2 hits. Are you fucking kidding me? Two God damned hits? And this was against a guy that usually looks lost at Fenway. I mean Lackey really sucks at Fenway sporting a 7.46 ERA (had to look it up).

I said in Monday's column that this season is eerily similar to 2005. Sure this team may make the playoffs but they proved again last night that they're not going to win anything. Either the White Sox or Angels are going to kick the snot out of this team as structured now.

Remember in 2004 when Theo had balls? He had the balls to trade a Boston namesake in Nomar for two Gold Glovers. Sure Mientkiewicz wasn't as spectacular as Cabrera but without Cabrera no way they win. Oh and Theo made a little deal for a guy named Dave Roberts. You may have heard of him.

So seriously this lineup needs to be shaken up. Da Guy has been telling is all since the blog launch that you need to "Shake It Up!", well now more than ever is the time to make it happen.

Make a Manny deal for whatever you can get. This team has proved that without Manny or Papi that someone steps up. Rid the clubhouse of this cancer and nab some relief help and hopefully a bat. Trade some of these young assets for pieces that can help the team win this year.

I think I've been pretty much non-waivering in my desire for the Red Sox to make some moves. I never thought I'd say this but; follow the Celtics model and trade some of the young pieces and bring in a cog to help the team win now.

Being an ESPN Insider I found the following as far as possible moves:

ESPN's Enrique Rojas writes that the Boston Red Sox and Houston Astros have had conversations about shortstop Miguel Tejada.

Rojas' sources indicate that the talks have just started. Tejada told ESPN in a phone interview, "I feel good in Houston, but I wouldn't be afraid to accept the challenge of playing in Boston."

I don't think that Miguel Tejada who is involved in BALCO and the Mitchell Report is the kind of guy you want to bring in. Sure his bat is better than Lugo, but so is mine. HA!

The Boston Red Sox are looking to strengthen their bullpen and have turned their sights on Kansas City Royals reliever Ron Mahay, Sean McAdam of the Providence Journal reports.
Boston is expected to be in contact with the Royals in the next day or so as the July 31 deadline closes rapidly.

The Royals have held off selling their players thus far, however with the team 12 games under .500 they could be changing their tune.

OK that helps the bullpen, but why don't you get KC to package in Jose Guillen. He'll be a decent stop gap in left when you trade Manny and then you can pursue a new left fielder in the off-season.

Of course the best rumor that came down the pike was that the Red Sox are talking to the Dodgers about a trade for Matt Kemp. Kemp is a speedster that is projected to be a power guy for years to come. Oh, and he's 23. I make that deal immediately and I even pay Manny's contract for the Dodgers.

If the Sox decide to make no moves and stand pat, it's fine as well. Why? Because the Pats opened camp Friday and their first pre-season game is Thursday 08/07. They're going to destroy the NFL this season and when the Sox are in third looking up at the Yanks and Rays, trying not to get nipped by the Blue Jays, we won't care because Brady and the boys will have our full attention.

The trade deadline has been full of rumors, big names linked to multiple teams, as well as small, but important deals. This year should be no different. This deadline got a bit more intriguing when the Braves told their players, and front coaches, that they plan on trading star first baseman Mark Teixeira. From what I have heard, the Diamondbacks are in deep discussions with the Braves to acquire him. Atlanta has asked Arizona for their young first baseman Conor Jackson in return, who has arguably been their best hitter (.322, 12 homers, 56 rbi's, 64 runs). The Diamondbacks have the pieces to make a deal, including third baseman Chad Tracy, and pitcher Max Scherzer, but are reluctant to give up Jackson, as well as either of these players. Even though Arizona does need hitting, a loan-a-player deal is not worth it, even a player of Teixeira's caliber. If they do trade for Teixeira, they'd hope to sign him to an extension, which would be all but certain. In my opinion, I think Teixeira will be traded, but not to the Diamondbacks. The Braves have asked for pitching, which undoubtedly means Scherzer, and Arizona wont budge on their stand with him, as he is deemed by the organization as "untouchable." Other teams have been linked to Teixeira, including the Rays and the Angels, each of whom have the prospects and major league ready players to get a deal done.

I guess the Diamondbacks weren't the front runners. The Angels have acquired Teixeira for first baseman Casey Kotchman and minor league pitcher Steven Marek. Though Teixeira was inevitably on his way out, Atlanta didn't get the best deal they could, it seems. Kotchman is a good hitter, and is under contract through 2011, but the team didn't get much else. Marek isn't seen as a great prospect, and if the Braves were hoping to get top pitching, they could've gotten a better prospect in the Angels minor league system, like Nick Adenhart. A reason the Braves were so adamant about trading Teixeira is that they wouldn't have been able to offer him a huge contract at the end of the season. They lived up to their commitment by trading him and getting something in return, a reason they should be happy about the deal. Rather than letting him walk via free agency, Atlanta got a right handed reliever for the future in Marek and a solid first baseman in Kotchman. Kotchman has had a breakout season so far, but Teixeira is a big upgrade, considering the Angels have the money to sign him to an extension. This makes the Angels offense that much more dangerous. Their lineup is that much more lethal with Teixeira as they already have the likes of Vlad Guerrero and Torri Hunter, both proven power hitters. The Angels haven't been a team that goes deep into the playoffs in recent years, but with this trade they are bound to make an improvement in the postseason.

Whether Manny Ramirez will be traded is another story. Teams like the Dodgers, Angels and Mets have reportedly expressed interest, but a trade is unlikely. For Manny, a future Hall of Famer, this would be a bad time to trade him from a standpoint of the Red Sox, seeing as they are right in the middle of the playoff race. He may be tough to manage with his antics, but he still produces and is irreplaceable batting behind David Ortiz. The Dodgers are the most logical place for him to end up, whether via trade or free agency. They have young players like Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier to make a conceivable trade, but I don't expect the Red Sox to be interested, even though it might be a good move long-term. If Boston weren't a playoff contender, I think it would be a good move to trade Manny, considering he is unhappy with the team.

The Red Sox could make a big trade that doesnt involve Manny, a trade for Astros shortstop Miguel Tejada. I think this would be a good move, mainly because Boston needs offense, and thats what Tejada provides. The problem with the likelihood of a deal happening is Houston would presumably ask for Jed Lowrie in return. Lowrie is a young shortstop who has been a great hitter for the team during his short tenure in the major leagues, especially with the absence of Julio Lugo. If Lowrie is asked for, is it worth giving up a shortstop for the future for a 34 year old for the present? I don't believe so. But if the teams can work out a deal that doesn't involve Lowrie, it would be intriguing to see if Boston would go through with it.

This deal won't happen because of too many reasons. The Astros still fancy themselves as in it, and Julio Lugo remains untradeable because of his injury and his contract. At best this is just a smokescreen story and a waste of time; at worst, it's ignorant media coverage.

