Major League Baseball All Star Game

Of all the All Star games in the major sports here in the U.S., I have always liked the baseball All Star game best. The NBA's Saturday night competitions are better than the home run derby on the All Star Eves but not by much.

I felt as though I should comment on the marathon All star game that took place this week in MLB. Sports talk radio is all over the "problem" of the long game. I suppose it is not good to take an exhibition game into the wee hours of the night on the east coast. I also understand that wearing out pitchers in a meaningless game in terms of the teams themselves who pay the players is taking a risk that isn't fair.

But let's go back several years when the game ended in a tie and the whole sports talk jocks were up in arms about how bad that was and how it needed to be solved. Also, let's remember that this game isn't meaningless to all the teams. The winning league field advantage in the World Series for its representative so the teams in the pennant race do have a reason to win.

Since everyone has their solution just like they have a solution for the BCS, here is mine for what it is worth.......

I think the game should be played out in extra innings to get a winner. I think the managers should manage with that in mind as the game progresses and saves pitchers. As they get closer to the end, they can use them for 1/3 of an inning to get every team's representative a chance to play so the fans can see "their guy." Regardless of how the manager uses the pitchers, it makes them actually do their job and "manage" the game (By the way, how about all my " and " in this post? Enough?) But I would alter the rules a bit in that the players who were substituted for earlier in the game to get more players a chance to play for their fans, can return to the game in their previous spot in the lineup and field. This can only be done once per player and can't happen until after the ninth inning.

I still need to think it through to work out the kinks but I'm counting on commenter's to help me with that. Share the flaws you find in this idea and if you have an idea to fix them, go for it. Also, you can give your idea as well.