This will be the fourth time the All-Star Game winner will be given home-field advantage in the World Series. Cool, I have no problem with that.
What I do have a problem with, is if this game means so much, why are the fans still picking the staring teams? This game has always been for the fans, picked by the fans, and I'm very cool with that, but has MLB not looked at the last 20 years and how The AL has dominated the mid-summer classic? The AL has fared 15-4-1, to be exact.
The NL has not won a game since the last time the All-Star game was played in Pittsburgh 10 years ago. Yes, it is quite a run for the AL, but this game counts, right? So once again, if there is to be so much meaning on this game, why are the fans picking the teams? Why are there still players from every team still represented? Are you kidding me, why should a team that is already 20 games back at the break, get to have a player on a team that decides who gets home field advantage in the World Series?
You can't have your cake and eat it too. If you make changes to the game, you better make changes to the process and give the fans a game with meaning, because the other sports sure as hell don't.
But maybe let all the AL managers pick the team, and all the NL managers try and stop the dominance of the AL by picking their squad, but please Mr. Commissioner, quit telling us what the fans want or need, the fans are much smarter than you think.
The fans want a great baseball game, but they don't have run the game as well. That's your job.
Back 12 years ago when we almost killed the game, the issue of testing came up at a player representatives meeting and when I stood up and asked for better testing throughout Major League Baseball, I was shot down by many other player reps. They spoke of privacy issues and many other stupid reasons for not testing.
Well look at the sport now. People doubting the records, Fans doubting the players, and everyone making excuses.
Thank God for Jose Canseco. And no, I don't think ratting out players was right, but what if he didn't get the ball rolling, where would we be? Who the hell cares how long some #### player gets suspended when the entire sport looks bad.
Enough is enough.
Start testing everyone across the board with the most extensive program you all can find. I'm sorry I wasn't strong enough to stick to my guns, but hopefully the majority of the players will stand up and take back their union and get honesty back in the game. If heads have to roll to get what you want, then stop protecting the minority of players who don't care what happens to the future of the game.
Rob Dibble was named a full-time co-host of BEST DAMN SPORTS SHOW PERIOD in April 2005. The outspoken, all-star reliever is a perfect fit for the most irreverent sports show on television.
Dibble, who is best known as one of the Reds' hard throwing "Nasty Boys," along with Norm Charlton and Randy Myers, won a World Series with the Reds in 1990.