• The Astros are NOT interested in trading Miguel Tejada, and in fact, see themselves as buyers at the deadline.
• The Rangers say they have about a "50-50" chance of moving one of their catchers. Rosenthal says that the Marlins are leading the way in attempting to aquire Gerald Laird. Also interested are the Brewers, Reds, and Yankees.
• Mark Teixeira is all but gone from the Braves, with the Diamondbacks leading the way for his services. The Dodgers, Rays, Yankees, and Red Sox have all had some level of talks with Atlanta as well.
• The Rockies are not sellers, but they would still move Brian Fuentes if they could get a starting pitcher for him. Reportedly the Marlin's Anibal Sanchez has been discussed, but the Marlin's think that price is too steep.

Update: Ken now says that the Angels are entering the fray in earnest for Teixeira.

Peter Gammons says that it's Doug Brocail that the Red Sox are really after.

Update: Ken Rosenthal says that the Astros aren't interested in moving Tejada.

Stark also has another interesting trade bit up, as he reports that the Red Sox are looking at Miguel Tejada to fill their SS void. Tejada (Astros) has been struggling offensively and he isn't much to look at defensively, but the Red Sox signed Julio Lugo for offense, not defense, so they'll take whatever production Tejada can offer. Tejada hits well against the Yankees and could make the Sox lineup a lot deeper. IF they do acquire him or if the talks simply heat up between the two ball clubs, then the Yankees may feel some pressure to get something done for another starting pitcher. Of course, the Sox are feeling pressure to respond to the Nady-Marte move so there's a lot going on in the AL East.

If the rumors are true that the Boston Red Sox have contacted the Astros about Miguel Tejada, rest assured the All-Star shortstop wouldn’t be intimidated about playing at Fenway Park.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?entryID=3508761&name=mlb_trade_deadline

The Boston Red Sox have had discussions with the Houston Astros about shortstop Miguel Tejada, sources told ESPNdeportes.com's Enrique Rojas.

One source said the conversations between the two teams had just started. Another source, one close to Tejada, said he Red Sox and Astros have been in talks for some time now about a trade.

The big question is... WHY!?!?

First of all he is signed for $13m next year and why would we want to take on that contract when we should be in an awesome financial situation this offseason?

Secondly, Tejada is not an impact offensive or defensive player anymore.  He is in a miserable decline since he peaked as a hitter in 2004-05, this year he is only hitting .281/.318/.420 even after his blazing hot April when he hit .345/ .380/ .566.

This is one of those rumors that is so completely bizarre that the only way it would be worth doing it is if we had to trade nothing and Houston paid all of his salary next year... or they were willing to take Julio Lugo and his contract.  Outside of those highly unlikely scenarios, this rumor sucks.

I think the happiest people in the park when Justin Morneau scored were Terry Francona, Jim Leyland, and Bud Selig.  Not just that the AL had won, but they were saved from having to make some really rough decisions if the game went into a 16th inning.  A brief recap first though...

Scoring was hard to find this year.  It was quite clear that the pitchers, from both the AL and NL, were out to win this game.  Matt Holliday got the scoring going with a solo HR in the 5th, which was followed by a another run in the 6th on a Lance Berkman Sac Fly.  MVP JD Drew got the AL back with a 2-run HR in the 7th.  Things got a bit ugly in the 8th when Jon Papelbon took the mound for the AL.  After some highly misinterperted comments got some typical NYC press coverage, the crowd got on Pap bad.  With the crowd chanting for Mariano Rivera, and a run of "over rated" chants, Miguel Tejada singled, stole second, and got to third on Dioner Navarro's throwing error.  IMO, the crowd had an effect that inning.  I think that Navarro let the crowd get to him a bit, and he rushed his throw to second trying to get things quieted a bit.  Instead, he threw the ball into CF, which allowed Tejada to score on an Adrian Gonzalez Sac Fly.  As a side note, even Derek Jeter thought the crowd was "off" waving at them dismissively at one point.  Bet that doesn't make the NYC papers.

Down 3-2, Grady Sizemore of the AL singled in the 8th, and then stole second uncontested.  With two outs, PH Evan Longoria (the fan vote 10th man), hit a ground rule double, scoring Sizemore.  Score tied 3-3.  Mariano River came in in the 9th, and worked almost 2 full innings, trying to get the win, and had to work out of a jam to preserve the 3-3 tie.  Things just got wild from there.

Rockies pitcher Aaron Cook had a bases loaded, no out jam, and got out of the inning unscathed.  Poor Dan Uggla.  He had a rough couple of innings, including back to back errors.  Yet neither error hurt the NL.  But Uggla couldn't make up for the errors at the plate, going down twice more in the game.  Fast forward to the 15th inning..

Things were getting real tight in the 15th.  Scott Kazmir pitched the inning for the AL.  He wasn't supposed to pitch at all, having thrown over 100 pitches on Sunday.  Then again, neither was Brandon Webb for the NL who had done the same, and pitched the 14th for the NL.  Kazimir was the last pitcher for the AL.  The NL only had Brad Lidge left.  Kazimir got a 1-2-3 15th for the AL.

Clint Hurdle brought in Lidge for the 15th.  He had some trouble, and ended up with a bases loaded, 1 out situation.  With the infield and OF "in," Michael Young stepped up to the plate.  He hit a short fly ball to RF Corey Hart (the NL's fan vote 10th man), who threw home as Justin Morneau tagged from third.  Morneau got in just ahead of Brian McCann's tag, giving the Al the 4-3 win.

As Morneau tagged up, both managers were sweating bullets, along with Commissioner Bud Selig.  They were all out of players, pitchers and position players.  Every one on both rosters had been used.  Had the game gone to the 16th, Terry Francona was going to face a tough decision: Try to get 1 more inning out of Kazmir, and risk over using him, or got to a position player.  Clint Hurdle was facing a similar situation with Brad Lidge.  According to MLB.com, JD Drew was up to pitch for the AL, and David Wright for the NL.  Wouldn't that have been interesting.  Yet Justin Mornaeu saved them from having to make those choices.  Francona was so elated I thought he was going to kiss Jim Leyland, who he'd obviously been consulting closely with on the matter.  And I haven't seen the eternally grumpy Jim Leyland that happy since he won the World series with the Marlins.

So, thanks to a basic, fundamental baseball play, we were saved from seeing either another tie (which Selig said would not happen), or seeing position players tossing BP in the 16th.  And the crowd that remained, which I'd estimate at about a third of those who showed up originally, got to see an exciting play to end the game.

Now the good, bad, and ugly from the broadcast.

The good:

The tributes with the Hall of Famers.  It's always fun to see the living HoF'ers gather together.  All that talent, all those memories, all those great players.  And it was the last All Star game at Yankee Stadium, which made it just a bit more special than in past years.I really liked how they broke the HoF'ers down by position, and introduced the All Star starters at each position after them. 

The tribute to Bobby Murcer.  Murcer passed away a few days ago, and was a well liked player and broadcaster.  I always liked Murcer, first as a player, then as a broadcaster.  One of the few Yankees I can say that about.  It's too bad it was only one short bit about half way through the game.  He deserved a bit more than that IMO.

The game itself was a classic.  What more could one ask for?  You had everything happen.  Great pitching, cluth hitting, spectacular and awful defense, and close plays.  It would have been nice if they could have gotten it over in 9, but the excitement never ended in the extras.

