Make the MLB All Star Game Great Again

Welcome to the MLB All Star Break! Today’s biggest and brightest stars are all on their way to Arlington, Texas for the Mid-Summer Classic. While Henderson, Judge, Harper, and Skenes take the red carpet with excitement and smiles, I can say that I’m not as excited as I usually am for one of my favorite sporting events of the year. First things first, the jerseys for the All-Star Game are absolutely hideous. The MLB put zero effort into these jerseys and all they are focused on is trying to make more money for Nike and Fanatics. 

If ManFraud really cared, he would revert back to having all players wear their home and away jerseys because it’s more nostalgic from when the ASG actually mattered. They could even have the players wear their city connect jerseys to make it flashier. Plus, I think that they should have a patch on the jersey showing how many all star games they’ve played in, like how the NBA has the amount of stars on their warm up jackets representing how many times they have been an all star. 

Next, if MLB is not going to go back to the original format of the ASG, where the winning league earned home field advantage in the World Series, they should at least turn back the clock and change one of the other main events of the week to how it used to be: the Home Run Derby. Personally, I can’t stand the time limit and bracket style of the derby they have implemented. I know this year they have eliminated the first round of the knockout stage, but when the derby was a 10 out system, it was much more exciting and more impressive. Josh Hamilton’s 28 home run opening round in 2008 at Yankee stadium was one of the most memorable moments in All-Star Week history. Also, MLB should bring back the State Farm Gold Ball which raised money for charity when the individual slugger would only get gold balls when they had 9 outs. 

Finally, I wish they showed more mic’d up moments during the HR Derby and the All-Star game between the players. In 2010, there was a funny moment during the Derby between Hanley Ramierz and David Ortiz where Ramierez said, “I’ll buy you a happy meal Big Papi if you win the derby.” That right there is a funny memory that I had from the derby that I attended and I think it enhanced my fan experience. Nowadays, the only memories I’ve had from recent derbies is Pete Alonso acting like a psycho doing trap bar deadlifts before going out to hit. He is now blackballing MLB every year with a deal that he would compete in the Derby only if he was an All-Star. All-Star Week used to mean something in this country and now it has gone to shit. Bring back individual team uniforms, home field advantage, and the old Home Run Derby system. I don’t ask for much, but this is one fight I am not willing to give up on yet.