Anyone else watching the All-Star game? What a night - Currently tied 3-3 ... in the bottom of the 15th. Benches long empty, closers going way too long, 'don't use him' players pitching (Kazmir), it's a circus. Be glad you're not Bud Selig right now, trying to decide when/whether to call this thing a tie.
Turn it on, it's on Fox with McCarver ... who knows how long they'll play. Since my handle is miami, I'll give a stat - Marlin Dan Uggla has set a new All-Star Game record ... with three errors. Ugg-ly! Now 1:34 AM at Yankee Stadium ... Edit - AL wins at 1:37 AM EDT with Morneau scoring on a sac fly in the 15th. Brilliant dozen-angle slo-mo instant replays showed at least two botched calls by the umps on the basepaths tonight.
Didn't Bud declare the ASG a tie in similar circumstance (prolonged tie, 1-inning closer pitchers at risk of overuse/injury, etc.) pretty recently, like '02 or '03? I remember it happening, but I'm not sure whether it happened after the ASG started counting for something. IIRC, Bud had to flip a coin or something. The announcers were speculating during the game how they would decide the Series home field if this game ended in a tie, seriously discussing HR contests and the like, and facetiously discussing dance-offs, free kicks, etc. As to the ' "counts" - eyeroll ' ... It does count! Home field advantage in the Series is definitely no joke, I think it was a huge factor in the Series for the Marlins' title in '97, and arguably again in '03. Making the ASG count for something is one of the best changes in the last 30 years, IMHO. Before, the ASG was sort of a joke, an exhibition game - Nobody gave 100%, lots of horseplay and jokery on the field during play, etc. No more - Easily a majority of the players in the ASG last night can realistically picture that home field advantage helping their team/them personally to win the World Series. Coupla other random thoughts - Uggla's three errors hardly convey his true awfulness last night. Last night, in three consecutive outs, Uggla grounded into an inning-ending DP with the winning run at third, then committed two fielding errors, one apparently going straight through the 5-hole. Great to see Brewer Ryan Braun as an ASG starter already, the kid is simply amazing. I watched him start for three years at U.Miami, and he was an obvious star from day one. Last year, although Milwaukee didn't even bring him up to the Show until May 24, he had one of the most dominating rookie seasons in the history of professional baseball. He was only 4 short of Frank Robinson's rookie HR record (and that was after missing the first 48 games of the season in the minors), he was the fastest to 15 and 20 HR since Pujols (who beat him by one game in each instance). Against lefties, his '07 slugging % was a superhuman .964, which was over 200 points ahead of second place. He led all NL rookies in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, OPS, extra base hits, home runs, and at bats per home run. He was 2nd in RBIs and runs (behind Troy Tulowitzki; 2 and 10 fewer, respectively, in 158 fewer at bats) and in triples (behind Hunter Pence), 3rd in hits, and tied for 4th in stolen bases. If only the Marlins had drafted him! Truly great camera coverage last night - new ground-angle shots of bad hops, perfect ultra-slo-mo angles on every close play on the basepaths, and with McCarver announcing, it was a true pleasure to watch.
no doubt that it is important now... but to give home field to the winner of it is pretty ridiculous, imo. it should go to the team with the best win percentage throughout the season. all star games are supposed to be like exhibition games. just a showcase of the best. it shouldnt be taken seriously to where players can get injured. some great moments came from the jokery and horseplay!
