursuing the game, Selig said, sometimes to the point of being overly intense.

 

"I made the decision, and I meant what I said that the competition was incredible and there will be a lot of disappointed people," Selig said. "I have to try to be fair. I understand they had only had a game 12 years ago, but they met all the criteria other than that. They have a gorgeous ballpark ... and Kevin McClatchy was about as tenacious as you can get."

 

With 38,496 seats, PNC Park is the majors' second smallest ballpark to Boston's Fenway Park, and the Pirates hope the demand for All-Star tickets will be so great that season ticket sales will increase dramatically starting next year.

 

"Why did we get the 2006 All-Star game? Because we have the best ballpark in America," McClatchy said.

 

So essentially, Pittsburgh got the game so that they could blackmail fans into buying season tickets just so they can get into the All-Star game.

 

This whole business of keeping the All-Star game away from the American League sounds like nonsense. Why not let Anaheim host the game? Or Kansas City, who has a wonderful ballpark? Yankee Stadium would make a nice All-Star game host, particularly in 2009, when they could possibly coincide the game with the new WTC opening (I'm not sure of the dates there, just thinking aloud). Or if all else fails, you could do worse than revisiting Camden Yards.

[Dr. Tom 0]

Yeah, I'd certainly be down for another game at Camden Yards. I had a blast at the '93 game.

 

Anyway, I'm indifferent as to where they host the game. To me, they can do away with the idea of alternating which league hosts the game by making one simple rule to the way the game is played: always use the DH for the All-Star game. Really, after voting on the best hitters of the last year or two, who wants to see some chump hitting .135 come to the plate and either sit down after three feeble swings or lay down a bunt? Smell the EXCITEMENT~!

 

And while the pitcher will usually be pinch-hit for in the All-Star game, having an actual DH means the benches don't need to be taxed so early in the game, so there's less of a chance that the teams will run out of players.

[Bored 0]

Speaking of Pittburgh getting it, I'm certainly no Giants fan but San Francisco got screwed. I'm pretty sure it has to do with Pac Bell/SBC Park being built using private funds while PNC was built using tax payers' money. When the game is played in 2006 it will be just 12 years since Pittsburgh last hosted it.

 

Kansas City, Oakland, Minnesota, and others will never host an All-Star Game again until they extort their city (or move to another) into building them a stadium.

[Guest Anglesault]

That man must be good at something.

 

I just have no idea what that may be.

[Gert T 0]

In a perfect world McClatchy is fired before the 2006 All-Star game.

[Precious Roy 0]

This is retarded. If homefield in the Series is decided by this game you have to alternate stadiums each year. What the fuck is wrong with Bud?

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Home field is up for renewal after this season, so it is up in the air as to whether or not it is continued.

 

That man must be good at something.

 

I just have no idea what that may be.

 

He convinced several cities to build stadiums using public funds, thus increasing profits for owners. From their point of view, he's been an excellent commissioner. For the fans, however, he's abysmal.

[Vern Gagne 0]

Some fans should love the guy. Others should loathe him.

 

I'll echo Tom's sentiments. Especially about using the DH.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

http://thesmartmarks.com/artman/publish/article_1482.shtml

 

Suggestion #6. I was on this bandwagon a month ago.

[Guest FrigidSoul]

I think Kauffman Stadium is one of the most under rated stadiums out there. Its an absolutely beautiful ballpark. Should I ever visit Slayer over in the mid-west and Rob actually lives in the KC area I think its going to have to coincide with a Royals-Red Sox match-up. The 3 of us can get together to see the series.

 

I don't understand why they wouldn't give that stadium an All Star game. They could have Saberhagen, Cone, and Brett come out for it.

[Jobber of the Week 0]

Kansas City, Oakland, Minnesota, and others will never host an All-Star Game again until they extort their city (or move to another) into building them a stadium.

Ah, yes. I forgot that Selig wants to tear down the Coluseium.

 

And San Francisco is a traffic NIGHTMARE. While the park is gorgeous, I wouldn't want to host MY big event there.

[Rob E Dangerously 0]

I don't just live in the area, I've went to quite a few games this year.

 

The 2007 ASG should be in Kauffman Stadium. Selig is full of shit, there's plenty of time to let the NL stadiums host the all-star game.

