If you were like me and turned the All-Star game off after Pete Alonso’s home run, or if you were boycotting the game because of the Cristopher Sánchez situation, you probably woke up to some crazy news yesterday morning.
Not only did the actual game end in a tie and was ultimately decided by a home run derby style swing off, but the Phillies own Kyle Schwarber was the hero of the night after hitting three straight home runs in the makeshift derby to secure a win for the National League and took home All-Star
Game MVP honors.
It was news to most fans, and apparently to some of the players themselves, that the All-Star game’s version of extra innings consisted of a swing off between the two teams. It resulted in a wild turn of events, with the two teams preparing to swing for the fences to decide a winner as the clock approached midnight on the east coast.
By the time the smoke had cleared, Schwarber was holding the MVP trophy, and the National League was celebrating a 7-6 victory. Schwarber didn’t do much in the actual game, as he went 0-2 with a walk across three plate appearances. But his propensity for hitting mammoth home runs at Truist Park came in handy as he put on a show in the tie-breaking contest.
It was a nice moment for Schwarber and an exciting one for Major League Baseball, who has been routinely under fire for how it conducts its All-Star week festivities. Because of this, whispers and suggestions that this format should be adopted for actual games has once again entered the discourse among those in the baseball world. Some believe it’s absurd that a batting practice pitcher would get to decide a meaningful game while others see the format as an improvement on the widely panned ghost runner currently in use.
So, what did you think of the All-Star swing off? Was it a fun way to end an exhibition game? Or would you rather the game just ended in a tie? Do you think MLB should take notes for future consideration for the regular season? Or should this idea be relegated only to the All-Star game?
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