Traditionally, the World Series Managers for the respective leagues get to be the managers for the All-Star game following their appearance; however, due to COVID-19 and the delayed start to last year’s MLB season, there was no All-Star game in 2020, thereby breaking a tradition that has been held in baseball since 1934. Last year’s cancellation of the All-Star game was the first time it happened since 1945, when it was not held in compliance with wartime travel restrictions.
No disrespect to Dave Roberts and what the LA Dodgers achieved in 2020. This is an issue that Major League Baseball should at least look into. I am pretty sure that the league office has a very sticky situation to deal with, but I am sure that for the “integrity of the game and it’s traditions,” the league office can do two things at once. Right?
Major League Baseball literally changed venues for this year’s All-Star game on April 2 just days before the MLB season officially started.
There have been various situations with regards to the All-Star game in the past,l where the league has changed its rules to ensure fairness. Here are a couple:
On January 13, MLB suspended Hinch for the entire 2020 season for his role in the Houston Astros sign-stealing scandal. Astros owner Jim Crane subsequently fired Hinch after the announcement. On January 29, it was announced that Hinch’s successor, Dusty Baker, would manage the American League instead, so there was even a process for when a manager gets fired before the All-Star game.
So why not do something for Davey Martinez?
Despite the game being cancelled, MLB.com released the players they believed deserved to be recognized as the “Unofficial 2020 All-Stars,”
So why not do something for Davey Martinez?
Because MLB canceled the All-Star game, Dodger Stadium was automatically awarded the All-Star game in 2022, and the game’s respective planned television and radio partners, Fox and ESPN Radio, were automatically awarded broadcast rights to that game.
So why not do something for Davey Martinez?
Because of the season-ending 1994-95 MLBPA strike, where the season was abandoned without official league champions, the 1995 game featured the “unofficial” league champions, the managers of the clubs leading their respective leagues’ won-loss records – Buck Showalter of the New York Yankees and Felipe Alou of the Montreal Expos for the All-Star Game. Here you have a perfect precedent to say that Davey Martinez should be the NL Manager for this year’s All-Star game.
So why not do something for Davey Martinez?
If MLB isn’t going to change their decision on who should manage the NL team, then at least they owe Martinez a spot on the coaching bench and a mention during his introduction. Major League Baseball owes that to him and to the fans of the Washington Nationals!
By the way, MLB, what’s going on with MASN? When is that issue going to be resolved? But please keep your focus on pace of play and sticky stuff.