The MLB All-Star game is done now. It was a good one with the AL winning it again, this time 5-4. It was a well-played game. The MLB All-Star game is not all that it's cracked up to be, but it's definitely the best All-Star game out there in all of sports. It works because baseball is fundamentally a one-on-one showdown between the pitcher and the hitter and it's not a contact sport either. So the individuals don't want to look bad and they put a decent effort even in an All-Star game. The only things that dilutes it are that the runners don't crash in to the catcher and the the managers rotate everybody in and out. In fact this game featured A-Rod going home gingerly and getting tagged out.
The game started with a beautiful tribute to Willie Mays. It was pretty special, but I guess it didn't have the same juice as the Ted Williams show in Boston in the 1999 all-star game. There are a few reasons for that. First, this was not the original since it felt a lot like that Ted Williams show. Secondly, Teddy Ballgame was wheeled on a golf-cart and Mays is still pretty mobile and can move around. So this was not quite as dramatic as the other event. Thirdly, Teddy came out of virtual oblivion for that event while Mays is pretty visible. Giants trot him out for everything. Especially with Bonds chasing big records, it seems like they make sure Mays is there in person for his 600-th home run, 660, 700, 715 everything. Giants fan have been seeing him in the ball-park at least a couple of times a year the last few years. So it was nice, but not quite all they way up there.
Bonds got a huge ovation, though he went 0-2. The game got real interesting in the 9-Th as NL made a late rally before K-Rod shut the door on them. The big news was Tony LaRussa not playing Albert Pujols in the 9-Th with a chance to tie or win the game. Tony said after the game that he saved Albert for extra innings because he is versatile and can play multiple positions and they were running out of position players. What? Why didn't you play him earlier in the 9-Th or even earlier in the game? I don't get it. Tony also said Albert was injured a little bit, but Pujols seemed upset he didn't get to play. Now they are saying he was actually in the locker room getting treatment and Albert is also saying things are all fine now between him and Tony. I don't know where all this goes because this is the biggest news in St. Louis right now, but to me Tony screwed up. Just put Pujols in for an at-bat and be done with it.
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