The skis are on for baseball's All-Star game

Sporting News, The, July 14, 2003 by Jon Hein

The Red Sox jumped the shark when they sold Babe Ruth. The Bills took their NFL leap when Scott Norwood's kick in Tampa sailed wide right. Bobby Knight had his legendary chair toss at Assembly Hall.

"Jumping the shark" refers to the moment on Happy Days when Fonzie, fully clad in his leather jacket while on water skis, jumped over a shark--Richie, Potsie and the show never recovered.

I know what you're thinking. Having the home-field advantage in the World Series determined by the winner of this year's All-Star Game will be the moment the midsummer classic jumps the shark, right? I can see your point. A game-winning Aubrey Huff single off Rocky Biddle determining home-field makes as much sense as Cousin Oliver joining The Brady Bunch.

The All-Star Game has had its fair share of classic moments. Carl Hubbell striking out a parade of Hall of Famers and Ted Williams' homer off Rip Sewell's "ephus pitch" remain, like the Splendid Splinter's corpse, frozen in time. Who could forget Pete Rose barreling into Ray Fosse, or Fred Lynn slamming a N.L. winning streak that rivaled the run of NBC atop the Thursday night ratings? Dave Parker's throw, Bo Jackson's homer and Larry Walker's flipped batting helmet won't soon be forgotten.

The free-agent process began to make its mark in the '70s and '80s as the majors kept expanding, and a fin was spotted. Garry Templeton's "If I ain't startin', I ain't departin'" became a decree for players who preferred three days of rest to attending the game. Starters spent less time on the field than Valerie Harper did on The Hogan Family, and the game aired well past your late local news. Major League Baseball strapped on its skis with the introduction of interleague play, a novelty that has had the shelf life of a Survivor cast member. Dream matchups of Martinez vs. Sosa and Clemens vs. Piazza were not quite so unique. Managers have also asserted more control over reserve selections. Sparky Anderson bringing in Johnny Bench, Tony Perez, Joe Morgan, Dave Concepcion, Pete Rose and George Foster made sense. Joe Torre pioneering the postseason bonus program for middle relievers and veteran infielders does not.

But for me, the All-Star Game finally jumped the shark in 2002, when the commissioner didn't have a clue how to end a tie game in Milwaukee. No winner. No MVP. And one big loser. Bud Selig helplessly chatted with Torre and N.L. manager Bob Brenly, while the crowd echoed the spirit of Enos Cabell and Bob Watson in The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training, by chanting: "Let them play!"

How different things are one year later. But this game doesn't need the fate of the World Series or a Home Run Derby to regain its excitement. If the MLB wants to be like John Travolta and regain its cool, then line up the best players and let them play ... in their respective uniforms. Until baseball's next Battlefield Earth.

Jon Hein is the founder of jumptheshark.com and author of Jump The Shark: When Good Things Go Bad, published by Dutton. He's also a Pirates fan. Go figure.