The annual baseball all-star has came and went.
In general terms all-star games are a mockery of their sports. Players are not playing full out and frankly with good reason. No one wants a season-ending injury in a rough and boring sport like hockey, or a rugged game like football.
Basketball and baseball have a better chance of playing legitimate all-star games, and in the case of baseball they even put some value on it, with winning team getting home field advantage for their league come the World Series.
The problem then of course becomes the issue of some players not being available, in particular starting pitchers, for a game with such importance.
And there is the issue of trying to get almost every player into the game for the fans.
You might argue the ‘subs’ are just as good as the starters, but the fact remains that all-star games are managed differently than you would a regular game with home field hanging in the balance.
Still the baseball game is the most entertaining, and of course the home run derby is the most logical and spectator friendly add-on event.
While in general terms I avoid all-star games, I do find that they do accomplish one important aspect of such contests; they inspire discussion, debate and flat out arguments regarding who should have been included.
While those discussions are fun, I like it when you use such talk as a springboard to a broader look at the sport.
So last week, amid the baseball all start game lull in the season I turned on the computer to find an all-star line-up my son had fashioned, one clearly gleaned from his time of reference as a fan at the tender age of 27.
I of course rise immediately to the bait, and did my own team, based albeit, on my own reference time which dated back a few decades longer.
I will not bore readers with the paltry crew my son assembled.
Let me just assure you my team would have trounced his in four straight in a best-of-seven.
And here is that line up:
C — Johnny Bench
1B — Eddie Murray
2B — Roberto Alomar — (just edges Joe Morgan)
SS — Cal Ripken Jr
3B — Mike Schmidt
DH — Ortiz ( a real DH)
OF — Roberto Clemente
OF — Rickey Henderson
OF — Barry Bonds/Hank Aaron (yes I waffled)
P — Greg Maddux
P — Bob Gibson
P — Steve Carlton
P — Clayton Kershaw (I really wanted Catfish Hunter)
P — Roger Clemens
Rel — Dennis Eckersley
So my son, realizing his squad was over-matched, then suggested he had gone with more of a ‘favourites’ line-up.
All right I can deal with that.
So I gleaned through my favs list and came up with the following, based only on players who have played with either the now transferred Montreal Expos, or the Toronto Blue Jays.
C —Gary Carter
1B - Carlos Delgado/Andrés Galarraga
2B - Roberto Alomar
SS - Tony Fernandez
3B - Josh Donaldon
OF — Andre Dawson
OF — George Bell
OF — Vladmir Guerrero
OF — Tim Raines (Hon mention)
DH Paul Molitor
P— Steve Rogers
P— Dennis Martinez
P— Pedro Martinez
P— Roy Halladay
P— Roger Clemens
HON mentions: Dave Stieb/Jimmy Key
Reliever
Tom Henke/Jeff Reardon
Now that was just a fun exercise. So as I am watching television I see an advertisement for the World Baseball Classic which will take place again in March 2017. It is one of my favourite world sporting events, and that had me thinking about an all-time ‘Team Canada’.
Here is what I came up with, based on overall careers, or an outstanding season or two:
Catcher Russell Martin
1B — Justin Morneau
2B — Dave McKay
SS — Danny Klassen
3B — Corey Koskie
OF — Terry Puhl
OF — Larry Walkers
OF — Jeff Heath
OF — Jason Bay
DH Joey Votto
P — Ferguson Jenkins
P — Ryan Dempster
P — Eric Bedard
P — Reggie Cleveland
P — Jess Francis
P — Jeff Zimmerman
Mid reliever — Paul Quantrill & Claude Raymond
Closers — John Hiller (L) & Eric Gagne (R)
Now I am sure many of you who are reading this have already thought of alternate players you would yourself select. If that is the case then I have achieved my goal, stimulating a bit of cerebral debate regarding a sport we all enjoy.
