Comments on: Quote of the Day: Buster Olney on the All-Star Game

By: Jesuswtf

Jesuswtf — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 18:28:31 +0000

I’m not sure “The culture of the event has shifted to the point where we are now at the every-Little Leaguer-gets-a-trophy stage, which is unnecessary.” has made a difference in the number of non-pitchers used in a game.
For the past 50 years (if my data skills are accurate, I looked for lines in retrosheet.org’s event files that started with “start” and “sub” and ended with 1 vs 2-9 ) the # of non-pitchers has jumped all over from from 28 (one of the All-Star games in 1961) to 50 (2001). In 1960 (2x), 1970, 1973, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1986 and every game from 1990 to 2009 (besides 1997) there were more non-pitchers used than this year’s 39. There was an uptick in 1998 when 48 players (setting a new record) were used up that continued in 2001 with 50 (the most ever) that came back down a bit with 40 41 45 41 and 39 used the past 5 years.
The number of pitchers has been steadily increasing since the beginning of the game. The first 15 years saw single digit pitchers combined for both teams. The 50′s saw some double digit counts with 13 setting the mark in 1954, which wasn’t matched until 1969. 1976 saw the last single digit count of pitchers used. The next high water marks were 15 in 1981, 16 in 1988, 18 in 1992, 19 in 2002, and 23 in 2008.
Data:
Year,Players,Pitchers,Non-Pitchers
1933,33,6,27
1934,42,8,34
1935,32,6,26
1936,35,7,28
1937,31,9,22
1938,30,6,24
1939,29,6,23
1940,41,8,33
1941,44,8,36
1942,33,6,27
1943,40,7,33
1944,34,9,25
1946,47,7,40
1947,42,8,34
1948,41,7,34
1949,50,11,39
1950,45,11,34
1951,46,9,37
1952,27,5,22
1953,43,8,35
1954,51,13,38
1955,46,10,36
1956,45,9,36
1957,44,11,33
1958,36,8,28
1959-1,43,10,33
1959-2,43,9,34
1960-1,51,11,40
1960-2,54,11,43
1961-1,47,12,35
1961-2,35,7,28
1962-1,41,8,33
1962-2,47,9,38
1963,42,10,32
1964,41,9,32
1965,44,11,33
1966,43,9,34
1967,48,12,36
1968,49,12,37
1969,52,13,39
1970,57,12,45
1971,44,8,36
1972,45,11,34
1973,60,14,46
1974,47,9,38
1975,54,10,44
1976,49,9,40
1977,51,11,40
1978,47,11,36
1979,57,12,45
1980,50,10,40
1981,60,15,45
1982,55,12,43
1983,55,12,43
1984,48,10,38
1985,54,12,42
1986,51,10,41
1987,57,15,42
1988,54,16,38
1989,53,15,38
1990,58,15,43
1991,56,14,42
1992,59,18,41
1993,51,14,37
1994,56,16,40
1995,57,15,42
1996,54,14,40
1997,51,14,37
1998,64,16,48
1999,60,16,44
2000,59,16,43
2001,68,18,50
2002,68,19,49
2003,60,15,45
2004,64,17,47
2005,63,19,44
2006,55,15,40
2007,58,17,41
2008,68,23,45
2009,57,16,41
2010,58,19,39

By: MVD

MVD — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 00:49:12 +0000

A) Its baseball. Home field advantage doesnt matter.
B) I would have been rather upset had I not seen Brandon Phillips, Scott Rolen, and Joey Votto in the game.
C) The player who had the 3-RBI Double that eventually won the game, Brian McCann, was not the starter at his position, Catcher. The starter was Yadier Molina.
D) Why is there so much fuss? Why cant the game just be fun? Because it counts? What counts? Counts for what? Home field advangtage in the World Series? Refer to A.

By: BC

BC — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 12:45:35 +0000

You beat me to the punch.
This whole thing started because of the tie a few years ago. Playing all the players was never an issue when the game was an exhibition. In fact, if I recall, there was a tie back in the 60′s one year.
THE GAME SHOULD BE AN EXHIBITION. DECIDE HOME FIELD IN THE WORLD SERIES BY BEST RECORD, FOLLOWED BY SPECIFIED TIEBREAKERS.
Bud Light strikes again.

By: APBA Guy

APBA Guy — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 12:11:06 +0000

Gator, how do you really feel?
Seriously, the ratings should continue to plummet. Fans should watch anything else but this mess. The ASG has become bloated beyond any positive descriptor, much like the halftime show at the Super Bowl. Cut it back to 27 guys, if they can’t play they can’t play and they sit on the bench, and eliminate any false meaning. It’s an honor for the players and an exhibition for the rest of us. That’s it.

By: Old Gator

Old Gator — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 12:00:10 +0000

How about accepting that making the All Star Game “count” was a tale told by an idiot, full of panicked economic delusions, signifying nothing? Scrap this preposterous home field advantage idea in the first place. Two teams meet in the World Series having just endured seven grueling months of heat, rain, cold, sprains, fractures, beanings, spikings, home plate collisions, infield collisions, outfield collisions, crashing into a variety of walls, pads and railings, fan interference, revilement by the Chthulhus of the sports press, hangovers, interminable road trips, humiliating curfews and trade rumors if not trades themselves. And now the team that made it through all that with the better record has to enter the Series at a disadvantage because some drooling imbecile of a commissioner decided that the halfassed performances of a bunch of guys in an exhibition game being managed at cross-purposes and who for the most part had nothing whatsoever to do with their collective season-long travails should matter more than what they fought for all season?
.
And all this for the lowest television ratings in history?
.
It’s bullshit. Scrap it.

By: andrewlw

andrewlw — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 11:29:49 +0000

It’s better no one acknowledges it’s supposed to count. Probably the only way to eventually get it not to count one day. imo it’s much more important to get as many players into the game as possible, for the players to get to play in the game which is obviously special enough for them to forgo a 3 day vacation and for the kid who has to stay up super late because the game starts so late to see their all star hit or pitch.

By: Megary

Megary — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 11:20:44 +0000

I think it’s hard for a current manager (Girardi/Manuel) to try and be fair to those selected and also try and win the game. I would suggest an appointed manager for each league every year. Wouldn’t it be awesome to have Bobby Cox come back and manage the NL after his retirement? Joe Torre? Tom Kelly? It would allow these managers to manage without worrying about stepping on toes (what player would question these guys publicly?) and it would also serve as a tribute to some great ambassadors to the game.

By: Jonny5

Jonny5 — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 11:15:03 +0000

Well, I’d say first make Home field advantage exactly what it’s called if you want managers to care. How did the Yankees have home field advantage last season? The first 2 games in NY were split 1-1, then there were 3 straight in Philly. How is that an advantage in a 7 game series? Sure they won anyway, but it wasn’t an advantage for them to win the All star game at all. They would have been better off in the Phillies position. I think the WS should go 1-1-2-2-1 instead of 2-3-2 Yeah sure it’ll add a couple days, but it’s the WS people. Anything to extend the season right??? And it would be a truer home field advantage. Maybe Girardi wanted to lose? Maybe the NL wanted to lose 13 straight??? Lol!! ok, maybe not..

By: bbeer

bbeer — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 11:08:16 +0000

Amen brother, Amen. The all-star game is ran like my league was when I was 13, minus the all-stars, but damn there were some bad baseball players back then.