Midsummer Classic

Every year in the second week of July the true legends of baseball come out, and the current star players, that aren't misfortunate enough to be injured at the time, come together and put on an exhibition of what makes baseball a great game. While the intensity of regular season, and moreso post season rivalries aren't desirable, its great to see the guys get together all smiles, with their kids around them, enjoying the game. Obviously, no-one enjoys all the advertisement and marketing involved now, but deep at the core of it, it brings a smile to my face to listen to Reggie Jackson, Joe Morgan and Chris Berman talk baseball, while Bobby Abreu puts on a derby clinic. And I'm sure tonight's game will be no worse.

I was privileged enough to go to the '91 All Star Game in Toronto. I was too young to fully appreciate that I was seeing some greats like Carlton Fisk, Dennis Eckersley, Kirby Puckett, and Eddie Murray towards the end of their careers, and recognize the up and coming, and already in their prime athletes like Cal Ripken, Rafael Palmeiro, Roger Clemens and Tom Glavine, but I still remember how different the atmosphere seemed from my nosebleed seat behind the right field foul pole. Baseball was a joyful thing for me as a kid. I had, and still have all the cards I could afford as I made money at birthdays and the like. I was too young and naive to understand the money aspect of the game, the big contracts, the trades to save money, perhaps because my Blue Jays circa 1991 were on their way up to back to back World Series'. I just thought these guys went out to play baseball because they were talented enough , and envied them for that, and because they seemed to enjoy it.

Now every other night on Sportscenter you can tune in to listen about doping, or teams threatened with moving because their home isn't marketable enough, or see a pitcher throw some cameras around. But at the All Star break, all that disappears under the stands for 3 days as the fun of the game comes out to play and have fun, and bring out the sandlot style atmosphere, that used to have us emulating our favourite players as kids.