MLB All Star Game Preview
Sportspic.com
The American League once owned the All-Star Game. Now, it is faced with the task of trying to reclaim this event after the National League decided to put its foot down for a change.
Why The National League Will Win
If you are interested in Betting on baseball this season, you can't write off the National League in the Major League Baseball All-Star Game anymore. The National League won two straight after going 13 straight All-Star Games without a victory (12 losses and one tie, in 2002) from 1997 through 2009. This league now believes in itself, and after seeing its last two pennant winners – the San Francisco Giants in 2010 and the St. Louis Cardinals last year – benefit from home-field advantage in the World Series, you can believe that the N.L. will want to win that prize once more.
The National League had been blown off the field by the American League's power for more than a decade, but the calculus is much more even this time around. The Senior Circuit's best power arms and big bats can stand in the ring with the American League. Moreover, with Tony LaRussa coming out of retirement to manage the visitors in this game – played in an American League ballpark, Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City – the National League will be filled with enthusiasm. They will view LaRussa's presence as something to be enjoyed and relished, not as a burden on their backs. The National League defied expectations the past two years. Why not three?
Why The American League Will Win
When you do your homework and assess your sports bet on this game, you have to make some honest evaluations when comparing the two rosters. Five of the eight National League starters belong to the San Francisco Giants (three starters) or St. Louis Cardinals (two starters), while the American League lineup features five starters from either the defending league champion Texas Rangers (three) or the New York Yankees (two).
The American League has seven players from the Rangers in all, and since Texas has lost each of the last two World Series without home-field advantage, the Ranger players on the A.L. roster will want to win this game. They want home-field advantage for this year's World Series if Texas is able to get back to the Fall Classic. More urgency should definitely exist in the Junior Circuit's dugout. What's also true is that the American League should benefit from the fact that the National League's manager is Tony LaRussa, who has been out of the sport since retiring after the 2011 season. The N.L. just isn't as likely to play this game with a maximum of intensity. LaRussa frankly shouldn't be in this game.
Who Will Win
The American League is sick and tired of ceding home-field advantage to the National League in the World Series. There should be a little extra juice in the Junior Circuit's dugout. The Rangers and Yankees on the roster will not let go of this opportunity for some revenge. Take the American League.
Pick: American League