The All-Star Game - not just in MLB, but in all American sports leagues - is an exercise in futility. The selection process remains fascinating and riveting, especially as a hot talking point leading up to it and then after, when everyone takes time to question the decisions (Jeter over Peralta?). But that's really where most of the fun ends.
Let's not kid ourselves - even though the MLB has a semblance of purpose to the All-Star Game (winner gets home-field advantage in the World Series), they don't serve a purpose. Look at the All-Star rosters this year - almost a dozen guys sat out, either due to pitching on Sunday, injury, or some other reason. The best pitchers selected for the game missed it because they pitched for their teams this weekend. Doesn't it defeat the entire purpose when you select men to represent their teams and they don't show up? Or is this simply a symptom of the problem?
All-Star Games are mostly irrelevant. No one cares who wins or loses. No one suffers from losing and I imagine the only perk to winning is a bonus check. If anything, you're hoping a big-name star just doesn't get hurt playing a meaningless game (Miguel Cabrera). For that reason, many guys will find a way out of it if they can - minor injury, for example. It doesn't help that most players only see an inning of pitching (at most) or one or two at-bats for a position player. It's a showcase, like a slideshow that moves a little too fast. There isn't a sense of rivalry between the AL and NL, like one team feels a hit on their pride if they lose. I have no doubt the men are proud to be selected, and the younger guys probably enjoy the thrill of playing, but at the end of the day, for some of the veteran All-Stars, it's just a day off their teammates get that they don't.
The NHL has a similar problem with their All-Star Game, which also takes place mid-season. It's also a notorious fact that players do their best to worm out of that game, too. In fact, as recently as two or three years ago, some Red Wings players were suspended by the league for having flimsy excuses for missing the game. That alone shows the lengths the NHL will go to in order to try and preserve the game. But the bigger problem for them is that the fanbase really doesn't seem to care. I'm a big hockey fan; I almost entirely ignore the NHL All-Star Game. As a result, the NHL changed the format of it last season - they allowed the selection process to go on normally, but then had the fans chose two captains from among the selections. Those captains then picked their squads from the other All-Stars - doing away entirely with the Eastern vs. Western Conference concept. Now, I give the NHL points for novelty here. But I also can't help but scratch my head - is this supposed to make me care more? It doesn't. It confuses me. If I want to witness an NHL fantasy draft, I'll play fantasy hockey. But again, this just shows the desperation on the part of the league to keep the game churning.
The NFL does one thing right - it makes its All-Star Game (The Pro Bowl) into a player holiday. It used to come after this Super Bowl, but that only diminished its relevance. It ended up being a powderpuff game played in pads, defense optional. But it was played in Hawaii, so players showed up. And it happened at the end of the season (even if the voting started in Week 3 of the season), making it a sort of exclamation point on the season. Pro Bowl voting in the NFL continues through the midpoint of the season, giving the voters a larger body of work to use than MLB/NHL/NBA All-Star voters get. Recently, the NFL moved the Pro Bowl up to the week prior the Super Bowl - the off-week of football between Conference Championships and Super Bowl - and has it at the site of the Super Bowl. Pro Bowl players on the teams in the Super Bowl are given a pass and replaced (but they retain their Pro Bowl moniker for the year). I think this is brilliant. The Pro Bowl becomes more relevant because it's part of the Super Bowl festivites; it opens up the Super Bowl festivities, in fact, sort of becoming a kick-off for the week of hype prior to the game. No one is risking injury with games yet to be played (a major reason the MLB and NHL have so much attrition from their game). Fans are more likely to watch because the season isn't over yet - the Super Bowl really has a note of finality to it, which made the Pro Bowl feel more irrelevant happening afterwards. Do players still skip out? Yeah. Is it still more-or-less a powderpuff game? Yeah. But the handling of it makes more sense.
Some people think All-Star Games should be done away with completely. They've run their course. Just select players, give them the All-Star moniker for the year, and skip the rest. I can see the logic in that. Given the general ambivalence towards these games from fans and many players alike, I can definitely see the logic there. But at the same time, these games are important. They're tradition and they're meant to happen, to celebrate the best of the best. But when the best stop showing up, there's a problem. I don't know what's changed in the MLB since the '60s or '70s or '80s and now, to make it feel less relevant. Maybe it always did. But if it is a problem - and I think it is - it's the league's problem and maybe, just maybe, they should be talking to guys like Derek Jeter or Justin Verlander or Shane Victorino about it and asking them what can be done to make it a better experience for everyone involved.
