Reasons to Watch the All-Star Game

[Guest Edgy DC]

Not the practice uniforms. Not this year. Uh-uh.

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

So the host city gets to impose its team colors on all the players? Odd.

I'm not watching the All-Star game. I think the last time I watched was around 1991.

[Elster88]

Back before there was an American League, was it called MLB? Or was it just called the National League?

[Guest sharpie]

The National League. There were other leagues, the Players League, the American Association, etc. Not sure when the corporate Major League Baseball name came about.

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

The acronym MLB is fairly new. When I was a kid I never saw it, not like you always did (and do) with NFL, NBA, and NHL. It was just "major league baseball." I don't know when that term came about, though.

[stevejrogers]

="Yancy Street Gang"]The acronym MLB is fairly new. When I was a kid I never saw it, not like you always did (and do) with NFL, NBA, and NHL. It was just "major league baseball." I don't know when that term came about, though.

The term "Major League" does go back to the "Olden Days" back in the 1870's.

I'm going to guess "Major League Baseball" as a corporate term defining the entiy that incorporates the American and National Leagues of Baseball Clubs probably came with the forming of the Commissioner's office back in 1920. Not sure how it came to be that Ban Johnson was able to certify his American League as a true "Major" rather than the minor independent league it was prior to 1901 (IIRC it was the Western League had teams in Chicago, Detroit, Milwaukee, and other mid-western towns)

I'll have to dig out my trusty 19th century baseball book (David Nemec a few years back, I believe the title is 19th Century Baseball Encylopedia) for verification

[RealityChuck]

"Major league" dates from 1892. And the first cite in the OED, interestingly enough, uses the term to describe the Western League.

]1892 World Almanac 227 The Western League began playing in 1886... It was one of the �major leagues� last year. 1910 J. EVERS Baseball in Big Leagues iii. 50 The principal abuses of the system have been by major leagues taking players from lower class leagues. 1954 Sun (Baltimore) 9 Apr. 20/4 There are now from 22 to 24 cities being considered for the major leagues... This is the opinion of Ford Frick, baseball's high commissioner.

So the Western League was called a major league before the National League, and it was referred to as such nine years before it became the American League.

"Major League Baseball" was never used when I was younger. I'd be surprised if it dated from before the 90s (the OED only gives one cite for it -- in lower case from 1968). If anyone referred to the sport, it was always just "baseball" or NL or AL.

I think the NL and AL started using it because all other sports leagues were referred to by letters and until interleague play, the two leagues were completely separate. It wasn't just the games: trades from one league to another fell under different rules -- there were specific interleague trading periods; any player traded from one league to another outside of those times had to go through league waivers. The umpires even wore different gear: NL home plate umpires had something like a catcher's pad, usually under their clothes; AL home plate umpires had big balloon protectors that looked like a small mattress tied to their chests (they also set up differently).

The commissioner was usually a figurehead (once Landis died and until Bowie Kuhn took over) and the league office had little power.

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

I think I've been hearing the term "major league baseball" since I started watching in 1971. You may not have heard it a lot, but I'm pretty sure it was part of that standard disclaimer about the copyright of the telecast.

It went something like this...

This is a copyrighted telecast of major league baseball. No portion of the pictures, descriptions, and accounts of this game can be blah blah blah without the express written consent of the Commissioner of Baseball.

[RealityChuck]

You're right: "Major League Baseball" was trademarked in 1968. I started watching before that, though.

[Elster88]

BTW, I am very proud of my hijack of this thread. Go me.

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

And you did it without any sexy nuns.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Most encylopediae will only list the following as Major Leagues:

American Association (1882-1991)
National Association (1871-1875)
American League (1901-Pres.)
Federal League (1914-1915)
National League (1876-Pres.)
Players League (1890)
Union Association (1884)

One or two of those are dubious, and let in a whole host of players who don't really deserve to be called Major League players, and probably had a quality of play relative to the other "big" leagues below that of the pre-war Pacific Coast League.

[nymr83]

i stopped watching the all-star game after Bud Selig called it a tie. then he made things worse by basing homefield advantage on what he admitted was an exhibition game. i say you can't have it both ways... if this game is important and i'm the manager then i'm taking the best pitcher from my division's rival's roster and making him go 7 inningsm hey i have to try and win it for my league right?

