What should the MLB All-Star Game be?
Its a mix of stars and ... well not so much stars. Image : Getty Images  The 2021 Major League Baseball All-Star Game has been through a lot. Theres been a change of venue and an atrocious jersey reveal. Advertisement  Yesterday, the starters for the AL & NL squads were announced, and, as youd expect, not everyone was thrilled about the selections. Mike Trout hasnt played since May 17, and wont be able to play in the All-Star Game, so being voted a starter takes that opportunity away from someone who... you know, would actually be able to participate. Aside from that, there have been some Dodger fans clamoring that Betts and Muncy should both be in. Orioles fans believe Cedric Mullins deserves a starting bid (I agree with that one). Rangers fans want Adolis Garcia in. Yadda, yadda, yadda. Everyone wants to see their favorite players representing their teams in the Midsummer Classic. The most intriguing argument I hear is that the All-Star Game should be a celebration of baseball as a whole. Thats why every team gets at least one representative, and thats why players like Betts should get the starting nod. Its not about how well youve done; its about seeing the games best players come together in the name of baseball. Ive heard that argument get thrown around for several players  Betts, Lindor, Yelich (although hes been hurt), Bregman, etc. Personally, Ive never thought of the All-Star Game that way. Ive always viewed it as a reward for having a phenomenal first half. That always seems to be how the reserves are selected. They dont choose the big names; they choose the hot bats. I understand the point theyre trying to make though. Aside from the playoffs, Olympics, and WBC, the All-Star Game is the biggest stage baseball can offer, and trying to put forth a fantastic product filled with superstar names that fans want to see should be one of the focal points. However, I feel this argument falls flat for one reason: the fans do get to see who they want. Fan voting has seen its fair share of criticism across all sports  mainly for being a popularity contest. Whoevers got the most fans will likely come away with the starting bid. This argument isnt incorrect. Despite playing less than five minutes per game and averaging in 2020, Boston Celtics forward Tacko Fall was among the leaders in fan voting for the 2020 NBA All-Star Game. The famous John Scott incident in the 2016 NHL All-Star Game prompted some of the higher-ups in that league to attempt to force Scott to give up his spot. The Pro Bowl has long been considered a joke. Yet, Major League Baseball has managed to avoid that same issue. Most of the time, the players whom the fans vote in are the most deserving. No, and the fact that fans voted him for a starting spot shows that even though he wont play, fans wanted to see him play. I think that by voting for guys like Frazier and Winker, the MLB has actually found a sweet spot, where the players that are stealing the show like Ohtani, Vladdy Jr., and Tatis Jr. will all take the field for the first inning of the game, but small market teams like Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, and Kansas City still get to see their athletes represented on one of the games biggest stages. Advertisement  If the fans always voted for the players with the greatest legacies, wed rarely ever get to see new guys take the limelight. Thats not to say that some players deserve the spotlight even after their primes have ended. Cal Ripken probably didnt deserve an All-Star nod in 2001, but it was his final season and he deserved a farewell tour. Same goes for Derek Jeter in 2014. The fans voted him in because of the legacy he was leaving behind, and he gave us a fantastic send-off as he delivered two hits (even if Adam Wainwright was piping pitches intentionally). We never would have gotten that moment had the fans not voted him in. While voting for players whove proven themselves in years past might seem like the right thing to do, doing so would prevent other stars from taking center stage. Those were all players that were considered elite at their positions, but regressed and were no longer at the top. Just because somebody once was great doesnt mean they always will be. Lindor could absolutely find a groove and become one of the games premier shortstops once again, but maybe this season with the Mets is a sign of things to come. Maybe he remains a sub-.240 hitter for the rest of his career. If that happens, then we wouldve wasted an All-Star slot this season on someone unworthy. Nobody wants that. So MLB fans, keep voting how youve been voting. Youre doing great!