All Star Game has jumped the shark

[EddeeEddee]

During the All Star game pitchers have to talk to the broadcasters while they're on the mound?  Incredibly stupid and invasive.  I hate this.  It makes me think Fred Manfred is a clown for even allowing it.  Will they mike the hitter next?  I know they mike an outfielder every now and then.  Even that seems kinda suspect, but this is ridiculous.

It's like the MLB is now embracing any kind of dumb gimmick just to see people who wouldn't otherwise watch baseball because -- the pitcher is talking to us while he works!  This change makes MLB seems like an inferior sport -- less athletic than all the others and a league of ratings gimmicks. 

The pitchers at the very least should refuse to do this.  It's totally undignified and disrespects their athleticism and skill while they work.  

[glenn__davis]

Interleague Play killed the AS game as I knew it.  It's now pretty much a full-fledged exhibition.  I don't mind it, just embrace it for what it is.  

I will say -  I didn't get to watch the whole thing last night, but the parts I saw where they were talking to the players on the field was not particularly entertaining.  I didn't feel like the announcers did a very good job engaging with the players.  A lot of awkward pauses.

[Sports Guy]

46 minutes ago, glenn__davis said:

Interleague Play killed the AS game as I knew it.  It's now pretty much a full-fledged exhibition.  I don't mind it, just embrace it for what it is.  

I will say -  I didn't get to watch the whole thing last night, but the parts I saw where they were talking to the players on the field was not particularly entertaining.  I didn't feel like the announcers did a very good job engaging with the players.  A lot of awkward pauses.

As someone said last night, it’s not good TV. These guys have to concentrate and talking to them isn’t usually helpful, especially the Eovaldi situation.

 

[SteveA]

Agree all.   The in game interviews completely distracted from the game.   Both of Austin Hays at bats came during in game interviews and the announcers didn't even acknowledge Austin was batting.   

Three things that I think were really terrible about the broadcast:

1. The in game interviews, for all the reasons discussed.
2. Jeter/Papi/A-Rod -- added NOTHING to the broadcast.
3. Wearing generic, bland All Star uniforms instead of team uniforms or at least team caps.   I honestly didn't even know the guy who hit the HR off Felix was a Rockie, and they didn't mention it at least not right away, I had to go look him up.

[Jim'sKid26]

You actually watch the All Star game? Why?

[Frobby]

7 minutes ago, Jim'sKid26 said:

You actually watch the All Star game? Why?

Four reasons.   

[Jim'sKid26]

2 minutes ago, Frobby said:

Four reasons.   

Fair enough. 

[Frobby]

22 hours ago, Jim'sKid26 said:

Fair enough. 

I’ll add that one reason hasn’t been enough, the past several years.   

[86this]

You all thought this year the Rangers' fans stuffed the ballots for their players?  Wait until the next one hosted by the Rangers.

 

[Chavez Ravine]

I hate all interviews. In the stands, the locker room, on the mound. Pre-game, post-game, mid-pitch. By lovely people, twerps in bow ties, old jocks. Of players, wives, five time Grammy recording artists.

Just give me a few descriptive words of the action. Some crowd noise. Maybe some spot mic of someone yelling about pepper or disagreeing with the ump.

[LA2]

2 hours ago, Chavez Ravine said:

I hate all interviews. In the stands, the locker room, on the mound. Pre-game, post-game, mid-pitch. By lovely people, twerps in bow ties, old jocks. Of players, wives, five time Grammy recording artists.

Just give me a few descriptive words of the action. Some crowd noise. Maybe some spot mic of someone yelling about pepper or disagreeing with the ump.

That's awe-inspiring writing, CR! It moves comprehensively through four triads of Where, When, By Whom, and Of Whom with richly varied imagery as the cadences up-shift from drumming (the three two-beat spondees of "pre-game, post-game, mid-pitch") to expansion (the four syllables of the comical "twerps in bow ties"), before compressing into the 2/2/1 of old jocks, players, wives. Love how you drop the telegraphic "Some crowd noise." in between two long complete sentences that even deploy an imperative for the first time.

I'm going to share the post with some writer friends--partly as yet another attempt to justify why I spend so much time reading around in the Hangout.

Note: a few years ago, I watched a telecast on YouTube of a late 1950s game where there was no mic dedicated to the crowd, just the announcer. It was an eery, very different experience to have so much quiet during the play-by-play.

 

Edited July 18, 2023 by LA2

[Chavez Ravine]

7 hours ago, LA2 said:

That's awe-inspiring writing, CR! It moves comprehensively through four triads of Where, When, By Whom, and Of Whom with richly varied imagery as the cadences up-shift from drumming (the three two-beat spondees of "pre-game, post-game, mid-pitch") to expansion (the four syllables of the comical "twerps in bow ties"), before compressing into the 2/2/1 of old jocks, players, wives. Love how you drop the telegraphic "Some crowd noise." in between two long complete sentences that even deploy an imperative for the first time.

I'm going to share the post with some writer friends--partly as yet another attempt to justify why I spend so much time reading around in the Hangout.

Note: a few years ago, I watched a telecast on YouTube of a late 1950s game where there was no mic dedicated to the crowd, just the announcer. It was an eery, very different experience to have so much quiet during the play-by-play.

 

Ha! Normally my rants don’t get so well reviewed.