2012 Major League Baseball All-Star Game (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The 2012 All-Star Game was about as fun to watch as paint drying, and every year it seems to get worse.
Players don’t seem to give a hoot anymore; and fans think the All-Star Game has turned into an awful representation of a sport that they love every other day of the season.
I did watch the whole thing, but it was tough after watching ex-Yankee Melky Cabrera hit a homer making the score 8-0. And rightfully so the Melk-man also took home the MVP Award for the game.
And what a pathetic showing by the American League, everyone one of them should leave Kansas City with their heads between their legs in embarrassment. I mean not scoring a run…give me a break.
So, during my sheer boredom I started comparing past seasons All-Star Game winners to that season’s World Series winner to see if they connected.
Year | ASG | WS Champs |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | N.L. | TBD |
| 2011 | N.L. | St. Louis Cardinals |
| 2010 | N.L. | San Francisco Giants |
| 2009 | A.L. | New York Yankees |
| 2008 | A.L. | Philadelphia Phillies |
| 2007 | A.L. | Boston Red Sox |
| 2006 | A.L. | Saint Louis Cardinals |
| 2005 | A.L. | Chicago White Sox |
| 2004 | A.L. | Boston Red Sox |
| 2003 | A.L. | Florida Marlins |
| 2002 | Tie | Anaheim Angels |
| 2001 | A.L. | Arizona Diamondbacks |
| 2000 | A.L. | New York Yankees |
| 1999 | A.L. | New York Yankees |
| 1998 | A.L. | New York Yankees |
| 1997 | A.L. | Florida Marlins |
| 1996 | N.L. | New York Yankees |
| 1995 | N.L. | Atlanta Braves |
| 1994 | N.L. | **No World Series |
| 1993 | A.L. | Toronto Blue Jays |
| 1992 | A.L. | Toronto Blue Jays |
| 1991 | A.L. | Minnesota Twins |
| 1990 | A.L. | Cincinnati Reds |
Since 2003, the outcome of the MLB All-Star Game decided home-field advantage for the World Series. In six of the nine years the same league that won the ASG, also won the WS.
As for the Yankees in four of their last five World Series Championships (1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2009) the AL won the All-Star Game in that season as well.
I remember back in 2009, the Yankees lost Game 1 to the Phillies at home; and won game 2 but what would have happened if the WS had started in Philadelphia?
Losing the first game of a WS series makes the second game a must-win for the losing team and one would presume a team’s odds are better on their home turf.
Following the 8-0 AL loss, Mark Feinsand of the NY Daily News asked the Yankees Captain Derek Jeter how he felt about losing home field advantage:
“If we’re playing Game 7, it means we’re in the World Series. I hope I’m playing Games 1, 2, 6 and 7 on the road. That’s the best way to put it. I hope I’m there. If you’re going to win, you have to play well at home and play well on the road. I hope I get to complain about us being on the road in the World Series.”
MLB Networks Harold Reynolds said it perfectly in the post game:
“At the end of the day it was an All-Star game…you know it was a blah, yes.”
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Lousy title. Do you think the Yankees ASG reps didn't know or didn't try? Come on!!
Since 1985, the team with home-field advantage has won 21 of 26 World Series titles. The ASG is a joke. Go back to the team that plays 162 with the best record and not some beauty pageant ASG.
Yes but Richard the ASG has to be worth something or it will be an even bigger joke.