While there may have been some doubt as to who should have started for the National League, nobody had any issues with Verlander — the reigning AL MVP — taking the mound against the opposing league's best hitters.
So, it may have come as a surprise to many that Verlander was shelled in his one inning of work, giving up five runs while walking two and, in general, not looking like the ace that the world expects him to be.
After the game, however, Verlander revealed to FOX Sports' Jon Paul Morosi that those expectations were the reason that he might not have had his best performance.
"Obviously, I don't want to give up runs," Verlander admitted after the game. "I know it means something, but we're here for the fans. And I know the fans don't want to see me throw 90 and try to hit the corners."
He's absolutely right — the fans don't want to see him throw 90. They want the big numbers, the triple-digit heat that Verlander can deliver, and the stuff that he was willing to rear back for at the expense of his control.
But if that's what the fans want, and the players are willing to give it to them, why is the league bothering to continue with the façade that this game is important and worth deciding World Series home-field advantage with?
The Tigers were picked by many prognosticators to contend for a World Series this year after adding Prince Fielder to the fold. They haven't quite lived up to those expectations, but they are decidedly in the hunt for a title. If Verlander — someone who wants a chance to pitch in Game 1 of the World Series — doesn't care to do his best to win that right, why should the fans be subjected to the charade of "This time it counts?"
"I was able to laugh about it right away," Verlander said afterwards. "Hey, I had fun."
That's all fine and good, but when the players are going out there just to have fun, then the result should be just that, too.
Baseball's overreaction to the All-Star Game finishing in a tie was amusing, for sure. It made for some drama when Hank Blalock and the American League rallied against Eric Gagne in the 2003 iteration. But that intensity is long gone, despite the opinions of some.
This generation of players, who for the most part have only known an All-Star Game that "counts," has shown that the novelty has worn off and that we're back where we started — with an exhibition game.
As Morosi points out, Verlander had a chance to escape trouble in the first inning with a full count against Carlos Beltran with two men on. Instead of making his best pitch and get out of the inning, he rose to the challenge presented to him by Tigers teammate Fielder, who squawked at his pitcher to try to throw 101.
Verlander did just that, but walked Beltran, and then never had another real chance to limit the damage and give his team a chance to win.
Bud Selig and the league need to follow the players' lead here and treat the game as an exhibition. The players aren't going to go all-out in this game regardless of what the outcome hinges on. Verlander is right — the All-Star game should be about having fun. And the sooner the league realizes that, the better.
