I’ll admit that, for the most part, I’ve turned a blind eye to Major League Baseball the last couple years. Part of the blame lies in the Chicago Cubs being out of contention by mid-May, but some of the reasoning is also the lack of star power. Both of those problems have been corrected in 2015 and that has really sparked quite a bit of interest, and a much-improved All-Star event did nothing but help the cause. This was the first year they used a timed Home Run Derby competition. In years past, competitors were allowed to take as many pitches as they wanted while accumulating as many home runs as possible before recording 10 outs. This year’s format added a much-needed sense of urgency to the hitters, along with some solid drama provided by Cincinnati Reds slugger Todd Frazier. Frazier benefited the most from the new fast-paced format. At the end of all three rounds he was able to take the head-to-head matchup down to the final swings. It obviously didn’t hurt that the competition and All-Star game were held in the same stadium Frazier plays in daily, Great American Ballpark. Not fairing quite as well, and really not even close, were Cubs youngsters Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant. Rizzo started the night off by swinging at each pitch he faced without taking a break until he went the first two minutes without hitting one out of the park. Bryant was a little better, but both were knocked out in the first round of the competition. The following night, the stars were showcased in an All-Star game that decides home field advantage in the World Series. Regardless of which side of the argument you stand on, you can’t help but enjoy a bit of added drama to the game. As most of the All-Star games during my childhood seemed to showcase the older generation of ball players, this day and age the league has no choice to but put their youth movement to the forefront. For years, the game of baseball has been dominated by the most experienced players. Rarely do you see guys 25 and younger crack a Major League lineup on a daily basis. Now, the game has some of these younger kids on the fast track to the big leagues, and they’re living up to the hype. Mike Trout, the most proven of the young talent in the game, started off the Mid Summer classic with a home run off Zack Greinke, who is currently leading the Majors, and even flirting with history, with a 1.30 ERA. Trout, who is arguably the game’s best player at the age of 23, just signed a 6-year deal that will pay him $139M. Trout is only one piece to the youth movement puzzle that baseball finds itself putting together. The Cubs started six players 25 or younger last week during a game against the Braves. The Marlins just worked out a deal that will pay Giancarlo Stanton $325M over the next 13 years. Stanton is 25 and now the highest-paid player in baseball history. If baseball is going to get back to the glory days of the sport, the infusion of youth into the mix is going to do nothing but help that cause. This might be just the thing the sport needs to finally put the steroid scandal behind, and move forward with the talent that they’ve found. Time will tell, but I see baseball making a huge comeback in the later part of this decade. Take that for what it’s worth though. My track record for future predictions when it comes to baseball has been less than exemplary. Who knew my pick of the Cubs winning the World Series wouldn’t come to fruition the last 15 years?