Josh Groban singing "God Bless America."  One of the better renditions I've heard in quite a while.  Usually these are just fluff additions to get non-baseball viewers to tune in.  But Groban didn't mail in his performance, and in fact excelled at it. 

The Bad:

The Yankee ass kissing by Joe Buck.  Why didn't Fox just cut to the chase and have Michael Kay do the broadcast?  Nobody kisses Yankee ass during a broadcast like Kay.  Though Yogi in the booth was worth while.  But still, Joe Buck could have been a bit more impartial, and not just keep sucking up to the Yankees.  the Steinbrenner comments alone made me cringe.

Too much Yankee this and that.  Yes I get it.  It was Yankee stadium.  It was the last All Star game there.  But there should be a limit.  I didn't mind the Yankee HoF'ers throwing out the ceremonial first picth, that was to be expected.  But the crap with Steinbrenner bringing out the balls, and the constant cuts to the Monuments, just got annoying. 

Ken Rosenthal.  Ugh.  He's awful.  Terrible even.  While no Rex Hudler, he's still an rotten reporter and broadcaster.  He should be nicknamed Captain Obvious, as he's rarely, if ever, insightful, or provides any sort of in depth analysis or information.

The Ugly:

Sheryl Crow siging the National Anthem.  Yikes, was that bad.  I've seen good, bad, and ugly performances of the National Anthem, and this one was ugly.  She couldn't even keep her own timing.  Her voice was off, her guitar was slightly out of tune.  And she kept changing the time of the music, and threw herself off at least twice.

The Yankee partisans in the crowd.  I already mentioned what happened in the 8th with Papelbon on the mound.  The stupid crowd nearly cost the AL the game.  I get booing Red Sox players.  I expect that, and there's nothing wrong with that.  Yet the crowd went "one step beyond" in the 8th.  Even the Yankee players and Joe Girardi made it clear they thought the crowd was out of line.  Jeter waved at the crowd dismissivley, and Girardi looked like he was apologizing to Terry Francona at one point.  So, the NY press got the crowd fired up over nothing (which everyone except the NY press agrees on), and nearly cost the AL the game. 

So, here's to next year.  St.Louis should put on a good show.

Matt Holliday's homer and Lance Berkman's sac fly gave the NL a 2-0 lead. A lead that held until the 7th inning. J.D. Drew, the MVP of the game, hit a two-out two-run homer to tie the game. The great thing about Drew stepping up for the AL was that he did so in Yankee's stadium. The fans, a majority of which were Yankees, seemed confused once Drew rounded the bases after his shot cleared the fence. There was a moment in which the fans found themselves in a conundrum: should we applaud Drew, even though he is a member of the Red Sox, because he, in the end, could have helped give the Yankees home field advantage in the World Series (that's if they make it to the playoffs, and actually go deep into the postseason), or should we boo him because he is a Red Sox player? They decided to do half and half: many applauded, some booed. This started a very exciting, if not remarkable, final 8 innings.

The battle that the game had become went back and forth in the eigth. The National League struck first, on a Adrian Gonzalez sac fly, off of Jonathan Papelbon, the Red Sox closer. Papelbon was booed throughout his outing, not only because he is a member of the Yankees hated rival, but because of his remarks about Mariano Rivera. Once the AL came to bat in the bottom of the frame, his outing was an afterthought.

The inning didn't start out well for the American League as Brian Wilson got the first two outs of the inning with ease. Then once he was replaced by Billy Wagner, the real fun started. Grady Sizemore knocked a two out single, bringing up pinch hitter Evan Longoria. Sizemore stole second without a throw, and then touched the plate for the tying run after Longoria's clutch rbi-double was roped down the left field line. Longoria's hit gave the AL life, in a game that the NL had controlled up to that point.

Rivera got out of a jam in the ninth, only to see Ryan Dempster strike out the side in the bottom of the frame, sending the game to extras. The NL got to Rivera in the 10th, putting runners on first and third for Dan Uggla. This was just the start of Uggla's nightmare, as he quelled the rally by grounding into a double play. What happened next for Uggla was not only unorthodox by his standards, but horrible to watch, no matter who you were rooting for. He started the bottom of the tenth by botching a ground ball, allowing Michael Young to reach first base. To Uggla's credit, the ball did take a tough hop, eating him up. There was no excuse for what happened next. Carlos Quentin laced a ground-ball right to Uggla, who instead of turning a much needed double play, pulled a Bill Buckner and watched the ball go through his legs and into center field. With runners on first and third, and nobody out, there was no way the Al wouldn't score, right? Wrong. Aaron Cook intentionally walked Carlos Guillen to create a force at every base. Cook got exactly what he wanted after that. Grady Sizemore hit a grounder to Uggla, who made sure he had control of it before throwing the runner out at home. One out. Evan Longoria, the next hitter, didn't make up for Sizemore's ineffectiveness, as Cristian Guzman gobbled up his ground ball (Guzman hadn't played third base all year until this instance) and forced Michael Young out at home. Aaron Cook showed why he is an All-Star, getting ground-ball after ground-ball, but because of the errors by Uggla, the AL still had one more chance. Cook got Justin Morneau to ground out to end the inning on a spectacular play by shortstop Miguel Tejada, whose throw got him out by a step. Job well done by Cook, as he kept the game alive for the NL. Joakim Soria, a unheralded closer for the Royals, worked quickly in the top of the 11th inning after giving up a lead-off single to Adrian Gonzalez.

The American League had yet another chance to win the game in the bottom of the inning against Cook. Ian Kinsler started it off with a single, only to be called out trying to steal second base. It was a horrible call by the umpire as replays showed that Kinsler was easily safe. Despite the out, the AL was far from done. Dioner Navarro proceeded with a walk, as Cook, unlike the previous inning, wasn't helping himself. J.D. Drew followed with a single, putting runners on first and second, giving the AL another excellent opportunity to put the game away. Michael Young did all he could do in his at-bat, lacing a single up the middle, now all the slow-of-foot Navarro had to do was score. Nate McLouth came up with the ball and made a strong throw to the plate. Catcher Russell Martin (so it seemed watching in real time) blocked the plate nicely, tagging out Navarro, keeping the NL afloat once again. As replays showed, this was another horrible call by the umpiring crew. Announcers Joe Buck and Tim McCarver praised Martin for his tremendous play until they saw the replay. Navarro's foot clearly got through and touched the base before Martin applied the tag. Without instant replay (which I won't like once instituted) set in baseball, the call couldn't be reviewed, and the game carried on. Quentin ended yet another eventful scoreless inning by the American League by grounding out to Guzman.

The National League had their best chance in extra innings to pull through and take the lead, facing Soria in the top of the twelfth. Ryan Ludwick started it off with a single. McLouth came to bat thinking only one thing, get him over to second. He not only did that with his drag bunt, but reached first base after Morneau weakly lobbed the ball to Ian Kinsler. After an intentional walk to Tejada it was up to Uggla once again, who could erase the horror that had been his first all-star game. Instead, the nightmare went on, as he struck out, badly missing on three straight pitches. George Sherrill replaced Soria to face Adrian Gonzalez, who he struck out to end the threat.