[metirish]

Best part about the All-Star weekend is Chris Berman doinf his thing during the home run derby, he's such a pro, the way he can make up names for the players on the fly is just amazing, the rest is bullshit.

[Elster88]

]American Association (1882-1991)

Typo there, I think. Unless it's been a very under the radar league.

[Guest Edgy DC]

1891

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

metirish wrote: Best part about the All-Star weekend is Chris Berman doinf his thing during the home run derby, he's such a pro, the way he can make up names for the players on the fly is just amazing, the rest is bullshit.

I don't think he makes them up as he's broadcasting. It's part of his preparation.

[Gwreck]

metirish wrote: Best part about the All-Star weekend is Chris Berman doinf his thing during the home run derby, he's such a pro, the way he can make up names for the players on the fly is just amazing, the rest is bullshit.

Am I missing the SC here?

Berman has devolved in to a terrible announcer and a cariacture. The names were funny 15 years ago, not so much anymore. Berman's home run call is terrible, particularly considering that he's on TV. Attention Chris: yelling "Back, back, back" when the ball's flight is well past the top of its arc and on the way down into the seats is both pointless and annoying. Multiply that times 200 for the homerun derby and I want to puncture my own eardrums.

[metirish]

]Am I missing the SC here?

Of course you are not missing it, I hate the guy.

[Gwreck]

metirish wrote: ]Am I missing the SC here? Of course you are not missing it, I hate the guy.

Oh well, a good Friday afternoon rant is always relaxing.

[metirish]

Of course a few beers would be cool too, Gwreck your player designation sounds like an ESPN anchor.

[soupcan]

All-Star Game -

The ONLY time the DH makes sense to use and they DON'T use it.

Its crap.

[Frayed Knot]

Chris Berman's "style" on signature calls:

Step 1) - Steal someone else's signature call:
* Cosell's 'He - Could - Go - All - The - Way'
* Red Barber's 'Back, Back, Back ....'
* Keith Jackson's 'FUMMMMMBBBBLLLLE!'

Step 2) - Exaggerate it

Step 3) - Scream it at top volume

Step 4) Call it your own

[TransMonk]

="Frayed Knot"]Chris Berman's "style" on signature calls: Step 1) - Steal someone else's signature call: * Cosell's 'He - Could - Go - All - The - Way' * Red Barber's 'Back, Back, Back ....' * Keith Jackson's 'FUMMMMMBBBBLLLLE!'

"Rumblin', Bumblin', Stumblin'" - also Keith Jackson

[Gwreck]

soupcan wrote: All-Star Game - The ONLY time the DH makes sense to use and they DON'T use it. Its crap.

I'm a bit of an all-star-game apologist, but this comment I found strange. I would think the pinch-hitters would allow more players to be used, therefore allowing more of the starters/best players out on the field longer.

[seawolf17]

Yeah. Last I checked, the DH sucked balls, no matter where it's used, for any reason. Ever.

[soupcan]

Gwreck wrote: ="soupcan"]All-Star Game - The ONLY time the DH makes sense to use and they DON'T use it. Its crap. I'm a bit of an all-star-game apologist, but this comment I found strange. I would think the pinch-hitters would allow more players to be used, therefore allowing more of the starters/best players out on the field longer.

Okay fine - use pinch hitters, but they don't! They let pitchers bat in this stupid game when its in an NL park.

[Zvon]

I havent missed an all star game since Rose laid out Fosse.

[Guest cooby]

soupcan wrote: Okay fine - use pinch hitters, but they don't! They let pitchers bat in this stupid game when its in an NL park.

Gotta agree here; there are usually a couple of guys left over of both persuasions after each All Star game. Having pinch hitters for pitchers would mean everyone would get to play.

Now if, for example the NL batted around in the first inning and the starting pitcher got up to bat, I'd say let him bat rather than come out of the game before he even pitched

[Gwreck]

cooby wrote: Now if, for example the NL batted around in the first inning and the starting pitcher got up to bat, I'd say let him bat rather than come out of the game before he even pitched

Happened a couple of years ago actually. I think Mulder had to bat for the AL.