By 2002, Fox Sports and Major League Baseball could sense the appeal of the All-Star Game was slipping.
The debacle in Milwaukee, with the game ending in a 7-7, saw ratings for the Mid-Summer Classic fall to 9.5, the first time ever below 10.
All the great minds came up with a solution: Make the game count. Tie home field advantage in the World Series to the winner of the All-Star Game.
Surely, if the game meant something more people would tune in. Right?
Not exactly.
In 2003, the game did a 9.5 rating, the same as 2002. In fact, it never got as high as that mark again, holding steady between 8.1 and 9.3 from ’04 through ’08.
You could counter that having the game count might have held off possible ratings erosion after the ’02 game. But it definitely didn’t spark a ratings windfall and it hasn’t prevented the recent slide to an all-time low of 6.8 last year.
Even though there is a prize at the end, the game still feels like an exhibition in the eyes of many viewers. Starters come out early; pitchers don’t go more than inning. No matter how hard they try, the intensity level isn’t the same.
On comments board, John weighed in:
“They say it counts, but the game is run w idea of getting everyone into game – can’t serve two masters – no one is satisfied – plus too many dumb people in America – smart people like baseball.”
It’ll be interesting to see what happens tonight. Having the All-Star Game in New York should spark an increase in the ratings. More viewers from the nation’s No. 1 market are likely to tune in to see the big event taking place in their backyard.
But MLB shouldn’t get its expectations up too high. It will be hard-pressed to hit that 9.5 rating in 2002 again, back when the outcome of the game didn’t matter.
The All-Star Game “counts,” but only in the most tenuous way. Nobody’s worrying about home-field advantage in July; that’s what pennant races and playoffs are for. I lost interest when the game was required to have a player from each team, undermining the premise of “the best of the best.” Not to mention the fan voting. The All-Star Game used to be an honest spectacle that mattered because there wasn’t a spectacle on TV every two hours and because the best players played. Now it’s just a gerry-rigged marketing event. It’s true that baseball fans are smart, but you can be dumb and still recognize that.
One more thing: Selig blew it in 2002. There’s no crying in baseball, and there are no ties, either. He should have told each manager, “Send out your best batting-practice pitcher (a coach) and five sluggers. It’s Home Run Derby time.” And settled the game right there, playground style. The whole baseball world would have been abuzz for months. Instead, everyone went home frustrated and Selig showed that he has no understanding of games and fans.