The MLB All Star Week

I love the MLB All Star game because it is one of the few games where players give it their all. Luckily baseball is one of the few games where you cannot coast because the game comes to you. Batters cannot take it easy at the plate or they will look silly, pitchers have to throw good pitches or they will get shelled, and fielder better be ready or they will look like Dan Uggla and make 3 errors in the game.

I love the Home Run Derby even though I think it is a little too long and should only be 2 rounds and have 4 guys in the finals. That would ensure that the finals are still competitive and will still ensure some drama with a lot of home runs. Overall though I am a huge fan of the Home Run Derby because it is not fixed like the slam dunk competition. (If you need proof of that go youtube Rudy Fernadez two dunks from this years dunk contest and tell me if there was not an agenda to get Nate Robinson and Dwight Howard in the Finals.)

However I think the MLB should expand the All Star festivities to have some skills competitions. Here are my ideas.

1. Fast Pitch competition- Think about it, all of the hardest throwers in the game trying to hit the highest on the radar gun. The only rule the pitch has to be a strike. Broxton, Papelbon, Verlander and maybe 3 other guys. Each gets 10 pitches with a generous umpire calling strikes. The fastest strike for each player counts winner takes all.

2. Fastest Round the Bases- Crawford, Sizemore, Ichiro and 3 other speedsters. Each gets one run around all the diamond and the clock stops when the players crosses home plate. Who is the fastest man in the Major League? This will settle it.

3. Outfield Assist- My personal favorite. Straight out of Tom Emanski Defensive Skills video. Get all of the outfielders selected to the All Star team, go out to the out field. They each get 5 throws from Left, Center, and Right from about 250 feet out. There will be a trash can in place behind home place. If the ball hits the trash can you get 1 point but if it goes in the trash can you get 3 points. The top four highest scores will go to the finals and the highest score there wins.

Are these ideas perfect no but at least it gets everybody involved in the All Star festivities and will make it much more entertaining just like the NBA, NFL, and NHL skills competition. The MLB has more than just home run hitters and its time to showcase some of that talent.