As the old adage goes; If it ain't broke, don't fix it. The American League's dominance over the National League over the last two decades certainly ain't broke.
The date is July 9th, 1996. Today, the National League is triumphant in the all-star game for the third straight year, and life is good. We are only playing for fun these days, no home field advantage in the playoffs is on the line; just a who's who of stars from the late 80's and early 90's enjoying a game of baseball.
Fast forward 13 years, and we are preparing for the 80th Major League Baseball All-Star game. The National League's triumphant 6-0 win back in 1996 is a distant memory now; the last time, of course, that the NL has won the all-star game.
The American League is 11-0-1 since that fateful game, and is 17-3-1 over the last 21 years. In past years the American League has just overpowered the National League; but for the last few years it has looked more like a mental edge than anything else.
The last three games have all been decided by only one run. Last year it was a 15-inning game. In 2006 it was a blown save by Trevor Hoffman as the NL took a 2-1 lead into the 9th inning only to see it given away. The NL has had its chances, but be it blown saves, errors, or inside the park home runs, they simply can't seem to catch a break.
And in a game where the league's very best are all on display, doesn't it make sense that it comes down to the intangibles such as mental edge? It is almost impossible to break down the all-star game from a statistical standpoint; these hitters haven't faced pitchers this good for entire games, these pitchers haven't faced lineups this good, starting pitchers aren't used to coming into the game in the 3rd or 4th inning. All of the players out there are among the best of the best, and with the exception of catcher (AL's Joe Mauer over NL's Yadier Molina/Brian McCann), there aren't too many cases of one team outclassing the other at any position.
So what makes the difference? For the AL, this game is fun. They know they are going to win, because they always win. They can play loose and treat this game like it was originally meant to be treated; like a fun event. There really isn't a whole lot to worry about; just go out and play ball.
For the NL, this game is actually business. They know that it has been over a decade since they have won this game, and over two decades since they've been regularly competitive. These players are the ones with the pressure on them to break this slump. Even if these thoughts are only in the back of their minds, it's that one little error or bad pitch that is making all the difference in these games.
On paper, I actually think the NL has a slightly (very slightly) better team than the AL does this year. But again, paper and stats really don't mean a whole lot here; it is an all-star game. You are getting the team with the dominant mental edge and an 11-year 11-game winning streak for -115 here. Where else are you going to see that?
The Pick: American League -115