Say what you want about how you don't like the fact that the World Series home team is determined by the winning league in the All-Star game...or how you hate the fact that Scott Kazmir and Brandan Webb were forced to going to the bullpen and getting ready to throw in extra innings when they both pitched on Sunday and clearly were not suppose to play. Because either way that was the most, and I repeat, the most entertaining MLB All-Star game I have ever witnessed. Let's get right to it...
THE GOOD - The opening ceremony had me in chills throughout with most of the Hall of Famers in attendance having played in my youth. Yankee fan or not when Joe Buck announced Yogi Berra, it was a special moment. I heard all morning and later this afternoon about how the game was boring until Matt Holliday hit a homer for the first run of the game in the 5th inning. ARE YOU SERIOUS! The pitching was so outstanding making the sluggers look like fools at times. Great plays kept me in the game as well. From Ichiro's canon to second throwing out Albert Pujols going for two. To Miguel Tejada's game saving throw out falling down in the 10th, to Aaron Cook pitching out of the jam in that same inning, to Nate McLouth's perfect throw out of Dioner Navarro, not to mention catcher Russell Martin's pick on the throw. Michael Young saves the day for the American League for the second time in three years with another GW RBI. And finally just to watch these professional athletes from Yankees hugging Rays, to Twins hugging White Sox, after the game winning run scored. It truly was an awesome site to witness last night from the first minute to the last. I still gotta say that Bud Selig still looks good having the All-Star game mean something, now he just has to do something about the pitching situation.
THE BAD - Alex Rodriguez gets paid alot of money, a lot! And in my opinion he has a responsibility has a well-paid athlete to do his part. So while every All-Star starter was leaning on the top fence of the dugout cheering for their teammates for that day late in the game, A-Rod was no where to be seen. And when the AL scored the winning run, who was hugging A-Rod on the field...maybe Madonna on the carpet! Sorry Alex, you do this to yourself. You gotta be there! And you wonder why Derek Jeter is so well liked and you aren't! Jeter was probably the biggest cheerleader in the dugout and after the game hugging Michael Young. Rodriguez wasn't the only one to leave early, NL starter Ben Sheets left early, but to me if Sheets is pitching on Thursday or Friday then I will give a slight pass. Sheets is starting to make a name for himself and it would have been in his best interest to stay, since Alex left and we find out that you did as well.
THE UGGLA - Man, it was such a nice story when he came into the game about how his old man wished that his son would play in Yankee Stadium in the All-Star game. How he was selected in the Rule 5 Draft by Florida after he wasn't particularly highly regarded as a college shortstop out of Memphis, but the Arizona Diamondbacks picked him in the 11th round but weren't impressed either . And how now at the age of 28 an All-Star, great. Well, it wasn't a great night for him. In fact, will probably go down as the worst performance in the history of the All-Star game. Three errors, 0-4 with 3 strikeouts and a inning ending double play with the bases loaded. Thankfully for him all of the base runners that reached because of his errors never came around to score or I really don't know how this guy would cope. My father always told me, "The ball will always find it's way to you if you don't want it." And I really believe after his first error he wanted no part of any action the rest of the game.
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