I feel like there needs to be a reminder of what an “all-star game” should be. Primarily, that’s entertainment: there’s an entertainment factor in all sport – otherwise, what’s the point? If anyone thinks it’s about winning… winning what? We’re hitting a ball and running around. We (players) find it fun, but the “trick” is getting other people to find it fun too, either by participating or watching, and an “all-star game” is for watching. It needs to be entertaining.

This year, there were a few good things, like the weather – they were super-lucky with that – and having some color commentary covering the game and providing score updates was a huge benefit. The bubble machine was particularly fun, unleashed for every home run hit – so there were positives to be found.

However, the games were not announced but a few days in advance, the lineups were an unknown to players and teams and any potential spectators, and the teams seemed to be dramatically mismatched. A lot more could have been done to make both games competitive, and at the very least there should have been more notice in the run-up to the game to try to generate interest and simply let more people know what the hell is going on.

Beyond that: taking a walk, in a lopsided Premier/Div1 all-star game? Yeah, that happened. You had the opportunity to swing the bat, and yet… I’m gonna be negative about this. This is a problem with the approach to the game that many people take. You want to contribute in whatever way you can, and maybe that’s just getting on base, but damn this is supposed to be a spectacle, and taking a walk is NOT something worth watching! The entertainment factor should take precedence over just getting on base.

Of course, no “all-star” pitcher in slow pitch softball should be walking too many batters, this is not the best performance. But it is Irish softball, and the level of play “is what it is”.

… and another thing: What is the obsession with ensuring rugby is being shown at a softball event? It’s fine if you like rugby, and of course it is a big part of Irish sports culture. But if you want to watch another sport during a softball match, get your headphones and your 5G and do as you like; it’s not something the softball event should provide as an incentive to come watch (or not watch, in this case!) a softball game. Why this was ever considered to be a good idea is baffling; however, when you look at who is running the softball league, it makes obvious sense: middle-aged men who really like rugby. This has been a problem for softball for a long time, and not just for the execution of this particular softball event.