|
NORTH SMITHFIELD, R.I. (EJSports) -- It's that time of the year once more. School is out, the weather is warmer, the pool and the beach are premier destination spots throughout all parts of the world, parents and their children are sitting outside on picnic blankets, anxiously waiting an exciting and music-filled fireworks display, families are taking vacations, and of course ... it's that time to go through the annual ritual -- the annual burden -- of channeling my inner-MLB manager ... correction: my inner-MLB executive ... by filling out the American League and National League All-Star Game rosters. For the first time, All-Star managers Terry Francona (Cleveland Indians) and Joe Maddon (Chicago Cubs) will not have the responsibility of filling out their respective rosters. The job has been given to Joe Torre, MLB's Chief Baseball Officer and former player and Hall-of-Fame manager. The MLB All-Star Game no longer counts. The MLB All-Star Game will no longer decide home-field advantage for the upcoming the World Series. Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players' Association agreed to this change as part of the new collective bargaining agreement negotiated this past offseason. The All-Star Game returns to being an exhibition game for the first time since 2002. The lone rewards for being a player on the winning team are bragging rights and a $20,000 bonus. The rosters are smaller now. Each league's roster will consist of 32 players (12 pitchers, 20 position players). It had been 34 players the past few seasons. Since the All-Star Game no longer decides home-field advantage for the World Series, neither team will need extra rosters spots for such needs as a versatile utility player or an extra reliever. Guidelines for the rosters continue to require the selection of at least one player from each team in each league. 31 players are provisionally chosen, then five additional finalists are given the opportunity to obtain the final roster spot via the fan's Final Vote, for a total of 32 players. Due to this and other restrictions, there are always deserving players that are left off the teams -- at least, initially. To be fair, some players decide not to participate, while others are injured at the time of the All-Star festivities, which then leads to roster additions that, most of the time, includes those who some consider to have been "snubbed" the first time around. Difficult choices are made every year, and depending upon how one decides on his/her team, there are no perfect rosters, and there is no perfect process. EJSports 2017 American League All-Star Team Starting Lineup (9)
Reserves (11)
Pitchers (12)
Final Vote Candidates (5)
All-Stars by Team
Also in Consideration
A Brief History of the Midsummer Classic The first official MLB All-Star exhibition game took place on July 6, 1933 at Comiskey Park (1910–1990) and was part of the 1933 Chicago World's Fair during the city's centennial celebration. The brainchild of the event was Arch Ward, sports editor of the Chicago Tribune, who also is credited with creating the All-America Football Conference (AAFC, 1946-1949), the Golden Gloves amateur boxing tournament (1928-), and the College Football All-Star Game (1934-1976). The MLB All-Star Game was intended to be a one-time event to boost morale during the Great Depression. The fans were to select the starting nine players (eight position players plus starting pitcher), while the managers selected the other nine players (minimum two pitchers, one catcher, two infielders, and two outfielders) for each of the National League and American League All-Star teams. It was dubbed the "Game of the Century" by the Chicago Tribute, and 55 newspapers across the country printed the fans' ballots in their papers. Pat Flanagan and Johnny O'Hara of CBS, as well as Graham McNamee and Hal Totten of NBC, broadcast the call of the game over the radio. The first televised All-Star Game wouldn't take place until 1949, as Dodgers radio announcer Red Barber provided his dulcet Southern tones on CBS at his hometown Ebbets Field (Brooklyn, NY). Hall of Famers John McGraw of the New York Giants and Connie Mack of the Philadelphia Athletics managed the National League and American League clubs, respectively. McGraw had finished his managerial career the year before, but agreed to manage at the inaugural All-Star Game. Mack, still the all-time winningest manager in MLB history, would still have 17 more of his 50 seasons to manage. For both men, this would be their lone All-Star Game managerial experience. The game's attendance was roughly 49,200, and the net gate receipts from the game went to a charity for disabled and needy major league players. The All-Star Game would thereafter be known as Major League Baseball's "Midsummer Classic". Note: The first MLB All-Star Game was an unofficial game called the Addie Joss Benefit Game and took place on July 24, 1911 at Cleveland League Park (Cleveland, OH), with the American League All-Stars defeating the Cleveland Naps 5-3. When and Where to Tune In
MLB All-Star Game Rosters Announced Sunday, July 2, 7:00 PM EDT (ESPN; streaming on WatchESPN) Futures Game World Team (Edger Renteria, manager) vs. U.S. Team (Charles Johnson, manager) Sunday, July 9, 4:00 PM EDT (MLB Network; streaming on MLB.com) All-Star Legends & Celebrity Softball Game Sunday, July 9, immediately following Futures Game (MLB Network; streaming on MLB.com) (Featuring William Levy, Jamie Foxx, Fred Lynn, Jason Taylor, Bernie Williams, Dascha Polanco, Jencarlos Canela, Ivan Rodriguez, Chris Jackson, Miles Teller, Benito Santiago, Jennie Finch, Al Leiter, "Heavy D", Andre Dawson, Michael Cudlitz, Justin Hartley, Rickey Henderson, Jessica Mendoza, and Tim Raines) T-Mobile Home Run Derby Monday, July 10, 8:00 PM EDT (ESPN) 88th Major League Baseball All-Star Game, presented by Mastercard® American League vs. National League Tuesday, July 11, 7:30 PM (FOX)
0 Comments
|
RSS Feed
© 2024 RIWBL. All Rights Reserved.
"WIFFLE", the WIFFLE® logo, and the image of the WIFFLE® ball are federally registered trademarks of The Wiffle Ball, Inc. and used with written permission.
Important Note: Donors can deduct contributions made to Rhode Island WIFFLE® Ball League under IRC Section 170.
The Rhode Island WIFFLE® Ball League is a non-profit organization that raises money for local, national, and global charities. Among our tournament's beneficiaries through the years are Hasbro Children’s Hospital, Amos House, the Rhode Island Community Food Bank, Children’s Miracle Network, Alzheimer’s Association, Prostate Cancer Foundation, Wounded Warrior Project, and Special Olympics of Rhode Island.
All are welcome to register:
R.I.W.B.L. Little Rhody WIFFLE® Ball Classic:
September 15, 2024, 9:00 am EDT @ Fay Memorial Field (Cranston, RI)
"WIFFLE", the WIFFLE® logo, and the image of the WIFFLE® ball are federally registered trademarks of The Wiffle Ball, Inc. and used with written permission.
Important Note: Donors can deduct contributions made to Rhode Island WIFFLE® Ball League under IRC Section 170.
The Rhode Island WIFFLE® Ball League is a non-profit organization that raises money for local, national, and global charities. Among our tournament's beneficiaries through the years are Hasbro Children’s Hospital, Amos House, the Rhode Island Community Food Bank, Children’s Miracle Network, Alzheimer’s Association, Prostate Cancer Foundation, Wounded Warrior Project, and Special Olympics of Rhode Island.
All are welcome to register:
R.I.W.B.L. Little Rhody WIFFLE® Ball Classic:
September 15, 2024, 9:00 am EDT @ Fay Memorial Field (Cranston, RI)
|
|