The American League, once again, had another chance to end the game, but couldn't. Carlos Guillen started the inning with a double, one that, off the bat, looked gone. Sizemore, grounded out, moving Guillen over to third, but the AL could do nothing with it. Evan Longoria struck out, and after Morneau was intentionally walked, Cook got yet another ground ball, a ground out to third to get out of the inning unscathed.

The National League might have pushed across a run in the top of the thirteenth if not for a heads up play by Sherrill. David Wright blooper dropped for a single. Guzman tried to move him over with a bunt, but hit it too hard, allowing Sherrill to get Wright out at second. Sherrill then easily retired Corey Hart by strikeout and forced Ludwick to fly out.

Another error by Uggla, his third of the game, nearly cost the NL in the bottom of the inning. After Navarro grounded out, J.D. Drew's ground ball was booted by Uggla, allowing him to reach. Carlos Marmol proceeded to strikeout Michael Young, only to see Drew steal second on a close call. Now a runner was in scoring position for Quentin, who failed miserably, flailing at Marmol's nasty assortment of pitches for back-to-back strikeouts.

Surprisingly enough, the fourteenth inning was very uneventful as both Sherrill and Brandon Webb (who was forced to pitch because of the lack of arms left, even though he threw 108 pitches on Sunday) got 1-2-3 innings. Webb didn't look particularly comfortable on the mound, but still struck out two hitter, Sizemore and Longoria.

The top of the fifthteenth was only interesting because Terry Francona and the AL were down to their last pitcher, Scott Kazmir. The reason this was so enthralling at the time was because he was forbidden to pitch by orders of the Rays unless there was no one left. He too threw over 100 pitches in his outing on Sunday, so, he like Webb, looked quite uncomfortable pitching. Nonetheless, he pitched around a walk to David Wright, and threw a scoreless inning of work. Had this game not have ended on Michael Young's sac fly in the bottom of that inning, would the game be called a tie, or would Kazmir have to pitch another inning, and therefore be overworked. In the olden days when pitchers were throwing complete games by the boatload and making 40-50 starts a year, this would not have been an issue. If Kazmir did pitch in the 1920-30's he'd be expected, in this situation to pitch 10 innings if he had to. But in the modern days of fragile arms and million dollar payroll's, his having to pitch was shocking, and nearly outrageous.

After all of the drama, excitement, and utter bewilderment, Brad Lidge, the last pitcher in either bullpen, was thrown to the wolves. He got hit hard in the inning, starting with a single by Justin Morneau. Ian Kinsler followed with sinking liner to left field. Ryan Ludwick took away a base hit with a face first dive, for the first out. Navarro then knocked a single, moving Morneau to second. Lidge walked J.D. Drew, setting up the inevitable. The AL wouldn't collapse again with runners in scoring position? Right. Morneau raced home and beat Brian McCann's tag on Young's deep fly ball, sending the AL to an exhausting victory to win for the 11 time in a row. And that was that.

Some things I noticed while watching:

1. What's the deal with the booing Yankee fans?!
The first thing I noticed was that as soon as Terry Francona walked on to the field at Yankee Stadium, he was met by what sounded like half the stadium booing. As if that wasn't enough, Papelbon was also met with boos and chants of "OVER-RATED." This bothers me; why so much animosity? It's the ALL-STAR GAME for crying out loud, and the Yanks and Sox are playing on the same team! Unfortunately I can't make any guarantees that the same wouldn't have happened had the All-Star Game been held at Fenway, but really people. Show some showmanship for once and support the team you're supposed to. Rivalries and hard feelings should be put aside for the All-Star Game, which is supposed to be honoring the best players of both leagues in the MLB.

2. Hooray for JD Drew! MVP!
Drew showed up at his first All-Star Game (and at Yankee Stadium no less) to blast a line-drive homer into the seats to tie the game in the 7th. A feat, for sure. But, Drew also managed to get on base 4 out of his 5 plate appearances, including a walk, reaching base on an error, a single, and he even stole a base. MVP no doubt!! And I'm sure as hell glad he's wearing a Red Sox uniform while doing it.

3. Steal, steal, steal
Interesting move by Francona to have what seemed like his entire AL team steal whenever they possibly could. Maybe even more interesting was the fact that, for the most part, it worked. (Albeit the runners were often left on base) I'll say this is because Francona is a smart manager, and while I DO feel bad that the Yankees were taken out so early in the game (did I just say that?!), he knows what he's doing. It was tough to be manager for that dragged out 15 innings of play.

4. NL defense
I don't even think I need to explain this one. Miguel Tejada, Russell Martin, and the rest of the NL team made this game so difficult and frustruating for the AL team (and fans) to watch. The number of men the AL team was forced to leave on base, and the runs that we didn't score because of the defense, is more than enough to prove why these players are at the All-Star Game.

5. ..buttt, Uggla was UG-LY
Yikes. 3 errors in the All-Star Game which kept the game going as long as it possibly could. Also set the record for the most errors committed by one player in an All-Star Game.. not the stats you want to be returning to your regular season with. But his defensive miscues sure helped the AL out quite a bit.

6. Michael Young saves the game
Would anyone argue with me on this? He won the All-Star game for the AL with a walk-off sac fly in the bottom of the 15th inning, after 4 hours and 50 minutes of play, which I believe was the longest All-Star Game ever played. Props to this man.

7. Terry Francona's face as soon as the AL team won
Might be one of the funniest expressions I've ever seen, and I don't think I've seen Francona that excited about anything. He's usually pretty stoic during games, but he jumped up with a huge smile on his face, clearly relieved he didn't have to worry about putting Kazmir back in the game.

Phew. That was a lot of highlights, and a very long game. As it's just about 2:00 in the morning and I'm exhausted, I think it's time for bed. Good thing I can sleep well knowing the AL team won and JD Drew was named MVP =)

