Right plan in place for MLB stars

This week’s Major League Baseball All-Star Game has re-established itself as the premier pro sports exhibition because it is no longer just an exhibition – the league that wins gets to host a potential Game 7 of the World Series.

Many people ridicule tying the outcome of an otherwise meaningless game to another contest so pivotal, but I think it was the perfect antidote to what was a dying enterprise.

There was nowhere to go but up after both teams ran out of pitchers and the 2002 game ended in an unsatisfying tie – as all commissioner Bud Selig could do was raise his palms to the sky in a “what do you want me to do about it” moment.

But given a second chance to address the issue, Selig came up with an unconventional way to restore drama to the midsummer’s night classic. If this year’s 15-inning epic is any indication, the move has worked.

The American League’s 4-3 victory was nothing if not dramatic, particularly later in the game as each team threatened to win before the AL finally broke through in the 15th.

Players aren’t looking for excuses to avoid playing in the game any more, and they even stick around for the entire game – even if it ends at 1:37 a.m. the next day.

Of course, I never saw the final play at the plate, having much earlier fallen asleep on the couch, only to wake up at an even more jarring 2:21 a.m.

MLB’s determination to start its all-star showcase and postseason contests so late that most kids and many adults alike can’t make it through the whole game remains another controversy to be resolved.

And the fact that had this year’s all-star game continued beyond the 15th inning it likely would have evolved into a pitching duel between Boston outfielder J.D. Drew and New York Mets third baseman David Wright – for again the bullpens had been emptied – flies in the face of the serious stakes surrounding the contest.

Hopefully it won’t take another Bud Selig moment to finally address those issues.

Celtics will miss Posey

The world champion Boston Celtics’ quest for Banner 18 already is facing large odds as the result of Wednesday’s decimation of its bench.

It wasn’t a mass exodus, but an exodus of one of the more versatile reserves in the NBA with forward James Posey’s decision to sign a four-year, $25 million contract with the New Orleans Hornets.

Posey had 3-point shooting range as well as slashing moves to the basket, but even more valuable to the Celtics was his ability to effectively defend against shooting guards, small forwards and even power forwards. Posey’s versatility was in stark contrast to the one-dimensional nature of several other reserves – such as Eddie House the shooter and Leon Powe the undersized center.

No one can blame Posey for going after the money and accepting a deal believed to be longer and more lucrative than the Celtics’ offer.

At 31, the 6-foot-8 forward sees this as potentially his last big contract, and $25 million will buy a lot of security.

And it’s not like he’s joining a chump team. Chris Paul is the best of a talented crop of young point guards around the league and forward David West is another all-star on the roster. The Hornets are on the rise, and Posey soon may get the chance to add a third championship ring with a third team.

Meanwhile, if the Celtics hope to win a second straight NBA crown, Danny Ainge will need to find someone like James Posey to complement the Big Three.

That won’t be easy.

eclark@bangordailynews.net

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