AL VS NL Rivalry-Where Has The Passion And Desire Gone?

By Kevin Collazo
Posted Sunday, July 15, 2007

During the games of yesteryear, players truly cared about representing their league without embarrassment. Nowadays, it's all about the fear of a players injury that determines the outcome of the mid-summer classic. If the N.L. really wants to win it, and gain home-field advantage in the process, they've got to bring back that same fire that would make or break a player's career in the golden years.

As a National League fan, I can't stand the fact that the players and teams are only interested in the almighty dollar. They've gotten so far wrapped up into what might happen to a player, as opposed to what the player was signed for in the first place. That being his ability to be a major leaguer.

Strangely enough, the mentality is still there. Even though it is highly diluted, there are a handful of players, and coaches who feel the passion for the game as much as the fans do. We heard a small amount of such thinking during this year's All-Star promotional stretch. Replacement manager Tony La Russa mentioned how disappointed he was that the N.L. had not won in a decade. So when he had his chance to put a stop to the dreadful losing streak, even he fell prey to the mentality that has become an epidemic.

We recall the bases loaded up enough to win the game in the ninth inning. We recall his very own superstar player, Albert Pujols, waiting for his name to be called. Lastly, we recall Tony La Russa doing the same thing that the All-Star game managers had done before him. He cared more about preventing a potential injury than he did about winning the game that was there for the taking. Pujols was not used in a situation made for only Pujols, and they lost....again.

Sure he can use his 2006 World Series sweep of the Tigers to try backing up any ridiculous claims that home-field advantage is overrated, but in actuality, the likelihood of any team as terrible as his 2006 Cardinals replicating his success is just above zero. With that kind of approach, the All-Star game will never be what it is capable of being.

So where to start? Every year, we hear more people calling up sports-talk radio with their thoughts on how to fix the All-Star game. When in fact, it all comes down to the the way the game is managed, as well as the players that are summoned to the game. Could you imagine an All-Star game with someone like Ty Wigginton at second or third, with less than two out? That's the kind of player who will do whatever it takes to win it all. Ty plays with the same mentality that Pete Rose was admired and respected for as a player. It's that same passion that is lacking in today's games. It's also that type of loyalty to the their respective leagues that has been subtracted from the game. Players used to defend their league's image. Never would either league play in so restricted a manner against its rival.

Do stipulations in player contracts hold the key to some loyalty to the league? After all, the player contract is the same reason why the leagues refrain to play as hard as they should. Teams don't want their star player "possibly" injured. Managers are playing like fist-time parents, thus no true effort is given, and a mockery is made of the one-time joy called the mid-summer classic. A no-trade clause to the other league, or some sort of incentive-laden contract, might help out some. If anything it will keep the divisions strong, and the loyalty so very much alive. Whatever baseball decides to do, it's got to bring back that passion and fire to the All-Star game, and the sport in general.

Few teams have that hard-nosed player who adds that intangible aspect to the game, day in and day out. Even the Mets are very short-handed in that regard. Reyes, wants to be that guy, but after getting the wind knocked out of him in a collision at home, the organization has felt far less inclined to reenact that scenario. Wright was the kid that actually made Wigginton "expendable" to the organization (a move I hated), and while he wears his efforts on his sleeve, we have yet to see him in that scenario. I don't doubt that he would be tough enough to come through. Lastings Milledge will do anything possible to make a good impression with the team. He's one of those guys that will go all out, when the scenario arrives. Other than those guys, I don't think there are anymore in all of New York.

While the big bat has taken precedence over the quality small ball player, I feel that a new golden age is upon us. Players like Ty Wigginton, and Jose Reyes bring an energy not seen since the good old days of baseball. It's almost to the point where fans go to the games to see these types of players, regardless of whether their team wins the game or not. Yet, much like the days of Rose and Clemente, their respective teams wins are direct results from their style of play. Fans want to see everything left on the field. If teams get those types of players, they will bring in more money by answering the fans' cries.