Did Legend Share Notes With Baseball All-Star Mike Schmidt?

First I listened to Tim Leeming's right-on Legendtorial last night on the Racing Through History broadcast.

Then, I opened my paper this morning and read an article by retired All-Star baseball player, Mike Schmidt. Doesn't matter whether you know anything about baseball or not... please read Mike's article and see if you note the similarities with the state of today's NASCAR that we wrestle with here on a daily basis.

If I didn't know better, I'd think our "Legend" had shared his notes with the baseball legend!

Mike Schmidt: All-Star game has lost its old-school appeal
Marketing money has replaced competition, and it doesnt make sense

By Mike Schmidt

For The Associated Press

Published: (Wednesday, Jul 11, 2012 04:25AM)

I was on 12 All-Star rosters, most as a legit All-Star deserving of the honor of representing the National League as one of that years best players.

In 1980, I missed the game with a pulled muscle. And in 1989, I was voted to the team as a starter after I had retired. In each case the replacement was a player deserving and capable of carrying out the assignment in my place. His first-half body of work that season was rewarded.

Back then, the fans picked the games starters. Thats all, the starters. The managers picked the remainder of the roster so that as the game progressed into the deciding innings, each league would have its best on the field.

Every year, the fan voting is skewed to elect players based on popularity, not on production. Thats OK because the game has been labeled for the fans. This game for the fans, however, now carries a significant prize: World Series home field, which is why the field personnel must decide on the final roster.

The All-Star game has become the black sheep event of Bud Seligs tenure as baseball commissioner. Try as he might, he cant get it to where it once was.

Back in the day, it was a game each league wanted to win. Willie Mays was picked for 24 All-Star games and played nine innings in many. When I started my run in the 70s, reporting to the game meant joining Pete Rose, Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan, Joe Torre, Lou Brock, Willie Stargell, Dave Parker, Tony Perez and others who demanded we play to win.

Get this: Winning didnt mean anything other than league pride. Mr. Selig is still hunting for the answer as to why the All-Star game these days has gotten away from that attitude.

Maybe his game has given way in importance to other All-Star events, like the Home Run Derby? Maybe his player voting and selection system has created confusion. By placing the World Series home-field advantage on the games outcome while at the same time allowing fan voting to play the major role in roster selection he confuses not only baseball fans, but me, too.

One reason the old-school charm and league pride is missing interleague play. There is no Big Red Machine or Lumber Company that the other league is jealous of. There is no mystery or challenge in facing the other leagues players. There is no Hatfields vs. McCoys mentality. Today, its rosters of many who once were teammates, who have played in both leagues or have faced one another many times.

I remember facing Nolan Ryan in the 1979 game. You want mystery? Hatfield vs. McCoy mentality? Wow, my entire existence as a hitter was on display nationally, and guess what, so was his. It was the best in one league against the best in the other. A classic confrontation. Thats whats missing.

Its hard to put into words. In baseball today, the game is just not set up to create those kind of Reggie Jackson vs. Bob Gibson or Hank Aaron vs. Jim Palmer confrontations at the All-Star game. Those moments were its essence. Facing a legend, not because he was famous for being famous, but because of the mystery, the respect, facing someone I had only heard stories about, someone who was going to set up a moment in time that all fans, and we in the game would remember for a long time.

As for tying the All-Star game and World Series home-field advantage, you have no idea how important that is until you are in the Series and dont have it. Allowing anyone other than the manager and his coaches to influence the nonstarting rosters is a travesty.

Enter the selection of Bryce Harper as a replacement in this years game. First, understand I have a great respect for Harpers game and his presence as a first-year player, and believe in time he has what it takes to become a perennial All-Star. The greatest compliment I could give him is to say he plays the game the way Pete did.

I also understand that he has nothing to do with the selection process, that he is just going along with the program and will have to absorb the accompanying negative reaction.

Harper has All-Star talent and might even display it in the game. I wouldnt put it past him to rope a double and end up on third and score the winning run by stealing home. The first one to shake his hand, of course, will be Cole Hamels.

Its all so confusing to us old folks. Back in May, Hamels drills Harper in the ribs for being a brash rookie who is famous for being famous. Harper was the kid who blew a kiss at a pitcher while rounding the bases on a home run in the minors. He was the most decorated rookie ever to enter the majors. So Hamels drills him for being famous, Harper then steals home on Hamels, maybe the best payback ever. But he is not cocky or brash, but classy. I thought that was an in your face moment if ever there was one.

Now Harper is Hamels teammate, on the National League All-Star team, an eight-home run and 25-RBI All-Star, while at least five others with deserving stats wont be. Fan voting at its finest. The perfect summation for all this confusion is to say, It is what it is. I love that line it allows us to accept something without good reason.

Lets face it, marketing dollars and television have become more important than competition and credibility at this game and every game, except golf. The All-Star game, in whatever form presented, will get major media attention, a significant national TV audience and have a profound effect on the Kansas City economy.

No matter who does the voting, who makes the roster or how memorable the competition, the game will be an event and it will satisfy sponsors. Maybe thats all we should ask of it? Me, Im just an old confused guy who remembers when it did both.

The Legend's name in headlines draws attention, lol!

Dave, I can assure you I don't share anything with baseball players. Long story there as to my strong dislike of that sport but it involves my young days and a little league coach who told me to go home, burn my uniform and not even to come back to the field as a spectator. I was THAT bad. But I actually wrote the Legendotiral after church Sunday so I didn't know about the thoughts the "batty" guy expressed.

Tim,

Funny thing about baseball and youngsters. I grew up in the City of Richmond, Va. and we had no organized baseball for kids. Little League was only for our county neighbors in Henrico and Chesterfield counties.

However, I grew up in a neighborhood full of boys. We always had enough guys for a pickup football game (that's how I dislocated my hip at age 15, playing tackle with no equipment) or a pickup baseball game.

There was a retired grandfather whose two grandsons always played with us. One was "slow" or "mentally challenged" - we called it retarded in those politically incorrect days. His other grandson would go on to play college baseball.

Anyway, this retired grandfather acted as pitcher for both teams (it was only a 1/2-mile walk to a good unlit city high school field where we would play 'till dark) making sure each and every batter was served up a big "grapefruit" - a ball we could all hit. Nobody ever struck out. You just kept getting pitches until you hit the ball.

My baseball skills were negligible, but I loved the game. The older of the two boys who lived behind me, Dwight Williams (we called him Ike) was always one of the captains. And he always chose the lousy players like me first. Dwight was a class act and a superb athlete. Although I loved to play first base, I was usually stationed in right field, the least susceptible position to handle the ball.

I loved those summer nights in the 50s with all those kids playing ball on that dusty red clay field because we wanted to, not because we had to. We didn't have fancy uniforms like the Little League players in the county or a lighted park, but I bet we had more fun. We were all friends.

I had many of those same games growing up Dave. The retired grandfather sounds like he was a wonderful human being. Dont be to hard on yourself. I was a youth baseball coach and league president for 8 years and I always made sure my right fielder, even if he couldnt hit or catch had the strongest arm on the team. The throw from right field to third base is the longest throw in baseball.

I may have told you before, but my younger sister, Nancy was a switch hitter and much better than ANY of the boys. Our next door neighbor always said she'd be the first female NY Yankee!

She stuck her tongue out atcha again Dave

She has taken me to the woodshed today, Johnny. I am worn out!

PK, I have to know....A couple weeks ago when we met for a soda pop, were you packing??? just asking...lol