As is often becoming the case, the All-Star game turned out to be perfectly decent entertainment, made better by a suspenseful 9th inning. I love Francisco Rodriguez to death, but I don't think he's capable of having a smooth 9th inning. Is it possible to have 24 ugly saves in the first half, because he's certainly got them. I shouldn't have expected anything else in the All-Star game.
I liked the tribute during the pre-game show. And the starting lineup intros were genuinely entertaining. The little woman was confused as to why the San Francisco fans were booing John Lackey and Francisco Rodriguez, but it brought a smile to my face. 2002 was a good year, man.
AL dominance was the order of the day yet again, but as mentioned before, the NL made a run at the end. Soriano got a good crack on his home run. But it doesn't touch Ichiro's inside-the-park job. That's something you don't see every day and capped off a great night for him. Of course, I could only imagine how the post-game interview could have gone.
Jeanne Zelasko: Congratulations, Ichiro. You've been named the All-Star Game MVP. What are you going to do now? Ichiro: (Japanese) Translator: I'm gonna get a huge contract extension.
Nothing else to say, really, other than the fact that Buck and McCarver are starting to become laughably bad.
(During David Ortiz's video pacakage) Buck: Cooking is one of his hobbies. ... ... Who knew?
EDIT: Apparently, Albert Pujols is miffed about being left on the bench and never getting in the game. I'm frankly shocked more than anything. Pujols is one of the most marketable names MLB's got right now. I don't know how he gets left on the bench, especially considering La Russa was managing tonight.
(edited by It's False on 10.7.07 2332)
The Wisdom of Homsar: DaAaAa, these Easter pants are gettin' way too tight!
I'm not a big fan overall of San Francisco and its fans, but my heart melted just a little when there was an engineering problem with Paula Cole's keyboardist's equipment, and the fans started "God Bless America" without her.
I turned the sound off before the game started, but saw Ichiro's fluke ITPHR (gotta love ballparks with angles) and the rally at the end. Good game, but this is just as bad as when the NL dominated something like 14 of 15 years.
I was hoping that the batters were going to foul-tip Froemming into early retirement in the 9th. Not that I hold a grudge about that game in '72, not me.
Most people have heard great play-by-play announcers talk about how when something extraordinary happens, the best thing they can do is get out of the way, and let the moment play out.. people can see the picture, hear the crowd noise, etc. I gave up on the announcing when Willie Mays (arguably THE greatest player ever) was taking a sort of "last hurrah" lap around the field, before the fans in his hometown park - while Joe Buck was rattling off a list of Mays factoids. And Buck was doing it fast, since Fox 'needed' to go to a break before whatever they were doing on the field ended.
Fox Sports has a near-ESPN level ability to make everything they touch turn to suck.
Originally posted by It's FalseEDIT: Apparently, Albert Pujols is miffed about being left on the bench and never getting in the game. I'm frankly shocked more than anything. Pujols is one of the most marketable names MLB's got right now. I don't know how he gets left on the bench, especially considering La Russa was managing tonight.
(edited by It's False on 10.7.07 2332)
During the broadcast, LaRussa said he had told Pujols (or implied it at the very least) that he was the last guy on the bench. Something's fishy.
Originally posted by It's FalseEDIT: Apparently, Albert Pujols is miffed about being left on the bench and never getting in the game. I'm frankly shocked more than anything. Pujols is one of the most marketable names MLB's got right now. I don't know how he gets left on the bench, especially considering La Russa was managing tonight.
(edited by It's False on 10.7.07 2332)
During the broadcast, LaRussa said he had told Pujols (or implied it at the very least) that he was the last guy on the bench. Something's fishy.
The Post-Dispatch says that Pujols was "smiling" and "laughing" during these post-game comments, so the whole thing is being taken out of context by the media. Someone always gets left out; Rolen didn't play last year, and if he'd been at third the winning hit might have been stopped rather than Miguel Cabrera letting it go past him.
It's not like there wasn't an All-Star already at the plate. These guys are all there for a reason, and if F-Rod had walked Pujols, forcing the fifth run in, and then gotten the final out of the 9th the game would have gone to extra innings with the NL having no position players left.
I'm not a Pujols or Cardinals fan at all, but when you sit him on the bench when you're down by a run with men on base... well, it kinda' ruins the whole "this one counts" myth, no?
When needing to rally, would any manager honestly send Orlando Hudson and Aaron Rowand to the plate above Pujols? No offense to those two guys, but they're not Pujols.
I haven't heard or seen McCarver in almost a year and he's now showing signs of aging. His voice was noticeable gravelly, so I hope that factor is picked up by network-types and it leads to less exposure for him.
Another Great Moment in McCarver Ignorance occurred late in the game, when he tried to act concerned over Freddy Sanchez at third base. "This is unfamiliar territory for him, since he usually plays second". Joe Buck quickly (and politely) covered up for him by saying that Sanchez had primarily played third until this year. Also, earlier in the game during an interview, Tony LaRussa had mentioned Sanchez's infield versatility.
Also, after two days of hyperbole, coverage and exactly ZERO homeruns in Willie McCovey Cove, I'm guessing it'll be awhile before another correspondent is stationed out there in a kayak.
But I'll give Eric Byrnes credit. Sitting in a kayak with my dog and hoping to catch homerun balls outside the All-Star Game has been added to my List of Fantasy Crap I'd Give My Left Nut to Do.
ESPN link to the story, but it looks like this came from Associated Press. Are they reduced to hiring illiterates that can't make the distinction between disgruntled and sarcastic?
At the time, I just figured that LaRussa (being old school and all) didn't want to risk pissing off another team, so talked to his guy Pujols and asked him to be the "just in case" reserve. And he was the last position player available, in case there was a need to hit for the pitcher in extra innings.
That said, LaRussa used 28 of his 32-man roster, and had all of three pitchers left if the NL did happen to tie the game. Leyland apparently saved one bench guy, and four pitchers after going to F-Rod to bail out Putz. So looks like to me that we were three, maybe four innings away from these "geniuses" running out of players again.
I did see (or hear) during the night that Mays once went 6-for-8, and hit for the cycle in an All-Star game. I forget when this game stopped being a competition, and became a "get everyone in so no feelings are hurt" pee-wee league game. Would have served them right if we had another tie. If the managers aren't going to run the game in a "this time it counts" way, they need to get rid of the Game 7 home advantage stipulation before the inevitable happens again.
(edit: K-Rod? A-Rod?? ... ohhh, that was *F-Rod - I thought F-Rod sat in the wives' section at Yankee Stadium )
Griffey gets two RBI for the National League, further proof that he has been the lone hightlight for the Reds this year. Now we just wait for his season ending injury.
Dean! Have you been shooting dope into your scrotum? You can tell me! I'm hip!
How about my boy on the Nats, Dmitri Young, coming to the plate finally with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, getting a single to keep the game alive, and then getting driven in on a two-run homer to make it a one-run ball game? LOVE IT!
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Pujols definitely should've been in the game. First of all as it was said, anybody in their right mind would put in Pujols in that situation if "this one counts". Second of all, putting Pujols in that kind of situation is what makes classic All-Star moments. No offense to Aaron Rowand, but him in that position is no big deal if the NL loses. If Pujols pinch hits it's a classic All-Star moment if he wins the game or if he gets out.
I personally enjoyed Ichiro and Jose Reyes going back and forth with hits. They really need to do some kind of speed competition one of these days.
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First Stagger starts this thread and the Yanks went on to lose 6 in a row I believe? Now this one is started and the Spanks have lost 3 in a row. Stop jinxing your team guys.