Reflecting on the MLB's All-Star Weekend - A Comms Member's Perspective

Red Sox OF prospect Roman Anthony smiles after smashing six home runs in 8 attempts, capping off a comeback in the Futures Skills Showcase on Saturday.

The MLB wrapped up its All-Star festivities on Tuesday, with the American League taking on the National League in the Midsummer Classic.

I had the good fortune of working with the Rangers’ communications department for the Futures All-Star Game and Skills Challenge, the Celebrity Softball Game and the Home Run Derby. My role was to ensure a clean, orderly environment for press members to grab rosters and stats sheets while they worked. My section of the press area was pretty quiet, so I was able to watch the events from my perch behind home plate.

Over 17,700 fans flocked to Globe Life Field in Arlington for Saturday’s festivities, with many more across the street in All Star Village, to watch the future of the MLB and some of their favorite celebrities compete in baseball and softball games.

Futures Game:

I have been sleeping on the Futures Game. It was really cool to see players like Reds 3B prospect and Futures Game MVP Cam Collier, as well as Cardinals LHP prospect Quinn Matthews shine in a 7-inning game. The Futures Game helped me gain familiarity with prospects from each team’s farm system across all levels of the MiLB and was a lot of fun to watch. The future of the MLB is in bright hands with these minor leaguers.

Rating: 9/10

Skills Challenge:

While the Futures Skills Challenge wasn’t quite as fun for me to watch as the game itself, this event was pretty cool to watch. Roman Anthony, the Red Sox #2 overall prospect (MLB #14), crushed six home runs in eight swings to come back from dead last entering the third and final round of the Skills Challenge to take home the trophy. The Skills Challenge felt really long, with each participant staying in the competition until the bitter end. I’d look for ways to shorten this event in the future, but it’s still a fun event to watch.

Rating: 7.5/10

Celebrity Softball Game:

A whole bunch of bad softball took place Saturday night. There were some big names, including MLB Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez, Dallas Cowboys legends Deion Sanders, Terrell Owens and Dez Bryant, as well as members of Dude Perfect. However, the fame of the participants wasn’t enough to distract me from the fact that nearly none of the participants cared enough to try. This was evidenced by “famous” Vine star King Bach lying down in the outfield in the middle of an inning. Was the game competitive? Sure. Would I have watched it if I wasn’t working? Heck no.

Rating: 3/10

Monday’s crowd was electric, with over 38,500 fans flocking to Globe Life Field for the Home Run Derby.

Home Run Derby:

By far the best event I worked, the Home Run Derby was electric to watch in person. Derby mainstay and betting favorite Pete Alonso disappointed, with a measly 12 bombs in a first round exit. Royals SS and DFW native Bobby Witt, Jr. had a great debut Derby, losing by one homer to underdog Teoscar Hernandez in the final round.

Rating: 9.1/10

Overall, my experience during All-Star Weekend was great. With the Home Run Derby being the last sporting event I’ll be able to work before starting my job in Abilene, I’m glad I was able to temporarily exit the sports industry with a bang.