The Midsummer Classic has come and gone and it was a rousing success. The best players in baseball assembled in LA and put on a show for the fans. I think it is fair to say that MLB has fallen out of touch a but with its fan base and sometimes on the product on the field isn’t the most appealing, but this weekend was the exact opposite. The Home Run Derby and the game itself were awesome to watch.
Home Run Derby
The Derby was really the star of the weekend. The new format that they switched to a few years back has really had a positive impact on the event. It had the perfect mix of old, young and established talent. There was drama with the Kyle Schwarber and Albert Pujols round, elite performances like Julio Rodriguez and intriguing storylines like Pete Alonso going for a three-peat. The Soto/Rodriguez final showdown was an awesome showcase for the future of baseball and it allowed Julio to be the talk of the town for the rest of the weekend.
All Star Game
The MLB All Star Game is the pinnacle of pro sport all star games. The Pro Bowl is a joke and the NBA All-Star game has improved with the introduction of the Elam Ending but the first 3/4 of it can be hard to watch. The MLB All Star Game still looks like baseball and plays like baseball. Guys are throwing and hitting without the pressure but with the same effort they have in real games.
This year, the introduction of all the mic’d up moments was a welcome addition. Hearing these players insights while pitching, hitting and fielding is the perfect way to help these players bring their personalities to the public and grow the game. Nestor Cortes, Jose Trevino and Alec Manoah were all stars on the mic.
It was a competitive game throughout where players had to make actual plays in order to win. The Giancarlo Stanton homer was electric and seeing every teams best reliever air it out is a great representation to todays game.
The All Star break is MLB’s best chance to showcase the stars of their game, young and old. This year they knocked it out of the park (pun intended). The rest of the season has tight races to shape the postseason and field and hopefully this break will have brought some new fans into the fold to watch it all play out.
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