All-Star Game's Loss of Relevance

Tuesday night was baseball's All-Star Game. The 83rd edition of the midsummer classic was a thrashing, with the National League coasting to an 8-0 win. It was 5-0 by the middle of the first inning.

So, yeah, I can't imagine these ratings will be good.

It would be part of a trend. The 1988 game scored a 20 rating for ABC, but FOX hasn't seen a number in double digits since 2001. Last year's 6.9 rating/12 share was the lowest rating ever for the game. With this year's game being a total blowout from the start, it's not a stretch to suggest the number will be worse this time around.

Why has this happened?

There are easy targets. For starters, there's interleague play, which has allowed fans to see more players they wouldn't normally get to see. However, I don't think it's a huge problem. Interleague play started in 1997, and the All-Star Game was already suffering from a ratings downturn.

Using the same Baseball Almanac source already linked, you can see the number go from a 17.4 on CBS in 1991 to a 14.9 the next year. 1993 was a 15.6, followed by a 15.7, 13.9, and a 13.2. 1997 saw another drop, to 11.8, but that was the first year of the game being on FOX, a network not as widely available then as it is now. The number jumped for the next two years, peaking at a 13.3 in 1998, before falling back below the 1997 number and eventually into single digits.

People blame the players for not showing enough willingness to play the game. I don't buy it. If you look at the NFL Pro Bowl, there is more roster turnover than any other all-star game in any sport. There is usually more turnover in hockey than baseball, too. Baseball is in a different spot because of the every-day nature of the season and the number of games in a season, but its players generally seem to understand the need to be at the All-Star Game and be visible.

There are two huge problems, in my view. They are issues the sport is not going to overcome. Instead, baseball has to figure out the best way to deal with them and generate interest in the mid-summer classic once again.

(Or, it could continue to let it flounder in the ratings and become a bit of a laughingstock in that regard.)

For starters, the lure of seeing the game's big stars is gone. On practically a nightly basis, the game's big names are available on television. ESPN carries games. MLB Network carries games. Local regional sports channels have games. If you have DirecTV or a good internet connection, you can purchase the right to watch any game you want, most in HD. If you're a dedicated baseball fan, you likely have access to one or more of these things.

Want to see Stephen Strasburg pitch? Well, there's a good chance you'll have the opportunity eventually. That sweet swing of Prince Fielder? He's on television at least once every couple weeks, even if you don't live anywhere near Detroit or an AL market.

You don't have to wait for the All-Star Game to see the out-of-market stars anymore. They're on TV all the time.

The other issue is just that.

They're on TV all the time, because every game is televised.

FOX gets low ratings for its Saturday Game of the Week because the Game of the Week isn't what it used to be. The Game of the Week -- even when I was growing up -- was the only time during the week that baseball was on television. Yeah, playoff games were on TV, and so was the All-Star Game. Other than that, it was almost exclusively Saturday games for us.

Now, every game is on. There is no motivation to watch a game that doesn't count when you can watch dozens that do every week.

And, no, putting home-field advantage for the World Series on the line hasn't helped. You can blame FOX for the fact it still happens, and that FOX hasn't looked at it and thought it was a really stupid way to decide such a thing is just illogical to me.

It isn't helping make the game better. It isn't helping ratings. It isn't helping interest.

Getting rid of it won't fix anything, but they should get rid of it anyway. Just for the sake of common sense.

All-Star Games No Longer Cool

Growing up, baseball's All-Star Game was always a special event. You got to see the top players in the sport, and even the pre-game ceremonies were enjoyable, with nostalgia all over, and a chance to see some of the all-time greats.

Over time, however, the game lost its luster. Participation in the game is no longer a big deal. Now, it's a contractual bonus, whether a guy plays in the game or not. And many players find a way out of the game, meaning you end up with a bunch of guys originally deemed as undeserving but suddenly good enough to be called All-Stars.

To make matters worse, when we were growing up, it was a pretty special thing to see so many great players under one roof. There was, believe it or not, a day and time where you couldn't turn on the television and see any baseball game you wanted to watch. We couldn't just watch our favorite team every night. Now, you can watch any game you want. You get to see all the great players.

What's the point of an All-Star Game?

If the players don't want to play in the game, why would anyone want to watch? If you can watch great players play on a daily basis, what's the big deal about watching them play at half-speed in an exhibition game?

(Especially when you can see plenty of half-speed exhibition games, since preseason games in all sports are televised and treated like they're a big deal.)

None of it makes as much sense as it did years prior.

None of it really matters anymore.

This isn't just about baseball, either. Look at the NBA and NHL All-Star Games, and look at the NFL Pro Bowl. None of them are as cool as they once were, to the point where the NFL doesn't even allow players participating in the Super Bowl to be in the Pro Bowl ... because the Pro Bowl happens before the Super Bowl.

The NBA All-Star Game and NHL All-Star Game could both go away tomorrow, and most sports fans wouldn't bat an eye. They are a cool experience for people who hold tickets to the event, but that's only 18,000 people or so. They can be fun for each league's corporate sponsors, because it's a chance to rub elbows with the greats.

Outside of that, they're practically useless. They're not on network television, because not even the enthusiastic television partners of the NBA and NHL have a real use for the All-Star Game. Despite plenty of promotion within coverage of the leagues, no one really watches, and no one really cares about the result.

Unless their favorite team's best player gets hurt in a stupid exhibition. That happens, and we'd never hear the end of it.

I'm all for the players getting together and having fun. But it's obvious to me that many of them don't even care about that. They'd rather stay home and rest during the All-Star Break.

It makes me wonder if we can ever make the event relevant for a majority of fans again. I don't know that it's possible. If it is to ever happen, it involves making it a big deal for the players. Perhaps elongating the season by a few days to increase their days off will decrease the number of players who take themselves out of the game when they're generally healthy.

(Guys like Ryan Braun are an exception this year. Not on the DL, but missed the last six games before the break and was obviously injured.)

But will that keep guys from taking three days to -- as CC Sabathia is -- go to the Bahamas or whatever? And is it fair to tell these guys they have to bust their asses for 162 games, and then they have to go shake hands and kiss babies at the All-Star Game while others are taking three days to hang out in their hammocks?

The All-Star Game used to mean something. It doesn't anymore, and I think we as fans just have to be okay with that. Judging by the ratings, most are. They just find something else to do, like most of the selected players are.

Mauer in Home Run Derby

Yes, that Mauer. And, yes, it's the Home Run Derby.

Twins catcher Joe Mauer has accepted an invite to Monday night's Home Run Derby in St. Louis. Known as anything but a power hitter over the first part of his career, Mauer has exploded for a career-high 15 home runs so far this season, and remember that he missed the first month of the year.

The American League roster is not set yet, but we do know that the National League is sending out four first-basemen. St. Louis superstar/MVP shoo-in Albert Pujols, Milwaukee's Prince Fielder, Ryan Howard of the Phillies, and San Diego's Adrian Gonzalez will all take part.

As for Mauer, Joe Fan might poo-poo his chances, but don't count him out. As manager Ron Gardenhire told MLB.com, "He'd probably win it. You know it and I know it -- just to let people know he can hit home runs. Nothing would surprise me that Joe does."

With defending champion Justin Morneau already having declined an invite, this is a chance to keep the crown in the family, so to speak. Mauer could also become the first Minnesota native to win. Actually, I believe he's the first Minnesota native to compete, but I'm sure you'll skewer me in the comments if I'm wrong.

VOTE FOR COREY

Please click the "Vote at MLB.com" link to vote for Corey Hart. He's up against the mighty David Wright, among others, for the final spot on the National League All-Star team.