Jon Lester Wants Baseball Fans To Vote David Ross Into The All Star Game In His Final Season
I just want to make one thing perfectly clear — David Ross is not an All Star. But that doesn’t mean that he shouldn’t be at the All Star Game.
I’ve been a HUGE hater of the MLB All Star Game ever since they came up with the “This One Counts” bullshit in 2004. I’m sure I’ll write more about it once we get closer to the actual game, and Royals fans continue to drive me into a deeper state of psychosis with their non-stop voting for every single player on their entire roster. But for now, the story here is that the Cubs‘ Jon Lester is encouraging baseball fans to write in David Ross on their ballots so that he can appear in his first All Star Game.
Let me just start by saying that I don’t give a shit about the NHL. I really don’t. Playoff hockey is awesome, but I don’t care to watch if my team isn’t in it. That being said, I was totally drawn in by the whole John Scott to the All Star Game story. I had never even heard of the guy before the All Star Game movement started on social media. I had no interest in the player, his team — or team(s), rather — or really even the sport at all before this story gained its momentum. But then, there I was, reading John Scott’s piece on the Players’ Tribune, which was fantastic, and following his story up until the All Star Game. And I actually watched that All Star Game, and thought that was one of the best sports stories of the year.
The MLB All Star Game shouldn’t count. It should not decide who gets home field advantage in the World Series. Baseball isn’t dying, as is reflected in their record-setting revenues in 2015. Where the league is struggling, however, is in the marketing of their superstar players. If only there were a way to draw more eyeballs to all of their superstar players at the same time. Oh, wait. That’s what the All Star Game should be.
The MLB All Star game is the most-watched All Star Game out of any of the four major sports in this country. However, the 2015 MLB All Star Game drew the lowest rating for an MLB All Star Game on record. Clearly, the added element of baseball’s All Star Game “counting” is not drawing in more viewers who would’ve been watching otherwise.
Now, I’m not saying that David Ross will be the savior of the game of baseball. I know you think that’s where I’m going with this. Baseball doesn’t need to be saved. They’re doing just fine. Baseball has their diehards. The fans who love baseball will always love baseball no matter what. What baseball needs is to draw in those casual fans. The Jared’s of the NHL world. The stories like David Ross — one of the most underrated catchers, and also one of the greatest personalities in the game — making the National League All Star team in his final season; those are the stories that are going to appeal to fans beyond your hardcore, loyal and dedicated viewers.
Back in April, Ross said, “I don’t want anything I don’t deserve. I’m a backup catcher.” He knows he’s not an All Star. But that’s not the point. The point is that the All Star Game should not be a stage where home field advantage in the World Series should be decided. It should be a platform where the game’s brightest stars are showcased to the world, and it should also be a night when the best storylines of the season are brought to the forefront. David Ross is one of those stories, and he should get his moment in the sun on July 12 at Petco Park in San Diego.
You can vote for the MLB All Star Game by clicking here. Unless you’re voting for Royals players not named Eric Hosmer, Lorenzo Cain, or Salvador Perez, then don’t click that.