• There's no reason to be surprised or (if you're one of the dozen existing Rays fans) concerned about the Tampa Bay Rays 7 game losing streak. Think of it as a "regression towards the mean." The Rays have some top notch starting pitching among Scott Kazmir, James Shields, Matt Garza, and even Andy Sonnanstine has put up 10 wins, but they're 8th in the American League in runs scored. Their everyday SS, Jason Bartlett, has 9 extra base hits (8 doubles, 1 triple) in 273 at bats! With the exception of rookie Evan Longoria, none of their "big bats" are performing anywhere up to par. From last season to this season, B.J. Upton has gone from a .300/24/82 with a.894 OPS to a .276/6/44 with a .787 OPS; Carl Crawford has gone from a .315/11/84 with a .821 OPS to a .270/8/47 with a .700 OPS; and Carlos Pena has gone from a .282/46/121 with a 1.038 OPS to a .236/14/47 with a .778 OPS. In order for the Rays to seriously compete with the Red Sox for the division crown, they'll need major improvements from just about every offensive player on their roster in addition to adding at least one big right-handed bat and a shortstop with more power than a little leaguer. Realistically, the Rays are a 90-92 win team and serious contenders for a Wildcard berth, which is nothing to laugh at considering their pathetic team history.
• The Yankees are toast. And I'm not just referring to this season, but to next season as well. A team with a salary of over $200 million should NEVER have gone into a season relying on THREE rookie pitchers to carry them. Joba looks like the real deal but don't you think they might be reconsidering not giving up Phil Hughes, Ian Kennedy, and Melky Cabrera for Johan Santana now? As it stands, they have somewhere on the order of $75 million coming off the books this offseason (Jason Giambi - $23.5 million, Bobby Abreu - $16 million, Andy Pettite- $16 million, Mike Mussina - $11 million, Carl Pavano - $11 million (remember him), Kyle Farnsworth - $6 million, the main culprits), but as a result they'll have a number of huge holes. With no minor league position players they can realistically fit into their lineup, how do they not offer Mark Teixera 7 or 8 years at $150 plus million as well as $100 million plus to Ben Sheets and/or CC Sabathia? Not to mention, what do they do with Right Field? Do they sign Pat Burrell or Adam Dunn for $50 plus million, move Johnny Damon back to Center and put Melky Cabrera in Right? No matter what way you slice it, the Yankees will be forced to either overpay for position players or trade some or all of their top prospects for a player like Matt Holliday. And yet again, they'll need to completely overhaul their bullpen aside from Rivera. They're a disaster and I'm loving it.
• Most people didn't notice but the Boston Red Sox may very well have won the World Series during last Friday's 7-3 loss to the Baltimore Orioles: JULIO LUGO TORE A QUADRICEPS AND WILL BE OUT FOR 4-6 WEEKS! Oh happy day! I'm not sure I've ever mentioned this but I have an almost irrational hatred of Julio Lugo. My enjoyment of watching Red Sox games is seriously hampered by his presence on the team. I would actually rather see him strike out with the game on the line rather than get a basehit at this point because of the possibility that that hit might extend his stay on the Red Sox. Now we get to see talented rookie Jed Lowrie take over -- something which should have happened last season -- and hopefully never give the job up. Julio Lugo getting injured is the equivalent of adding an Albert Pujols or Hanley Ramirez to the lineup, that's how much he detracts from the team by his presence. At this point, I can't see how the Red Sox don't win the World Series -- unless they put Lugo back in the lineup in September that is.
• There are 3 Jewish All-Stars out there tonight: 1B Kevin Youkilis (.314/15/63), 2B Ian Kinsler (.337/14/58), and 3B/LF Ryan Braun (.286/23/66). A pretty nice trio I'd say. I don't know if there are any All-Star Jewish Shortstops on the horizon, but we certainly could put together a nice Jewish infield. Oy!
• My apologies to Cliff Lee, but Roy Halladay should be the starting Pitcher for the AL. I know that Lee has the better record and a slightly better ERA (2.31 to 2.71), but Halladay's 7 complete games and 2 shutouts are remarkable in this day and age. If Halladay were on any other team than the Blue Jays, he would be openly discussed as one of the great pitchers of his generation.
• I'm usually fairly biased when it comes to anything related to Red Sox-Yankees, but there's absolutely no question that Mariano Rivera should be the AL closer over Jonathan Pabelpon. Rivera's had the better season, end of story. But the treatment that Pabelbon and his wife received during this afternoon's Red Carpet parade of All-Stars down Avenue of the Americas, where he was booed unmercifully and some threats were hurled at him and his wife, was typical no-class chickenshit behavior from Yankees fans that was completely uncalled for. Now I hope Rivera is used in the 5th inning or not at all. Maybe they can detonate Yankee Stadium with those ass-clown "fans" sitting in the stands.

Game time! Finally, mercifully!

Whoops, my bad, the longest pre-game introductions in the history of sport continues.

• George Steinbrenner being wheeled out to the mound doesn't quite give the same level of chills as when Ted Williams was brought out at the 1999 Fenway Park, does it?
• Ted Williams at Fenway was one of those special moments that only sports can deliver.
• From my fiancee: "Wade Boggs looks weird. Like a serial killer."
• I think we're possibly within 45 minutes of game time.
• I'm predicting a 6-4 AL victory. The AL's pitching advantage is the difference. But for the first time in a LONG time, I would actually favor the NL's line-up, particularly at the top. Ichiro/Jeter gets schooled by Hanley Ramirez/Chase Utley. You wouldn't know it by listening to Tim McCarver, but Jeter is an average baseball player at this stage of his career. Ichiro has finally brought his average up to .300, but Hanley Ramirez is one of the Top 5 offensive players in the game.

First Inning

Top Half:

- Hallelujah, the game's on!

- I can barely watch the T.V. when Hanley Ramirez is on. To think that I could have been watching him for the past two seasons instead of Julio Lugo!!! Sure, it's nice having Beckett and Mike Lowell, but trading a future Hall-of-Famer always has its drawbacks.

- Wow, Cliff Lee is fired up. Let's hope -- for Cleveland's sake -- that he doesn't overthrow and have to go on the DL like Pedro Martinez did after striking out 5 in a row to start the 1999 All-Star game.

- Nice, quick half inning. 17 more of those and it might make up for the 2 hours worth of pre-game introductions.

Middle Half:

- How is Milwaukee going to deal with the impending free agency of Ben Sheets AND CC Sabathia? I like the trade they made, they saw an opportunity to boast one of the top rotations in the game and they took it -- unlike the New York Yankees, who have quickly grown into chickenshit "let's hold onto all of our precious prospects" mode -- but I doubt the Brewers can sign both. I would sign Sheets if I were them. Sabathia has pitched a lot of innings and would soon look like Jabba the Hut after a year or two of living in Milwaukee.

- What a chump A-Rod is for not participating in the Home Run Derby. The whole "it screws up your swing" meme is complete bullshit and he knows it. You think that Josh Hamilton regrets his experience? A-Rod's a coward, that's why he didn't participate in the Derby. He was afraid of looking bad. While he may undoubtedly be remembered as one of the greatest players to ever play the game, he'll never be a legend.

Second Inning

Top Half:

- Wasn't Albert Pujols supposed to have blown out an elbow by now?

- Who saw this season coming from Chipper Jones?

- Ryan Braun strikes out! Jews everywhere hang their heads in disgust.

Middle Half:

- That Kevin Costner movie "Swing State" looks painfully bad. My advice: rent the 1993 Clint Eastwood-directed Kevin Costner movie, A Perfect World, instead. Very under-rated film. Highly recommended.

- The Red Sox don't have much choice other than to pick up Manny Ramirez's option for next season. What else are they going to do? Sign Pat Burrell or Adam Dunn to an overpriced 4 or 5 year contract, trade Kevin Youkilis and Craig Hansen to Colorado for Matt Holiday (that was a proposed trade), or give LF to rookie Brandon Moss? It's only a one year commitment, hardly a difficult decision.

- I always liked Milton Bradley. Crazy as all hell, but I'm glad he's doing well for himself. It's doubtful that he'll be able to maintain his equilibrium though -- If I were the Rangers, I'd trade him before the deadline and restock my minor league pitching depth.

- Kevin Youkilis strikes out! The Jews are growing restless!

Third Inning

Top Half:

- Yogi Berra making fun of Derek Jeter. Classic.