 

Hey, if it's that bad, host TWO all-star games

 

Another all-star game idea: PUT THE GAME ON A SATURDAY, there's a reason why the game doesn't get ratings, because it's on Tuesday

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Another all-star game idea: PUT THE GAME ON A SATURDAY, there's a reason why the game doesn't get ratings, because it's on Tuesday

 

When has Saturday ever been a ratings bonanza?

[Gert T 0]

The 2007 ASG should be in Kauffman Stadium. Selig is full of shit, there's plenty of time to let the NL stadiums host the all-star game.

Yeah, heaven forbid that a park has to wait 10-15 years for an All-Star game.

 

It's great that the only way Pittsburgh can bring people in (in theory) is to get an All-Star game.

[Guest tangerine]

Putting the game on a saturday night is a horrible idea mainly because Saturday is ratings death.

 

I don't see how this is a horrible idea because Selig has already pissed on nearly every tradition the game had and this isn't anything different.

 

While the newer and admitedly better (look wise) stadiums being uprooted in the NL, Perhaps they should get the edge.

 

I don't agree with the notion that Pittsburgh should get a second host year in just 12 years, while Kansas City is still waiting.

 

Pac Bell/SBC/Whatever the hell it is, is constantly plugged by many as the nicest park in the game and if S.F was prepared for the Summer games of 2012, I'm sure they can handle a busy three days in the summer, traffic wise

[The Czech Republic 0]

Solution:

 

2005 is Detroit

2006 is Pittsburgh

2007 is Kansas City

2008 is Cincinnati

2009 is Anaheim

2010 is Arizona

 

there. That gets the AL in there. And yes, Kauffman Stadium is way underrated. The fountains and everything are cool.

[Guest tangerine]

I still maintain that S. Fran will get a ASG sooner or later simply for the fact the ballpark is constantly pimped and I thought with Bonds last season potentially being 2006, they would "honor" him that day, since likely he'll be at 714 by that time.

 

I do like your suggestion though...

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

Im waiting for the World Series to get "THIS TIME IT COUNTS EVEN MORE" - whichever league wins the World Series gets Home Field in the All Star Game.

Its the logical continuation of the home field advantage in the world series based on the All Star Game.

[Guest tangerine]

and they should have player reps for the American League teams(thats not playing the game) and the National League team(not playing the game) and add a reality TV twist ala Big Brother and have the 30 players live in one 5 million dollar slum house in Malibu and get voted off one by one with the winner being selected by a HOF panel.

 

However, here comes the swerve. He can go to choose his own city or sell the rights to another city for $$$.

[Dr. Tom 0]

On PTI yesterday, they were talking about this issue. The idea of using the DH permanently in the ASG came up, and Wilbon had the absurd idea that this would give the AL the advantage. How? Both teams get to have a top-10 hitter in their lineups instead of wasting a spot on the pitcher. While the AL might have permanent DHs, anyone on the NL squad could fill the role. And it would save the benches for later in the game. Furthermore, since the ASG is all about the fans, I think most fans would rather see someone who can hit than someone whose best function at the plate is to intentionally make an out.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

I agree. I don't even see the point of putting the pitcher in the lineup, because unless a team bats around in the first inning, he's not coming to bat anyway.

[The Czech Republic 0]

Mark Mulder had to bat...who'd have thought?

[Guest Anglesault]

Solution:

 

2005 is Detroit

2006 is Pittsburgh

2007 is Kansas City

2008 is Cincinnati

2009 is Anaheim

2010 is Arizona

 

there. That gets the AL in there. And yes, Kauffman Stadium is way underrated. The fountains and everything are cool.

Yankee Stadium needs another one.

[Guest tangerine]

They get enough World Series as it is.

 

Let the fickle mid market teams have the spotlight for three lousy days

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

After this year's debacle, I'd be inclined to say Yankee Stadium is above this sort of thing.

[Damaramu 0]

So while Selig wants to get rid of all the old ballparks and get new ones.....what does he think of the ballparks with history? Like Yankee Stadium and Wrigley Field. Are they above his destruction rampage?

[iggymcfly 0]

This is retarded. If homefield in the Series is decided by this game you have to alternate stadiums each year. What the fuck is wrong with Bud?

Actually, if you really want to be fair, the NL should get the All-Star game at least 16 out of every 30 years since they have 16 of the 30 teams. And that would only serve the purpose of giving every club an equal chance to get an all-star game, and each team an equal chance to get homefield. It wouldn't even begin to neutralize the advantage of having to get by 15 teams to make the series instead of 13.