Tuesday, July 10, 2007

Hey Now, You're an All Star....

Over the past few years I've started to dislike the All Star game as much as the rest of you haters. While I think it's become pointless, and I'd rather my boys not get hurt during the course of the game trying to "show their stuff", I do like the whole home field advantage thing. I mean the AL overpays, I mean pays out how much more in salary than the NL? I'm going to guess about three times, but I'm too lazy to go look it up. We should ALWAYS win this thing and we pretty much do. We should be psyched as AL followers to always have the WS home field advantage in our pockets.

Looking back over the past 10 year All Star games the AL has a record of 9-0-1. They have outscored the NL 63-38. I think each one of us would argue that home field advantage has, well, it's advantages. But how much, really? Because even winning home field advantage for the past 10 years (what happened the year of the tie anyway?) the ALs record for WS wins over the past 10 years is 6-4.

Growing up in a house where my father cheered for the Pirates (hey I liked Bonds when he was part of the killer Bs!), I'd like to see something swing in the way of the NL once in a while (when it doesn't hurt the Sox, of course). I don't even think we should go back to the old way of alternating every year. Well wait, because I was going to say the advantage should go to the team who had the best winning percentage throughout the year. So does that mean essentially the same thing? The AL will always have the advantage? I just don't know. See when I try and talk stats my head gets mushy.

I must stop.

You know why I'm looking forward to the All Star Game this year? Manny made his appearance and doesn't seem like such a schmuck anymore. And, well, there's always the hope that ARod gets beaned and causes a big brawl. Could be a good time.

No comments: