American League Beats National League 9-4

Most of the pre-game hype focused on the not-that-friendly relationship between Roger Clemens and Mike Piazza. Forced to be a pitcher-catcher battery for the All-Star game, the media thought it had a story about men hating each other but working together. After Mr. Clemens gave up 6 runs in the first inning, the game was over, and the story didn't count for much.

By their very nature, All-Star games are rather second-rate affairs. While the fans may enjoy seeing all the greats of a given year on the field at the same time, the fact that the players don't know one another as team-mates shows up in the caliber of play. As a result, the game is not baseball at its best, but at its most marketable.

In the case of Messrs. Clemens and Piazza, the trouble goes back to the 2000 season, when the Yankees and Mets played in the regular season. Mr. Clemens threw at Mr. Piazza, a play from the Bush League (there is such a thing, and it has nothing to do with the president -- whose foreign policy is certainly Bush League). In the World Series that year, Mr. Piazza's bat broke, and Mr. Clemens threw the broken barrel back at him -- Mr. Clemens is not a gentleman. This animosity had all the appeal of a train wreck, which meant it was played up by the press.

Worse for Mr. Clemens, this miserable effort comes after a 78-day "retirement" and happened in front of his home town fans in Houston. Perhaps, he should wake up and quit. As for the rest of the National League, it held its own in the remaining 8 innings. Indeed, had "The Rocket" done his job and put the American League out in the first inning, the game would have gone to the National League 4-3.

And while the subject is baseball, the designated hitter rule remains the dumbest and most unlovable rule in all of professional sport -- even worse than deciding the Soccer World Cup by penalty kicks. It isn't real baseball if the pitcher doesn't bat. Most assuredly, Mr. Clemens wouldn't have beaned Mr. Piazza, and the press might have had to cover the sport instead of the soap opera dramatics.


© Copyright 2004 by The Kensington Review, J. Myhre, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent.


Home