The MLB All-Star Game, 2011 -
National League 5, American League 1
The NL took the game for the second year in a row. Prince Fielder is getting a lot of press for his 3-run HR that came in the 4th inning (first runs scored in the game) off of C.J. Wilson. I like that, since the Arizona crowd was booing him during the Derby and earlier in the game (since he made the Derby squad instead of Diamondback Justin Upton) and because he's Cecil's boy and I'll always have fond memories of Cecil Fielder running the bases in Tiger Stadium, when I was growing up. Adrian Gonzalez provided the only offense the AL got all game long with a solo HR off of Cliff Lee, also in the fourth.
Regular baseball games return tomorrow.
Showing posts with label mlb 2011 all-star game. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mlb 2011 all-star game. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Tuesday, July 12th - The Home Run Derby is a family affair this year.
I'm not a big Home Run Derby fan. Watching guys blast their favorite kind of pitch over and over into the stands just seems... well, it's repetitive and not particularly entertaining or climactic to me. I enjoy the home run in a game setting, because it's a battle of wits and wills - the pitcher is trying to out-think the batter. There's a battle going on. That's entertaining; that's competition. But, despite that, I have to say that I'm at least a little touched by this year's Derby.
The winner was the unlikely Robinson Cano - someone I don't think I saw anyone pick to win the Derby and certainly not someone I would have picked. He hit a total of 32 home runs last night. But that's not what really stood out to me, or made me smile in a way past Derbies haven't. Cano had his father, Jose, throw pitches to him.
I smile because, in some ways, that's precisely what baseball is all about. Fathers tossing the ball around with their sons, teaching them how to catch, how to hit, etc. More than any other sport, baseball is accessible to all - you go buy a glove, buy a ball and you can play ball. Every son throws the ball with a parent at some point in his youth. That's part of what makes baseball the American Pastime, as they call it, even if the NFL has overtaken it in popularity.
Jose Cano pitched in one Major League game. He won it. It was a complete game win. He never pitched in the majors again, until his son asked him to throw him fastballs for the Home Run Derby last night. Father and son combined last night to make baseball magical for a little while; to live out a dream. Father and son, father throwing balls to his son, the son smashing them. Batting practice, just like in the ol' backyard. Every son has been there. Most fathers. But only one has gotten the chance to do it on such a stage, to win a Home Run Derby in such a fashion.
Congratulations to Robinson Cano and his father, Jose, on winning the Derby. But more than that, congratulations on living a dream last night, on making a memory that resonates across every baseball fan in America, but I know sits most prized in your hearts. Well done, sirs.
NBA Europe?
Deron Williams of the New Jersey Nets is planning to take himself to Turkey in the fall to play European basketball if the lockout isn't settled, and has speculated publicly that other stars may do the same.
I'm not really sure about that. The European leagues have always seemed like a last resort for players - guys like Allen Iverson who won't accept a sixth-man role in the NBA, for example. They don't have the pockets the NBA does, and while making something in Europe is better than making nothing during a lockout, I feel like it could damage the players if they're taking lower pay in Europe during the labor dispute here.
This is another way the NBA lockout differs from the NFL: the NBA players can go play in Europe, although not for the money they make here. I'm curious to see if anyone else follows Deron Williams over, but I think that'll become more clear as the lockout stretches on. It's still in its infant stages right now, and if it hits September without any significant work getting done, I think we'll see a shift in attitudes and some stars might have to mull the decision Williams has already made.
The winner was the unlikely Robinson Cano - someone I don't think I saw anyone pick to win the Derby and certainly not someone I would have picked. He hit a total of 32 home runs last night. But that's not what really stood out to me, or made me smile in a way past Derbies haven't. Cano had his father, Jose, throw pitches to him.
I smile because, in some ways, that's precisely what baseball is all about. Fathers tossing the ball around with their sons, teaching them how to catch, how to hit, etc. More than any other sport, baseball is accessible to all - you go buy a glove, buy a ball and you can play ball. Every son throws the ball with a parent at some point in his youth. That's part of what makes baseball the American Pastime, as they call it, even if the NFL has overtaken it in popularity.
