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Cooperstown Confidential: reviewing the All-Star game

• Why does the All-Star Game continue to be the “Joe Buck Show?” It’s difficult enough to have to listen to Buck, who would prefer to be at a football game or reading another promo for the NFL, arrogantly strain himself through nine innings of baseball play-by-play, but why does he also have to handle the pre-game introductions and all the in-game ceremonies that take place throughout the night? Aren’t those duties to be handled by the public address announcer at the new Busch Stadium? In addition to a disinterested tone toward baseball, Buck simply lacks the commanding vocal power and presence of a legitimate PA man. (He also apparently doesn’t know how to pronounce Chone Figgins’ first name.) Clearly, there should be a separation between the play-by-play broadcaster and the stadium announcer; I wish that FOX would grasp that distinction by the time the 2011 game rolls around.
  
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• I found it curious that FOX provided no close-up shots of Cardinals legend Stan Musial as he made his way toward the infield on a golf cart. Musial’s health has deteriorated badly over the last few seasons, leaving him looking older than his 88 years. Perhaps FOX, out of respect for the gentlemanly Musial, who has long been one of baseball’s nice guys, simply decided to take a more compassionate approach by keeping its distance. If that was the reasoning, FOX should be applauded for its decision.
  
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• FOX’s camera work and use of replay was generally good throughout the game, but the camera angle used to follow President Barack Obama’s ceremonial first pitch was inexplicable. No matter whom the President is—and no matter what political party he hails from—we always want to see if he can reach the catcher with his first pitch. FOX’s coverage kept us in the dark because the camera angle initially showed only Obama against the background of the first base stands. It was not until mid-game that we saw the President’s first pitch barely reach Albert Pujols’ glove, which snared the ball a few inches above the ground. Admittedly, this is a minor criticism of the coverage, but the inability to chronicle something as basic as the first pitch does make one wonder about FOX and its capacity to cover baseball.
  
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• National League manager Charlie Manuel should have kept Albert Pujols in for the entire game, instead of pulling him after six innings. I don’t care how tired Pujols was; he is the game’s best player, and also happened to be playing in front of his hometown fans in St. Louis. All-Star managers need to lose the Little League/intramural approach of “letting everybody play.” Does anyone, other than a few hometown fans, care if Hunter Pence or Jason Bartlett doesn’t get an at-bat? The game’s most popular superstars—like Pujols, Ichiro, and Derek Jeter—should be allowed to play all nine innings. After all, these are the players the fans voted to see.
  
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• On a related note, the National League needs to get over its pathological hatred of the DH. If there were ever a format designed for the designated hitter, it is the All-Star Game. The ability to use a DH on Tuesday night would have allowed Manuel to find more playing time for his three backup first basemen, Prince Fielder, Adrian Gonzalez, and Ryan Howard, while keeping Pujols at first base for nine innings.
  
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• There were no major baserunning blunders in Tuesday night’s game. That’s a far cry from your typical regular season game, where baserunners typically make two to three obvious mistakes per night. Hey, these guys are all-stars for good reason; they know how to run the bases properly. Hopefully, a few players watching at home took note.