- Is there a more pathetic thing in sports than Yankee fans who wear those fake Jason Giambi moustaches? Yay, he's hitting again, so let's forget that he's a steroid-taking, gold thong wearing moron. If the average human body is 60% water, I would guess that Giambi's is 15% water an 45% HGH at this point.

- I wonder if "Fukodome" is actually prounounced "Foo-kay-dome" in Japan? Are there any Japanese out there that can confirm this for me?

Middle Half:

- I also have to say that I loved the Chicago Cubs trade for Rich Harden. Pair him with Carlos Zambrano and that's nice 1-2. Unfortunately Harden is as fragile as a leg-shaped lamp and there's at best a 10% likelihood that he makes it to the post-season in one piece.

- Nobody hits into a smoother double play than Derek Jeter. He's truly a gifted athlete.

Fourth Inning

Top Half:

- Raise your hand if you're excited for the X-Files Movie? Nobody?

- Halladay is a free agent after the 2009 season. It's funny you don't hear any discussion of the Blue Jays considering putting him on the trade block. I would expect they could extract no less than 2 top tier prospects as well as a couple of mid-grade prospects for him.

- What a laser from Ichiro to gun down Pujols at second. There's nothing more enjoyable than having an outfielder on the team you root for who has a gun for an arm like Ichiro or Vlad Guerrero. I still miss Dwight Evans.

Middle Half:

- Madonna? Seriously, A-Rod? That's who you end your marriage for? Just when you thought he couldn't sink any lower, he starts dating a 49 year old woman. He could have had a Paris Hilton/Lindsey Lohan sandwich, but he settled for someone who was born in the 1950s.

Fifth Inning

Top Half:

- Pineapple Express will be a huge hit. I read the screenplay and it is hands-down hilarious. After The Dark Knight it's the movie I'm most looking forward to this summer.

- Home run by Matt Holiday and we have a run on the board!

- If the Rays are serious about this season, Holiday would be a good addition. They certainly have the prospects to get the job done. It's a question of whether they have the desire. I doubt it.

Middle Half:

- I was a little surprised that Billy Beane traded Rich Harden. The As are 7 games over .500 and had a realistic chance at the Wild Card. Methinks Beane might know a little something about the health status of Rich Harden that he's not letting on. To think of all the pitching talent that Oakland has traded over the years -- including Danny Haren, the guy on the mound for the NL -- and they still have the best ERA in all of Major League baseball!

- Ian Kinsler with a stolen base! First the Jews control the media, the banks, and Hollywood, and now we're taking over baseball. What will we think of next?

- Thankfully for Derek Jeter there are already two outs so he can't hit into a double-play...Only a ground out to the pitcher. Rally killed.

Sixth Inning

Top Half:

- If I were Jason Varitek I would be significantly embarrassed to be named to the All-Star team. I know, it's a great honor to be chosen by the players, but have a little self-respect and come up with a "hamstring injury" or something. Is his .218 average the worst in baseball All-Star game history? To think just how much A.J. Pierzynski has to be hated by his fellow players for them to choose Varitek over him.

- Lance Berkman drives a deep out to Sizemore in Center, Hanley Ramirez tags up, and the NL takes a commanding 2-0 lead.

- You can choose to call it classy, but I prefer to see it as Terry Francona embarrassing himself with this whole removing A-Rod and Jeter in the middle of the inning so they can get a big cheer. Terry, have a little respect for yourself. These Yankee fans deserve an opportunity to be dipped in a barrel of feces before they deserve an opportunity to cheer for their hometown clowns.

Middle Half:

- I feel like it's time for a good All-Star game beaning. Milton Bradley is coming up soon. Maybe we could get the first brawl in the history of the All-Star game.

- That was a nice pitch by Haren to strike out Sizemore. Again, I reiterate, it's incredible the amount of talent the As have had to trade.

Seventh Inning

Top Half:

-Apparently Pabelbon's pregnant wife getting threatened by Yankees fans is a lead story on the Nightly News here in Los Angeles. I wonder if this story will get national attention? I ask you, do Yankee fans have any decency?

- Can we all agree that it would be nice if the Minnesota Twins overtook the Chicago White Sox in the AL Central?

- I just saw the the Clippers traded a 2nd round pick to the Nuggets for Marcus Camby. Good move by the Clippers, I'm shocked. Camby's only under contract for 2 seasons and will improve their interior defense signifcantly. Probably not the move that Clippers fans were hoping for after losing Elton Brand, but they may be better off in the long run.

Middle Half:

- Wait, Corey Hart is in right field? Is he wearing his sunglasses at night?...Sorry.

- Edwin Volquez really does look like a young Pedro Martinez out there. He brings the ball up higher before his release, but very similar to Martinez.

- J.D. DREW ties it up with a 2 run jack! I think I've mentioned this before, but J.D. Drew's emergence into an All-Star this season has me worried that the apocalypse is just around the corner. I will never be shocked by anything for the rest of my life after his turn-around.

Eighth Inning

Top Half:

- If I were Jonathan Pabelbon, I would just turn and start firing pitches into the stands. Fucking cowards.

- And the next time the Red Sox face New York, I'd plug a few Yankees batters for good measure.

- Yankees fan start chanting "over-rated," which of course is a chant they stole from Boston Celtics fans. How pathetic. I have a chant for Yankee fans: how about "YEAR 2000!...YEAR 2000!...YEAR 2000!"

- NL takes a 3-2 lead after Navarro throws a ball into centerfield, allowing Tejada to get to third and score on a sac fly.

Middle Half:

- You know what, it might be a good thing if the AL loses, because that way the Red Sox would be able to celebrate at Fenway Park after their 4 game sweep of the World Series.

- Hey, were you aware that this is the last season at Yankee Stadium?! Shouldn't they have been drilling that into our heads every 5 minutes for the entire length of the game?

- I'm going to go out on a limb and predict 10 All-Star appearances for Longoria's career. He ties the game with a double down the left field line.

Ninth Inning

Top Half:

- K-Rod is into the game. Apparently he has 38 saves on the season! I take back my earlier comment that Rivera should be closing this game. He'll be a free agent this offseason, can you say 5 years, $55 million?

- Oh please God, let Rivera blow this game.

- Seriously, Terry, neither Rivera nor his mongrel fans deserve your deference.

- Oh well, strike em out, throw em out and the inning is over.

Middle Half:

- C'mon Kinsler, hit a walk-off. Do it for the Jews!

- Oh my sweet Lord, the Yankees are coming to Fenway Park next week! Let's pray that Radio Shack is stocked up on batteries!

- Kinsler strikes out. First the Exodus and now this! Haven't we suffered enough?

- J.D. is going hit another one, I can feel it...and he strikes out.

Tenth Inning

Top Half:

- Rivera's still out there. I like Terry's strategy now: wear out Rivera in the All-Star game before the Yankees come to town next week. Brilliant.

- 1st and third with one out. Rivera may blow this yet.

- Crap, double play. It looks like Rivera will get out of the game unscathed...unless Terry is thinking of bringing him out there for a third inning? That would be too good, but it's not happening.

Middle Half:

- Uggla was Uggly on that play.

