I’m a traditionalist. Didn’t like the Bat-off. (and don’t like teh Ghost runner). Since ~11 All Stars chose not to even show up, it was a game of the backups to the All Star’s.
'Grats to Schwarber
btw: rumor is that several starters left the game early, including Shohei, and were not even around for the Bat Off.
As a kid in the 60s-early 70s the All Star game was a must-see. Growing up in an AL market, the NL teams were pictures in the paper and teams in standings. My cousin and I would always get together and watch the game to see these NL players we would almost never see on TV, except for the NBC(?) Game of the Week.
Cable and interleague play and growing up, probably, have taken the magic out of the All Star Game.
I am also not a fan of the Bat Off or Ghost Runner. Hats off to Shwarber, but I was miffed that it came to that, because my guy Polar Bear would have been MVP otherwise.