Jose Cano pitched in one Major League game. He won it. It was a complete game win. He never pitched in the majors again, until his son asked him to throw him fastballs for the Home Run Derby last night. Father and son combined last night to make baseball magical for a little while; to live out a dream. Father and son, father throwing balls to his son, the son smashing them. Batting practice, just like in the ol' backyard. Every son has been there. Most fathers. But only one has gotten the chance to do it on such a stage, to win a Home Run Derby in such a fashion.
Congratulations to Robinson Cano and his father, Jose, on winning the Derby. But more than that, congratulations on living a dream last night, on making a memory that resonates across every baseball fan in America, but I know sits most prized in your hearts. Well done, sirs.
NBA Europe?
Deron Williams of the New Jersey Nets is planning to take himself to Turkey in the fall to play European basketball if the lockout isn't settled, and has speculated publicly that other stars may do the same.
I'm not really sure about that. The European leagues have always seemed like a last resort for players - guys like Allen Iverson who won't accept a sixth-man role in the NBA, for example. They don't have the pockets the NBA does, and while making something in Europe is better than making nothing during a lockout, I feel like it could damage the players if they're taking lower pay in Europe during the labor dispute here.
This is another way the NBA lockout differs from the NFL: the NBA players can go play in Europe, although not for the money they make here. I'm curious to see if anyone else follows Deron Williams over, but I think that'll become more clear as the lockout stretches on. It's still in its infant stages right now, and if it hits September without any significant work getting done, I think we'll see a shift in attitudes and some stars might have to mull the decision Williams has already made.
Monday, July 11, 2011
Monday, July 11th - MLB All-Star Fill-ins.
With the last round of games having been played prior to the All-Star Break, some players bowed out for various reasons - some due to injury and several pitchers, due to having pitched on Sunday to help their teams.
Cole Hamels, Matt Cain, Justin Verlander, C.C. Sabathia and James Shields all were pitchers who ended up playing yesterday, opening the window for replacement All-Stars to come in. Sabathia, who was a replacement himself, will be replaced by Alexi Ogando of the Rangers. Verlander's leave opened up a space for the Mariners' rookie Michael Pineda. Kevin Correia of the Pirates and Craig Kimbrel of the Braves will replace Hamels and Cain. Ricky Romero of the Blue Jays comes aboard to replace Felix Hernandez, who pitched yesterday, also.
Some players will miss the game due to injury - red-hot Mets shortstop Jose Reyes, for example, is on the disabled list due to a hamstring injury. Placido Polanco of the Phillies also will miss the game due to a lingering back injury. The venerable Chipper Jones of the Bravse also will miss the game due to his stay on the disabled list and his upcoming knee surgery.
There'll be quite a few fresh first-time All-Stars at the game this year, that's for sure.
Around the Leagues -
MLB -
NY Yankees 1, Tampa Bay 0 - Sabathia pitches a gem against James Shields, with both men pitching complete games and allowing only one run and eight hits on the entire game.
Toronto 7, Cleveland 1 - Brett Cecil pitched six innings of one-run ball as the Jays' bats lit up the third and fifth.
Florida 5, Houston 4 - Florida takes the sweep on a four-run fourth-inning rally.
Philadelphia 14, Atlanta 1 - Cole Hamels let the Braves have the first run, in the second inning, but shut them down entirely after that as the Phillies' bats came alive.
Boston 8, Baltimore 6 - Despite a six-run second-inning, the Orioles couldn't contain the Red Sox.
Pittsburgh 9, Chi. Cubs 1 - Andrew McCutchen continues to be the brightest star the Pirates have, with a HR and five RBIs.
Washington 2, Colorado 0 - Jordan Zimmerman threw six shutout innings for the Nats, bringing their record to .500 at the break.
Milwaukee 4, Cincinnati 3 - Craig Counsell played hero, hitting the walk-off sacrifice-fly off Reds' closer Francisco Cordero.
Detroit 2, Kansas City 1 - Verlander continues to dominate, picking up his 12th win of the year after seven innings of splendid pitching.