- Uggla does it again, right through the wickets and it's first and third with no outs. Oh right, Uggla was also the batter who just hit into the double play. You think he might just want to dig a hole out at second base right about now?

- Walking the bases loaded. I like the strategy, not much else you can do at this point.

- Oh thank goodness Uggla didn't choke on that one, might have scarred him for life. One out, bases still loaded.

- Longoria up with a good chance to be MVP if he can get the run home...And he grounds out feebly to third and there's two outs. This game has had quite the ending.

- WOW, what a play by Tejada! He has to charge hard, the ball hits the lip of the glass, he fields it and then he makes a powerful off-balance throw to just catch the runner! How about Aaron Cook's performance under pressure there?

- How excited is Uggla right now?

Eleventh Inning

Top Half:

- If this game ends in a tie, I am going to be SO pissed off for spending my entireevening doing this live blog. If I do a live blog, I'm going to pretty much demand that I at least get to see a winner and a loser.

- Rafael Soria pitches to Christian Guzman -- quite the parade of stars.

- Well, that half inning was quite a downer from the theatrics of bottom of the tenth. Let's hope this game ends soon.

Middle Half:

- Kinsler with a lead-off single! The Jews may rise again!

- Kinsler caught stealing on a pitch-out! And he wasn't even tagged by Tejada! These umpires are all anti-Semites, I tell ya!

- J.D. Drew singles up the middle which should have been the game-winning hit. He still might get the MVP unless there's a walk-off home run.

- What a play at the plate! Great throw by McLouth, great block by Martin. There's nothing better than a bang-bang play at the plate.

- On to the 12th. My fiancee is NOT happy.

Twelfth Inning

Top Half:

- I promised to get my fiancee Pinkberry when the game is over so I think I've bought myself another inning or two.

- What the hell kind of flip was that from Morneau? This isn't a egg-tossing contest, throw the ball!

- Then Morneau fields a bunt that was going foul. Is he trying to make Dan Uggla feel better about himself?

- Francona decides to walk the bases loaded.

- Longest game in ASG history. Figures.

- Uggla strikes out. Is it possible to retroactively revoke a player's All-Star selection?

- A pitching change? Seriously, Terry? This might have been one of his worst coached games ever. I'm dying.

Middle Half:

- Carlos Guillen DEEP TO LEFT...and it's off the wall. It's officially the game that never ends.

- Uggla almost boots another one, but gets the out. Will they walk the bases loaded and try for the double play?

- Nope, they bring the infield in. Strange, I would have at least put a runner on at first base and tried for a conventional double play.

- Longoria strikes out and the fiancee is getting very restless.

- Now they intentionally walk Morneau and Kinsler again has the chance to be the hero.

- Kinsler grounds out to third. Maybe he's only half-Jewish?

Thirteenth Inning

Top Half:

- I'm slowly losing my will to live, but I'll press on.

- How long before one of those broken maple bats lodges into a pitcher's face?

- Now I'm starting to wonder, what happens if the AL runs out of pitchers? Scott Kazmir threw 104 pitches on Sunday so he won't be able to go too long. Will they have to bring in a position player? In which case would Kazmir have to play in the outfield? Or will they just call it a tie? This is incredibly intriguing.

- Was George Sherrill and his 4.08 ERA really the best that the Orioles had to offer this season? I can't tell you how thankful I am not to be an Orioles fan.

Middle Half:

- Someone named Carlos Marmol is now in the game to pitch for the NL. Even Peter Gammons is scrambling for his program to figure out who this guy is.

- Marmol has an ERA of 13.50 for his last 12 appearances. My mistake, All Star all the way.

- Oh my dear Lord, ANOTHER error for Uggla? I feel like the crowd at the end of Braveheart: Mercy! Mercy! Mercy!

- J.D. Drew steals a base. He can taste that MVP trophy now. He will NOT be denied.

- I'm guessing that Marmol is a Dominican based on his Pedro Martinez-like delivery. This is incredible: there must be an entire generation of Dominican pitchers who based their delivery on Pedro and will soon decend on Major League Baseball. I'm very excited.

Fourteenth Inning

Top Half:

- McLouth drills it to right, back, back, back! And J.D. Drew brings it it at the wall. I could have sworn that one was long gone. It was like the hand of God kept that one in the park. This game might not be ending anytime soon.

- And Russell Martin clocks one deep to right...and Drew catches it just short of the track. What's it going to take?

- You can't deny George Sherrill, son! On to the bottom of the 14th.

Middle Half:

- Why is Clint Hurdle using Brandon Webb when he has Brad Lidge still in the bullpen?? Webb also pitched on Sunday and the D-Backs didn't want him in the game. This makes absolutely no sense.

- And Brandon Webb mows the poor AL down.

Fifteenth Inning

Top Half:

- Scott Kazmir is in the game. Now I'm really hoping that this game goes beyond this inning and we find out what happens when the AL runs out of pitchers. What recourse does Major League Baseball have if there's a tie? It's not like they can retroactively declare that the league that has the better record in interleague play has home field advantage in the World Series, can they? I bet they'll have to do something stupid like a coin flip. Too funny.

- Kazmir walks Wright but gets a one pitch groundout from Guzman. My vision is growing blurry. At least I live on the West Coast and it's not even 11 PM yet.

Middle Half:

- Now Brad Lidge is in the game, the last pitcher for the NL. Oh please let this game make it to the 16th inning!

- Leadoff single by Morneau. You know the AL is going to win now that I want it to continue.

- Ryan Ludwick makes a great diving catch on Ian Kinsler. Anti-Semite!

- Dioner Navarro singles to center and J.D. Drew is up with the MVP on the line. One lousy, little single and he's got it.

- J.D. walks. He's now been on base three times with a steal and has 2 RBIs. He may have the MVP yet.

- Young with a fly to right...play at the plate...SAFE! Wow, that was close. He might have made it by a toe. AL WINS!

- Terry Francona is a little TOO excited. Eleven wins in a row for the American League. I guess the Red Sox will be celebrating in Chicago or Arizona this year. Alas.

- J.D. Drew gets the MVP after all. Suck it Yankees fans, suck it! Ha ha!

Peace, I'm out of here.

“It’s why we win,” David Ortiz admitted.

“If you’ve never seen it, it’s definitely something pretty funny,” Justin Morneau said. “It’s hard to explain, the effect it has on everyone. It’s such a tense environment. Everyone’s a little nervous for the game, and then he comes out. He doesn’t say a whole lot the whole time he’s in there, and all of a sudden, the manager gets done with his speech, and he pops off.”

Ichiro in interviews often prefers to speak through an interpreter, but according to the players, he is highly proficient in English. "That’s kind of what gets you, too,” Morneau added, “Hearing him say what he says. At first, I talked to him a little bit. But I didn’t know he knew some of the words he knows.”

For players like Miguel Tejada who are now relegated to the NL team, the hope is that it is less an Ichiro inspired performance and more of a Japanese cultural one, "I hope Fukudome does it this year,” Tejada said.

When asked Fukudome tersely responded, “I have no plans for that.”

