Sez Me …
Baseball’s All-Star Game, once known as the “Midsummer Classic” — when it actually wasn’t a lie, as with seemingly everything else today — is upon us. And it’s basically incognito. In disguise.
The All-Star Game has a problem. Baseball simply doesn’t have that many true All-Stars, especially among those who use a bat.
Think about the players who will take the field in Atlanta on Tuesday.
Among everyday players, the National League has one Hall of Fame cinch — Shohei Ohtani. Freddie Freeman, Manny Machado, Ronald Acuña Jr., and, yes, especially Fernando Tatis Jr., have difficult peaks to climb without Sherpa help.
On the American League side, Aaron Judge hasn’t made it there yet, but he probably will — especially if he continues at this pace (being a Yankee doesn’t hurt). Vladimir Guerrero Jr.? Bobby Witt Jr.? Alps to scale.
Let’s just take a few samplings from the past. The 1973 NL starting lineup featured Pete Rose, Joe Morgan, Henry Aaron, Billy Williams, Johnny Bench and Ron Santo. Willie Mays and Willie Stargell joined most of them the previous year.
The 1985 AL team featured Rickey Henderson, George Brett, Eddie Murray, Cal Ripken, Jim Rice and Carlton Fisk.
What’s that tell you? It tells me baseball used to have better players — at least more of them.
And why is that?
The players are swathed in the Olympic ideal — bigger, stronger, faster — as they are in very sport, and certainly in better condition, with better equipment, with better medicine, with even the poorest ones rich enough not to need a second job working in a hardware store or on daddy’s farm.
They’re getting their money, guaranteed. Even if they don’t play. Even if they stink.
I’m not saying there’s a lack of incentive all around the yard, but there certainly is in some cases.
What do players strive to achieve now? Batting titles don’t seem to matter anymore, thanks to the nerds. OPS? WAR? RBIs used to matter most, but computers shake their screens.
I know incentive is lacking among All-Stars, and has since Rose played. You can trace the demise of this game to when he retired. Firsthand, I witnessed Pete going from locker to locker to motivate his All-Star teammates.
Now the most popular thing on this carnival ride is the Home Run Derby, which isn’t baseball, but a show of strength — and to me, a clown show with juiced baseballs.
Tatis wisely chose to skip this Derby, which has been known to screw up swings. Fernando is a star. But he isn’t an All-Star. Not now. Not this season. The recognition can’t be there for anything he’s done the past few months. An All-Star in skill, yes.
You’d like to say there are pitchers to watch, but they may be on a 20-pitch count.
This used to be such a big deal, they played more of them. From 1959-1962, they held two All-Star games in the same season. Some famous moments in baseball happened in All-Star Games — including Dizzy Dean’s famous foot injury — but it’s hard to find one recently, at least one that sticks with me.
Thing is, it remains the only All-Star Game that matters. The NBA’s is a complete joke (the useless dunk contest is the highlight), and waste of time.
And the NFL, in a rare moment of lucidness, got rid of theirs altogether and replaced it with parlor games. …
Nick Pivetta #27 of the San Diego Padres reacts after striking out Lourdes Gurriel Jr. #12 of the Arizona Diamondbacks during the fourth inning at Petco Park on Tuesday, July 8, 2025 in San Diego, CA. (Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Nick Pivetta is the Padre most All-Star-deserving. And he didn’t make it. Maybe during the break he can keep his arm major league-ready by tossing four or five pitches in his backyard. …
The Pads are sending three relievers to the game, though. Man, this team is so much better than I thought. …
The automated ball-strike system, tested during the spring, is coming to the All-Star Game. Only two challenges on pitches will be allowed, and only can be made by the pitcher, catcher or batter. …
Awful calls by home plate umpires are the worst part of the game — at times ticking me off to the point of changing channels. This is a Band-Aid on a hemorrhage. …
The Dodgers should win 120 games a year. They won’t. And that’s good. …
Due to the Bums’ slump, the Pads are hanging around like yesterday’s laundry. They’re not going to be sellers, and maybe not buyers at the trade deadline. But I’d wager A.J. Preller is burning 50-gallon drums of midnight oil. …
There is a report that Roger Goodell “urged” his NFL owners to do away with guaranteed contracts for players. Yeah, I bet that took a whole lot of urging. …
Colin Kaepernick says he wants to play in the NFL this year. Once again, this witty Bud Tucker line comes into play: “He has three chances. Slim, none and fat.” …
Judases tailback Najee Harris injures his eye in a fireworks accident. He’s going to be OK, they say, but what is he, 8? …
The last time a Dallas Cowboys player was arrested, they won a Super Bowl. Forget about putting Tom Brady’s name on the Lombardi Trophy. The NFL should honor J. Edgar Hoover. …
News for Dallas fans: Every Cowboy can pose for police mugshots and your guys aren’t going to the Super Bowl. …
Somebody bet $25,000 on the Raiders to win the Super Bowl at 100-1 odds. Next: Buys into a Thermal Underwear franchise in Tahiti. …
Tom Brady and Sofia Vergara are rumored to be dating. Last week it was Sydney Sweeney. Busy Tom finding new ways to stay in shape for camp. …
I saw an X list the other day of the 20 greatest players in NFL history, and Jim Brown was 14th. I won’t mention the source to save it from incredible embarrassment. …
Deion Sanders would like to see a salary cap for college football. Didn’t say if it should include coaches. …
Tony Gwynn batted .472 in Milwaukee. …
Karl Malone insists he’d have two NBA Championship rings if he’d faced LeBron instead of Michael. True. …
The Dream Team didn’t call a timeout in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. For what, which play to run next? I covered their “games” and I think they learned a lesson from Hitler stopping his Panzer divisions at Dunkirk. …
Larry David is planning an HBO return with a political sketch show. Politics? Hopefully it isn’t a lie. …
Lions tailback David Montgomery said threats from fantasy football idiots made him fear for his life and that he contemplated suicide. If fantasy pittance is so important to you that you send out death threats, please, get in a long line for a cheap shrink. …
Happy 98th, Doc Severinsen. A brilliant musician and one of those few who cracked up Johnny Carson. …
RIP, David Gergen. A brilliant captain who expertly navigated through foolish seas. …
RIP, Frank Layden. Next to Roy Danforth, probably the greatest comedian among all basketball coaches. …
Elon Musk, Mr. Tesla, wants to form a third political party. Good news: Nobody has to drive it. …
In that Joe Biden is to blame for everything gone wrong since Cain, he has to take responsibility for the Padres’ ineptitude with runners in scoring position. …
Memo to Bicycle Mayor and his Ham & Eggers: I’ve managed to get a great deal, swapping my Porsche straight-up for a trash can.
Originally Published: July 12, 2025 at 2:18 PM PDT