One of Bud's dumbest ideas...

... is going to live on. The foolish premise that the league that wins the all-star game gets home field advantage in the World Series is likely going to continue.

I can't possibly stress how much I'm against this, despite the obvious advantage that it gave the Red Sox in 2004. Never mind that it's an exhibition that, by rule, includes players from the worst teams who have no chance of even making the playoffs, let alone making the World Series. The voting system is a farce (backed up by this year's AL leaders), many of the best players - even when selected - don't even play, and it's managed like a little league game.

And the best argument Bud and Co. can come up with as to why the team with the best record (perish the thought!) can't host the Fall Classic is that they need to book hotel rooms ahead of time. Because, you know, going into the all-star break last year, all we knew was that we needed hotel rooms in Chicago and Houston. But afterwards, we also knew when. Not after Game Five of the ALCS and Game Six of the NLCS... but in mid-July.

Then why was Tony LaRussa so upset about the Cardinals' accommodations in scenic Quincy, MA for in 2004 that he felt the need to harp on it in this book about him? We knew the AL was hosting ahead of time... why was it so hard to book rooms for the NL team? Could it possibly have been because the ALCS went seven games, and it wasn't until after that game that we knew where Game One was? Nah, it couldn't be... this way is much easier. Bud says so.