The best baseball players in the world descended upon Nationals Park on Monday afternoon with their sport in a state of well-documented, much-discussed unrest. The issues of the current game have become the theme of the season. Attendance is down from last year, a dizzying number of teams could threaten 100 losses, strikeouts are running amok, shifts are stealing hits, and baseball’s biggest names are failing to cross over culturally. Baseball is not in crisis, and probably not even close, but maybe it can see one over the horizon if it squints.
Ideas have flooded from all corners on how to improve the game, but the all-star gathering afforded players a unique platform to add their voices.