Minnesota 6, Chi. White Sox 3 - The Twins got help from everywhere, with five batters driving in RBIs and Anthony Swarzak keeping the White Sox contained.
St. Louis 4, Arizona 2 - Jaime Garcia let the D-Backs take two in the second, but kept them shut down after that, as the Cards put up four in the first three innings.
Texas 2, Oakland 0 - Matt Harrison threw seven shutout innings as the Rangers swept the A's on Adrian Beltre's sixth-inning HR.
LA Angels 4, Seattle 2 - Dan Haren let the Mariners score early, but kept them to nothing after that, while the Angels bats picked up the slack in the fourth and eighth.
LA Dodgers 4, San Diego 1 - Ted Lilly's strong start combined with Andre Ethier's two HRs to bring the Dodgers a sweep of the Padres.
San Francisco 4, NY Mets 2 - Matt Cain's six shutout innings helped the Giants claim the series victory.
NBA -
The lockout continues, with little news to report.
NFL -
The lockout continues, but the word coming out this morning is that both sides are optimistic and talks are going well. Rumor and speculation suggests a deal may be in place by July 21st and the league year may begin July 28th, with no pre-season or season games being lost.
NHL -
The free agent frenzy over, most teams have opened their developmental camps for their draftees and other young talents.
Cole Hamels, Matt Cain, Justin Verlander, C.C. Sabathia and James Shields all were pitchers who ended up playing yesterday, opening the window for replacement All-Stars to come in. Sabathia, who was a replacement himself, will be replaced by Alexi Ogando of the Rangers. Verlander's leave opened up a space for the Mariners' rookie Michael Pineda. Kevin Correia of the Pirates and Craig Kimbrel of the Braves will replace Hamels and Cain. Ricky Romero of the Blue Jays comes aboard to replace Felix Hernandez, who pitched yesterday, also.
Some players will miss the game due to injury - red-hot Mets shortstop Jose Reyes, for example, is on the disabled list due to a hamstring injury. Placido Polanco of the Phillies also will miss the game due to a lingering back injury. The venerable Chipper Jones of the Bravse also will miss the game due to his stay on the disabled list and his upcoming knee surgery.
There'll be quite a few fresh first-time All-Stars at the game this year, that's for sure.
Around the Leagues -
MLB -
NY Yankees 1, Tampa Bay 0 - Sabathia pitches a gem against James Shields, with both men pitching complete games and allowing only one run and eight hits on the entire game.
Toronto 7, Cleveland 1 - Brett Cecil pitched six innings of one-run ball as the Jays' bats lit up the third and fifth.
Florida 5, Houston 4 - Florida takes the sweep on a four-run fourth-inning rally.
Philadelphia 14, Atlanta 1 - Cole Hamels let the Braves have the first run, in the second inning, but shut them down entirely after that as the Phillies' bats came alive.
Boston 8, Baltimore 6 - Despite a six-run second-inning, the Orioles couldn't contain the Red Sox.
Pittsburgh 9, Chi. Cubs 1 - Andrew McCutchen continues to be the brightest star the Pirates have, with a HR and five RBIs.
Washington 2, Colorado 0 - Jordan Zimmerman threw six shutout innings for the Nats, bringing their record to .500 at the break.
Milwaukee 4, Cincinnati 3 - Craig Counsell played hero, hitting the walk-off sacrifice-fly off Reds' closer Francisco Cordero.
Detroit 2, Kansas City 1 - Verlander continues to dominate, picking up his 12th win of the year after seven innings of splendid pitching.
Minnesota 6, Chi. White Sox 3 - The Twins got help from everywhere, with five batters driving in RBIs and Anthony Swarzak keeping the White Sox contained.
St. Louis 4, Arizona 2 - Jaime Garcia let the D-Backs take two in the second, but kept them shut down after that, as the Cards put up four in the first three innings.
Texas 2, Oakland 0 - Matt Harrison threw seven shutout innings as the Rangers swept the A's on Adrian Beltre's sixth-inning HR.
LA Angels 4, Seattle 2 - Dan Haren let the Mariners score early, but kept them to nothing after that, while the Angels bats picked up the slack in the fourth and eighth.
LA Dodgers 4, San Diego 1 - Ted Lilly's strong start combined with Andre Ethier's two HRs to bring the Dodgers a sweep of the Padres.
