SEATTLE — For the first time in recent memory, our annual pre-All-Star Game press conference with the commissioner turned into a 15-minute brag session.
And why not? Attendance is up 8 percent across the game. You read that right. Eight percent!
Game times have been cut by 28 minutes. Which means kids of a certain age can now see a whole game before heading off to bed. And some of us can make our deadlines.
Scoring is up. Stolen bases are way up. Action is at an all-time high.
The new rules are amazing, maybe the second-best thing about the current game, after the impossible Shohei Ohtani of course.
The only thing commissioner Rob Manfred didn’t mention was that Major League Baseball still has the best All-Star Game, a 3-2 NL victory. Because, of course, that goes without saying.
The crowd, which paid an average of $658 a ticket, according to the internet — $2,458 for the good seats, which sounds more like a Taylor Swift concert — was really into it. They cheered every move by a Mariner, and also by one rival, the Angels’ two-way superstar Ohtani, who they hope will one day be a Mariner.
“Come to Se-at-tle,” they chanted whenever Ohtani came to bat.
Ohtani, no fool, praised this lovely town — I agree, the Emerald City is a gem — in his in-game press conference.
“I like the city,” Ohtani said. “It’s beautiful.”
(Don’t get too excited, Mariners fans. While the Mariners were one of his seven finalists last time, I don’t think it’s likely since he made clear on Monday he most wants to win. But I give fans credit: the chant showed fantastic spirit and unreal coordination.)
The enthusiasm was palpable all night, as was the detest in a couple cases. Every time the Astros were mentioned, the roar could be heard clear back to Tacoma, wherever that is.
The sellout crowd of 47,159 even booed the Astros’ spacey mascot Orbit, a cute little fellow who never banged on a garbage can, at least as far as we know. They also booed almost universally beloved Astros manager Dusty Baker, who was managing the AL All-Stars and was apparently deemed guilty by association. In reality, he helped clean up the mess in Houston, and deserves only cheers wherever he goes.
Mariners fans love their team, and nearly every former Mariners great was introduced, with the notable exception of Alex Rodriguez, who hit .358 here as a 20-year-old. He was here doing pregame and postgame All-Star shows for Fox but is mostly recalled for jilting Seattle for more money. Presumably, he would have received only a slightly better reception than Orbit.
Anyway, it’s always been the best All-Star Game, and getting better. It’s even back to being a draw, even for the players.
Gone are the days deserving players take the time off as a chance to escape baseball. I only heard of two non-injured players who turned down the chance to be here (and I won’t mention them as they made family plans based on low expectations to make it).
The stars generally all wanted to here. And if you assume superstars may be jaded by now, you are wrong. American League starter Gerrit Cole, here for his sixth All-Star Game, sounded thrilled both before and after the game.
“That was a lot of adrenaline for a bullpen day,” said Cole after his scoreless first inning. “That was a really fun experience overall, really fun.”
Everyone had a lot of fun in the first. The AL’s corner outfielders made bookend leaping catches at the wall, aiding Cole. Adolis Garcia and Randy Arozarena celebrated their grabs with big smiles, two former St. Louis Cardinals reminding them about their painful season and a couple bad decisions.
“You gotta trust your defense,” Cole said of the catches. “I think it worked out great. They got great swings. … Nine pitches.”
I asked Cole which was the best of the All-Star Games, and naturally he started recalling previous games he pitched in. I meant him to answer where baseball’s All-Star Game ranks compared to those of other major sports. After I clarified, Cole answered, “I don’t watch many Pro Bowls, to be honest.”
I told him that neither does anyone else, and he made sure to point out for the camera that was me saying that. Didn’t matter. No one does. And everyone knows it.
The only thing I’d change about this All-Star event is the Home Run Derby, and only a little. The way it works out every year, the star of the show doesn’t win as the funny rules favor metronomic consistency. Make it so total home runs wins it. That way the star of the evening, the deserving Mariners’ own Julio Rodriguez — J-Rod over A-Rod! — who had the greatest rounds ever with a record 41 homers, might have won.
Rather than counting swings, they smartly put a clock on the hitting rounds a few years back, which is great. However, they need to put a timer on the whole event. Like a lot of the homers, it’s long.