The speech's value is not lost on Ichiro, “I know how important it is to the game,” Ichiro said. “I’m more concentrated at that moment than I am in the game." When he was asked exactly how much his speech contributed to the AL's continued dominance, Ichiro modestly replied, “I’ve got to say over 90 percent.”

“If I don’t say it this year, I want to see if we win or not,” Ichiro said. “Personally, I want to see what happens. But I think Ortiz is going to make something happen.”

Ken Griffey Jr.

I know, he's not been great this year, hitting only .242/.350/.406 but what happened? I think he should have been a pick out of respect for all of baseball, especially with him being "clean" (although we do not know for sure) and joining the 600 home run club. Cal Ripken was pretty bad in his last few seasons, and there is also the case of Barry Larkin in 2004, so why not put Griffey in there? Is this a making of Bud Selig and his minions helping the NL team, and his very good friends, the Milwaukee Brewers, as Griffey was leading by 200,000 votes over Ryan Braun last night? How would Braun get 200,000 votes in 24 hours? I know, Braun is having a great season, and he's an exciting player to watch, but what the hell Selig? And also, Jason Varitek is on the AL team, and he's hitting .219/.301/.360, and he was voted by the players. Yeah, starting and being on the bench are two different things, but putting Griffey in, or even in the bench would not be half retarded. UUIB demands an explanation, and Rory Fitzpatrick says hi.

Johan Santana

He's had a good season, 2.96 ERA and a 7-7 record with the inconsistent Mets, but I still think he should have made it, rather than Brian Wilson, who leads the league in saves, but has not really been good, and the Giants already having a representitive in Lincecum. Cole Hamels would also be someone I would rather have, or Kyle freaking Lohse. Or Chad Billingsley. Or Adam Wainwright.

Pat Burrell

He gets all the opportunities in the world by batting behing Utley, Howard, and Rollins (who should also be on the team) and he's having a great year with an OPS+ of 155 which is 5th in the NL, 21 homers, 4th in the NL in OPS, 5th in OBP, etc etc. It's probably because Nate McLouth is a Pirate, and Matt Holliday and Ryan Ludwick were also very deserving. But Burrell's never been to an All-Star Game, and that's just ridiculous, especially with someone like Miguel Tejada going in, who has an OPS+ of 99 this year. Ridiculous, stupid selection with Miguel Tejada. Burrell would be the next guy I put in if one of the pitchers, or one of the other players gets injured. He also deserves to be voted last player in, since David Wright might get in anyways, because there is the possibility that Jones could opt out of the game due to injury, having been sidelined the past few days. I don't think it's Burrell's fault (or for that matter Jason Bay's fault, as he also got snubbed), that the "fad" Cubs fans voted in a weak player like Alfonso Soriano, who is having a good but not spectacular season. Vote Pat Burrell in, that's a sack of crap that he isn't in.

Those are my choices for All-Star snubs.

Oh, I forgot Xavier Nady. I rag on the guy a lot, especially when he kills the Reds, but he is deserving of a spot this year.

.220/.220/.308 (slash stats), 6 2B, 1 3B, 6 RBI, no walks, 6 strikeouts, 1 CS, .235 BABIP, -1.15 WPA, -0.22 Clutch

Those numbers are just awful.  Yuni didn't hit, didn't walk, and didn't help his team at all.  He didn't even play that much.  His 23 games were as few as he's played in any month since I started this blog last September (he had a leg injury then), though he only missed three of the team's games, including last night because he had dental surgery.  Still, Yuni managed to rack up the second worst WPA among shortstops in June.  Only the shell of Miguel Tejada played worse.  Ugh.  If you want to point to a reason why Yuni's been awful (besides lack of ability in playing baseball), look to his BABIP.  Since he doesn't walk (seriously, he didn't get a base on balls all month), his offensive production is based on his balls in play dropping for hits.  In June, they dropped less than one out of every four times.  Again, ugh.

To add injury to insult, June was also the month that Yuni was spiked by Brandon Inge and mitt-punched by Mike Napoli.  I bet his dentist didn't treat him gingerly, either.  Even his soccer-playing friend Maykel Galindo was sidelined by a "sports hernia" surgery.  And, to add a bit more insult, this month also had Michael Lewis' story in Vanity Fair calling out Yuni for not being very forthcoming about how he came forth to the U.S.

It's been really, really bad.  Here are some defensive numbers (for the whole season):

9 errors, .973 fielding percentage,  .811 RZR,  12 OOZ

These stats from The Hardball Times actually show some improvement in the field.  Yuni only made two errors in June (the fewest in any month this year) and raised his RZR by 30 points, probably due to making five out of zone plays.  Yuni's leapfrogged Bobby Crosby, and is only the third-worst defensive shortstop in the AL.  Julio Lugo is still chilling in the cellar.

When the 2008 season began, I was genuinely hoping and believing that it would be Yuni's ascent into a legitimate major league baseball player.  I've pretty much given up that dream.

Go M's!

Photo by Pat Sullivan

Caption by me

Last year when Miggi got traded, I was relieved. It had to happen and it needed to happen. Tejada's a good player. He has a good bat but his defense is average. With the freakshow the O's have at short right now, it really makes me look back at Tejada with some rose colored glasses.

Towards the end, he was wearing me with the trade requests and subsequent denials that he requested a trade. That was where I was getting tired of it. I know he only to be on a winning team and last year's Orioles were anything but that. Then when you're someone like Tejada who gets reassured that the team is going to get some big time players to help him out and then Jay Payton and Aubrey Huff get signed that's not the help you need. That was the Oriole way of the past decade though.

He did get under my skin sometimes with the trade requests and lack of hustle. A few years in a losing culture might kill your hustle a little, but that's no way to justify it.

Tejada's a good player and I hope does well in Houston. I hate it when a player gets traded and comes back and gets booed. I missed the game last night, so I don't know what the crowd reaction was. Hopefully it was positive. He put in his time with some bad teams and had some great seasons here. The one that comes to mind best was 2004 with 34 HR and 150 RBI. After that, his numbers still didn't come close that year...but he did he still was one of the few reasons to watch the O's during those years.

MacPhail sold at the right time on Tejada (and Bedard). Tejada should have been traded a year or so earlier. But the bunch we got is doing ok. Luke Scott has been the best thing I've seen in Left Field for years. Dennis Sarfate and Matt Albers have been a big part of the bullpen revival. Mike Constanzo is in the minors and Troy Patton is out for the year. Its been an even trade really for both sides. Tejada started in Houston on a tear, but he's cooled a little as of late. So, I thank him for his four seasons here. Things didn't work out here but that's ok. The Orioles needed to rebuild. Tejada wouldn't be an asset whenever the Orioles would be ready to compete. Tejada could net a few pieces helpful to the rebuild and Tejada needed a change of scenery away.

 I'll watch the game tonight and see Freddie Bynum (or hopefully Alex Cintron...though that's almost a push) and then see Tejada at short at the top of the next inning. No, he wasn't a plus defender, but sometimes you don't miss somebody til they're gone.

Sarge and Harry didn't even hint at what was on the screen. Not a word. Lucky for them. Hell hath no furry like Tejada scorned.