Hall of Fame game definitely dead

Statement from the Baseball Hall of Fame:

"It was reiterated by Major League Baseball to Mr. Connolly during the meeting that the Hall of Fame Game will not return."

Quote from MLB President Bob DuPuy:

"I was pleased to meet with Mr. Connolly and hear his concerns. I explained the reasons for our decision to no longer play the Hall of Fame Game and our commitment to expanding the footprint of the Hall of Fame throughout Major League Baseball through events such as last week's All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium, which featured 49 Hall of Fame members."

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Right. What I read was, "...our commitment to expanding the footprint of the Hall of Fame ... through events such as last week's All-Star Game, where we can put more highly-paid butts in more expensive seats and luxury boxes, further pricing out the average baseball fan."

 

Maybe Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, Jose Canseco and other home run hitters could do an HR Derby in it's place. It's the only way those three can get to the Hall of Fame -- that and purchasing a ticket.

 

further pricing out the average baseball fan.

Bingo.

 

Tradition? Screw tradition, unless we can make some money off of it, like with throwback uniforms! {MLB}

 

How exactly did the Hall of Fame game serve the average baseball fan?

I'm all for writing 666 on all photos of Bud Selig, and players make me sick with their inability to tolerate the slightest inconvenience, but the Hall of Fame game was an idea that should have died 20 years ago.

 

Why not have two minor-league teams play the Hall of Fame game?

You can even put them in their major league affiliates' uniforms.

Wait, that's what they've been doing for years.

 

I believe Oneonta and Tri-City are playing a free minor-league game this weekend or somewhere around this weekend.

 

The HOF Game was supposed to be Cubs-Padres on Monday, June 16 but it was rained out.
Cubs were en route from Toronto to Tampa; Pads were in Cleveland on Sunday and NY on Monday. I'm sure they relisihed the stopover in Cooperstown, a town that you can't easily get to from anywhere.

How about an Old Timers Game with a bunch of Hall of Famers who are there for the ceremony?

 

For all the deserved crap the Hall of Fame receives, they did a solid by adding the Buck O'Neill Award, complete with large statue. Never saw the man play, but few can match his service to the game by continuing to publicize the Negro Leagues through the years.
The hard part is going to be coming up with others who are equally deserving of the award.

 

Yeah, and Piniella didn't want to go to Cooperstown for it, anyway. He wanted to go home to Tampa, take a day off, before the Cubbies played the Rays.

If MLB doesn't want their teams to play up there and if the players are too "good" to do it, get two minor league teams (team from International League vs. a team American Association) and let them play.

 

That was the Cubs' only day off in a long (I think, 28-day) stretch.

Since then, they've played 4 games under .500 after tearing up the NL up to that point, and have been in a collective slump offensively.

 

Is it really worth screwing up your starting rotation for an exhibition game?