And now here I am doing some more of it, all for my high-powered blog …
And doing it for the love of the game.
It’s All-Star week, and I’ve been enjoying it, thoroughly … Phoebe has too. She's been sitting in my arms contently for a good part of both nights' festivities. Look at her watching last night’s home run derby …
About last night’s Derby -- how awesome! was Josh Hamilton!? 28 home runs in the first round!? Are you kidding me!? … I mean our hometown boy Ryan Braun was fun to watch too, but duuuuuuuuude Josh Hamilton …On the other hand, I will say this -- I don’t care how many home runs Hamilton had in the first round … Complain all you want about how he was robbed of the crown, but Hamilton lost the derby fair and square to Justin Morneau. The rules are what they are, and part of winning the derby is having the endurance and consistency to hit balls out in all three rounds. Morneau did that; Hamilton hit 28 in the first round, sat out the second round (because he hit so many in the first round that he had a free pass to the finals) and he couldn’t get it done in the finals. Case closed.
* * *
I got home just in time to catch the introductions for tonight's all-star game -- Man, it was sweet to see all of the Cubs players on the National League side -- and the stirring introductions. Seeing all of the living hall of famers out there, on the Yankee Stadium field, standing at the positions they made famous and then joined by the all-stars of today … That was plain awesome. And seeing George Brett, Ryne Sandberg, Robin Yount, Wade Boggs, Cal Ripken -- guys I admired and grew up with -- named as immortals alongside guys like Ernie Banks, Bob Gibson, Yogi Berra and Willie Mays … That was pretty awesome too.
And then the game! How ‘bout it!? … The pitching was superb, and it quickly shaped into the kind of all-star game I like to watch …
For the record, I was rooting for the National League, as I have almost every year … and this year the NL had arguably the most talented, well-rounded team they’ve had in years. I certainly liked their chances … Ben Sheets pitching. Ryan Braun and Kosuke Fukudome in the outfield. An infield with Chase Utley, Lance Berkman and Chipper Jones -- I wouldn't ask for a sweeter lineup.
By the sixth, things were looking really good with the NL leading 2-0, thanks to Matt Holliday’s home run and then the manufactured run in the top of the sixth inning.
‘Course, then my jaw dropped when J.D. Drew hit the two-run shot to tie it in the bottom of the seventh ... and again when Evan Longoria hit the ground rule double to tie it in the eighth.
Then they go into extras ... which is amusing considering I'd been receiving text messages all night from my buddies Eddie and Matt that read, simply "benito santiago" -- a reference to the 2002 debacle the three of us watched together when Santiago had a chance to win the game for the National League before it ended in a dubious tie ...
And in the bottom of the 10th, Dan Uggla makes the huge error that led to the bases being loaded for the American League, and Eddie's texting me again: "Uggla finish. Headline?" ... He's a news guy too. ... Ah, but the National League infield stepped it up with some marvelous defense, turning not one but two consecutive ground balls into outs at home plate, and then Miguel Tejada handled a tough, slow roller and flipped it to first base for the third out of the inning ... whew!
And the 11th -- I thought that was it when Michael Young got the hit up the middle and Navarro headed around to score. I thought for sure Nate McLouth's throw from center field was going to be late and instead he nailed Dioner Navarro at homeplate, with some help from Russell Martin making a good block ... Check this stat: That play marked three of the last five outs being made at homeplate. Unheard of!
Now I'm getting so vocal and bouncing on the couch that I'm thinking this game is reaching the excitement level of the Jayhawks national championship game ...
I should also note -- thank goodness for DVR! ... Kates and I had to pause this game several times to take care of Phoebe, or to take care chores around the house, or to talk about issues of the moment. Every time we caught up to real-time, something else would force us to pause again, and at times I wondered if it would be 8 o'clock Wednesday morning before I'd catch up again and see the ending of this thing ... But the game, just kept going and going.
Finally. In the bottom of the 15th -- the 15th! -- Michael Young got it done with a sacrifice fly that scored Morneau in another oh-so-close-play-at-the-plate ...
Thanks God Selig didn't have to call it again. You could just see him wanting to hide under his seat every time they put the camera on him in extra innings ...
What. a. game.
... And I have to be up in less than five hours and on an airplane in less than seven.
Good. night.
All-Star reads ...
a Pinstripes a perfect fit for Yankees All-Star Jeter
a For 85 years, history hit home in 'House That Ruth Built' ... I really don't understand the reasoning for tearing down Yankee Stadium ... sigh.
a Yankee Stadium awes NL players making first appearance
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