Change in status for All-Star game
I don't think the All-Star game will ever again be a must watch.

I think it's going to be just like every other All-Star game in professional sports -- it's primarily an event for sponsors and for promotional purposes.  

The All-Star game was a must watch when we were in an era of minimal television coverage of teams. By watching the All-Star game back then, you knew there was one night when you would get to see all the star players in the majors.

But those days are long since gone and now we can see all the stars on a regular basis, whether it's watching games or watching highlights of games.

The uniqueness of the All-Star game is long gone, and I honestly believe there is no format change that is going to restore that.

It is what it is -- an exhibition game that is part of a three-day, sponsor-related, promotional event for baseball.

The biggest value the All-Star game now has is that it keeps season-ticket holders staying financially committed to their teams so when the game does come to their city, they have tickets to it.

Attend if invited
The one thing I would do as it concerns the All-Star game is try and find some way to work with the MLB Players' Association to make it as mandatory as possible for players chosen for the game to attend it.

If there's to be any relevance to the All-Star game, the players chosen for it have to go play in it.

Unfortunately today with the season so cramped with games, many players look at the three-day break for the All-Star game as very valuable off days.

That's a problem that didn't occur back when teams had one day and sometimes two days off a week.

Players don't look at the All-Star game now in the favorable way they did back then -- and the MLB Players' Association should be concerned about changing that.

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