San Francisco 4, NY Mets 2 - Matt Cain's six shutout innings helped the Giants claim the series victory.
NBA -
The lockout continues, with little news to report.
NFL -
The lockout continues, but the word coming out this morning is that both sides are optimistic and talks are going well. Rumor and speculation suggests a deal may be in place by July 21st and the league year may begin July 28th, with no pre-season or season games being lost.
NHL -
The free agent frenzy over, most teams have opened their developmental camps for their draftees and other young talents.
Friday, July 8, 2011
Friday, July 8th - The Final Vote is in.
Every year, the MLB finishes the All-Star Roster with a fan voting event that fills the final roster spot for each team. Fans vote from a selection of five. This year, the Final Vote competition was as follows:
AL: Paul Konerko (CWS), Victor Martinez (DET), Alex Gordon (KC), Adam Jones (BAL) and Ben Zobrist (TB).
NL: Shane Victorino (PHI), Andre Ethier (LAD), Todd Helton (COL), Michael Morse (WSH) and Ian Kennedy (ARI).
The AL vote, from the start, seemed to be between Konerko and Martinez - both have been important bright spots for their teams. Konerko is hitting .316, with 22 HRs and 64 RBIs. Martinez, who primarily DHs for the Tigers, is hitting .319, although with only 6 HRs and 48 RBIs. I could have seen this vote swinging either way, but even as a Tigers fan, I can say that Konerko was probably more deserving - he's helped lift the oft-struggling White Sox up in a way that Martinez does not for the Tigers, if only because Martinez is surrounded by a solid lineup. That doesn't change the fact, though, that Martinez was the best free-agent pickup the Tigers made this year and he's been a huge presence to the team. Perhaps the most telling stat for an All-Star is WAR - Wins Above Replacement - which Konerko figures in at 2.7, versus Martinez's 1.7, which may come from Konerko playing the field more often.
In the NL, Shane Victorino jumped out early and never let go. He led every vote from the start with his batting average of .303 - best on the Phillies squad - and 9 HRs, 34 RBIs. He also has 14 doubles and 9 triples, with an OBP of .376, slugging percent of .524 and OPS of .900. Not bad. His primary competition looked to be Ethier, who is hitting .313, with 7 HRs, 42 RBIs and 23 doubles. You may remember Ethier from his hitting streak in April. But again, I'll look to that WAR statistic - Victorino's is 3.3. The next closest NL Final Vote candidate is Helton, at 2.1. Ethier comes in at 1.5, Morse at 1.4. Kennedy, the only pitcher in the Final Vote, was at 2.7 WAR.
All in all, good voting by the fans. I like both selections - both are players who don't just put up good stats, but are important on their team, in their clubhouse. That makes them All-Stars.
Around the MLB -
Atlanta 6, Colorado 3 - A five-run third inning was all the Braves needed to complete a four-game sweep.
Chi. Cubs 10, Washington 9 - After being down 8-0 after four, the Cubs surged to a six-run sixth inning to carry them to a comeback victory.
Tampa Bay 5, NY Yankees 1 - HRs from Ben Zobrist and B.J. Upton powered the Rays to the win behind a solid seven-inning start by Jeff Niemann.
Cleveland 5, Toronto 4 - Travis Hafner will remember this one - down 4-1, his grand-slam gave the Indians the walk-off victory in the ninth.
Boston 10, Baltimore 4 - Dustin Pedroia, Jacob Ellsbury, David Ortiz, Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Reddick and Jarrod Saltalamacchia all cranked HRs in routing the Orioles.
Florida 5, Houston 0 - Brad Hand allowed two hits in seven shutout innings against Houston, while his lineup backed him up with five runs over six.
Texas 6, Oakland 0 - Derek Holland pitched a complete game, 4-hit shutout, shutting down the A's while the Rangers bats backed him up.
Milwaukee 5, Cincinnati 4 - Home Run Derby contestant Rickie Weeks hit a 3-run HR in the fifth that put the Brewers on top for good.
Detroit 3, Kansas City 1 - Max Scherzer picks up his tenth win behind the HRs of Ryan Raburn and Don Kelly.
