All Star Notes: Wrap Up

Amid the fantastic finish, record-breaking moments and overall pomp & pageantry surrounding the 78th annual All Star Game, I realized I forgot to go over a few items of note, like ARod getting thrown out by a country mile by Ken Griffey Jr, and he looked like a total pansy doing so.

It might have had something to do with all the margaritas & Heinekens.

Remember, my son is still away with the grandparents, so...

Before we roll into the second half of the season tomorrow night, let me put a cap on the 2007 Midsummer Classic, in words and pictures.

-Ichiro: Best Day Ever.
Forget the fact that he hit the first inside-the park home run in the history of the All Star Game, or that he became just the fourth leadoff hitter to win the MVP award, joining Bo Jackson, Joe Morgan and Willie Mays, or even that he seemed to find a new soul mate in his fellow English-challenged buddy Manny Ramirez.

More importantly for Ichiro, word leaked out before the game that the slim center fielder is about to sign a 5-year, $100 million dollar contract extension with the Mariners, a stat that really puts his ASG accomplishments into perspective now, doesn't it?

I mean what's better, making exhibition game history and joining the ranks of some of the games luminaries, or inking a deal that will pay you $20 million per season to hit .34o with 200+ hits and 70 RBIs?

He won't have to answer that question because he's about to do both within the span of a couple of days.

I'm sure the sudden retirement of Manager of the Year candidate Mike Hargrove, a longtime adversary of Suzuki's who was believed to be a major roadblock to his resigning with Seattle, had nothing to do with his decision to remain in the Pacific Northwest, right?

Let's just say life is good for the Mariners leadoff hitters for now and the foreseeable future.

-LaRussa game "strategy" angers his MVP first baseman
Ego maniacal manager Tony Asleep at the Wheel LaRussa has once again incurred the wrath of one of his players, but this time it's not a beat-up & slumping third baseman he's upset, but his stud perennial MVP candidate Albert Pujols.

Phat Albert was the only position player not to get into the game for for the National League even though he says he was loose and ready to go when the NL had the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth with a chance to win the game with one swing of the bat.

But after Orlando Hudson and Aaron Rowand hit instead of Pujols, one of the great young clutch hitters in the game, LaRussa reasoned that he was saving him for a potential extra-inning double switch/pinch hit situation, a rationalization that didn't sit too well with Albert.

"It's the All-Star Game. He can do what he wants. He does whatever he wants. If I wasn't expecting to play, I wouldn't have come up here," Pujols was quoted saying after the game.

Alrighty then. Sounds like the guy who is supposed to be such a managerial whiz once again is having trouble keeping his own star players happy.

By the way, his excuse is ridiculous. You don't play for the potential of extras when the man sitting on the bench can end the game with the flick of his wrists; he could have turned K-Rod into the next Brad Lidge, but his own skipper kept him glued to the pine.

Good luck in the second half, Tony. The Sox would love nothing more than to rub your smug mug in the St. Louie dirt once again, you pompous ass.

-Sox stars contribute a mix of good, and & inconclusive
The best news for Red Sox fans to come out of the game is that our first half pitching ace, Josh Beckett, who already has accumulated the most wins in the majors, earned the victory despite being snubbed to start by a bitter Smoky Jim Leyland.

Dan Haren, Leyland's choice to start, got touched for a run in the first inning to give the AL and early deficit, then Beckett came in in the third and fourth innings and weathered a fluke double by Jose Reyes (nice play, ARod) and a near-homer by Barry Bonds to hold the fort.

It turned out Beckett was the pitcher of record when Ichiro did his fluky bounce home run thing, and therefore the majors' winningest pitcher added an All Star victory to his already impressive first half resume.

As for the other five members of the Boston contingent, here's a brief rundown of how their night went:

• Big Papi: 0-2, reached on error, lined to RF; Ortiz may not have done much statistically this weekend, but he sure had fun with whatever else he did. From hitting baseballs at a blow up sneaker in McCovey Cove to handing the magic bat to Vlad Guerrero that he used to win the HR Derby, Big Papi had a good time and made the best of his All Star experience. No surprise there.


Papi chills on teammate Torii Hunter's back during the Derby

• Manny: 0-1, flied to RF in only plate appearance; just the fact that Manny made the trip, especially after suffering his annual mid season malady (this year: "intestinal issue") on Sunday in Detroit, is a minor miracle in itself. Throw in the stunning realization that Manny also had a good time while he was there, attending parties, joking with guys like Ichiro and Pujols, and doing this odd jig in the dugout during the game, just proves there is no end to the cultural phenomenon that is Manny Being Manny



Did anyone else catch this MBM moment? Check out the dude's face next to him. Classic.




• Mike Lowell: 1-1, singled and scored on Soriano's HR in the 8th; leave it to professional hitter Mike Lowell to come up with a big hit in his only AS at bat. Plus he made a couple of nice plays at third, and was on the field when the AL walked off as winners (although this high five with Posada kinda scares me)

You know he didn't want to, but he had to

• Jon Papelbon: 1IP, 1H, 2K; the Boston ace did his thing when called upon in the eighth instead of his usual 9th inning spot. One can't help but think if he were in for the 9th, that NL comeback wouldn't have happened, and then a Bosox pitcher could've had the win & the save. Damn you Leyland!

Paps heads to the dugout after doing his job in the 8th

• Hideki Okajima: DNP; I repeat, damn you Leyland! All those people spent all that time stuffing the on-line ballot box, and you don't reward them with letting the guy make an appearance? What a jackoff.
  Sorry, but this is the only shot I got of Oki--serving as a backdrop for a Pistol Pete report

In fact him and his buddy LaRussa both came off as jackoffs in the game. Between the great plays, memorable moments and thrilling conclusion, I think there's no question who the real heroes and goats of this game were: the players, and the managers.

Bring on the second half!