Minnesota 6, Chi. White Sox 2 - Carl Pavano pitched a solid game as the Twins continue their winning ways against the White Sox, who have yet to beat them this season.
Arizona 4, St. Louis 1 - Two rain delays shortened the night for Joe Saunders, who tossed five shutout innings for the Diamondbacks.
LA Angels 5, Seattle 1 - Jered Weaver notches his 11th win on his fourth complete game of the season, allowing one run on six hits.
LA Dodgers 6, NY Mets 0 - Clayton Kershaw bounced back from his last start, going eight shutout innings and striking out nine.
San Francisco 2, San Diego 1 - Barry Zito continues to win since his return from the DL, going eight innings and allowing only one run.
AL: Paul Konerko (CWS), Victor Martinez (DET), Alex Gordon (KC), Adam Jones (BAL) and Ben Zobrist (TB).
NL: Shane Victorino (PHI), Andre Ethier (LAD), Todd Helton (COL), Michael Morse (WSH) and Ian Kennedy (ARI).
The AL vote, from the start, seemed to be between Konerko and Martinez - both have been important bright spots for their teams. Konerko is hitting .316, with 22 HRs and 64 RBIs. Martinez, who primarily DHs for the Tigers, is hitting .319, although with only 6 HRs and 48 RBIs. I could have seen this vote swinging either way, but even as a Tigers fan, I can say that Konerko was probably more deserving - he's helped lift the oft-struggling White Sox up in a way that Martinez does not for the Tigers, if only because Martinez is surrounded by a solid lineup. That doesn't change the fact, though, that Martinez was the best free-agent pickup the Tigers made this year and he's been a huge presence to the team. Perhaps the most telling stat for an All-Star is WAR - Wins Above Replacement - which Konerko figures in at 2.7, versus Martinez's 1.7, which may come from Konerko playing the field more often.
In the NL, Shane Victorino jumped out early and never let go. He led every vote from the start with his batting average of .303 - best on the Phillies squad - and 9 HRs, 34 RBIs. He also has 14 doubles and 9 triples, with an OBP of .376, slugging percent of .524 and OPS of .900. Not bad. His primary competition looked to be Ethier, who is hitting .313, with 7 HRs, 42 RBIs and 23 doubles. You may remember Ethier from his hitting streak in April. But again, I'll look to that WAR statistic - Victorino's is 3.3. The next closest NL Final Vote candidate is Helton, at 2.1. Ethier comes in at 1.5, Morse at 1.4. Kennedy, the only pitcher in the Final Vote, was at 2.7 WAR.
All in all, good voting by the fans. I like both selections - both are players who don't just put up good stats, but are important on their team, in their clubhouse. That makes them All-Stars.
Around the MLB -
Atlanta 6, Colorado 3 - A five-run third inning was all the Braves needed to complete a four-game sweep.
Chi. Cubs 10, Washington 9 - After being down 8-0 after four, the Cubs surged to a six-run sixth inning to carry them to a comeback victory.
Tampa Bay 5, NY Yankees 1 - HRs from Ben Zobrist and B.J. Upton powered the Rays to the win behind a solid seven-inning start by Jeff Niemann.
Cleveland 5, Toronto 4 - Travis Hafner will remember this one - down 4-1, his grand-slam gave the Indians the walk-off victory in the ninth.
Boston 10, Baltimore 4 - Dustin Pedroia, Jacob Ellsbury, David Ortiz, Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Reddick and Jarrod Saltalamacchia all cranked HRs in routing the Orioles.
Florida 5, Houston 0 - Brad Hand allowed two hits in seven shutout innings against Houston, while his lineup backed him up with five runs over six.
Texas 6, Oakland 0 - Derek Holland pitched a complete game, 4-hit shutout, shutting down the A's while the Rangers bats backed him up.
Milwaukee 5, Cincinnati 4 - Home Run Derby contestant Rickie Weeks hit a 3-run HR in the fifth that put the Brewers on top for good.
Detroit 3, Kansas City 1 - Max Scherzer picks up his tenth win behind the HRs of Ryan Raburn and Don Kelly.
Minnesota 6, Chi. White Sox 2 - Carl Pavano pitched a solid game as the Twins continue their winning ways against the White Sox, who have yet to beat them this season.
Arizona 4, St. Louis 1 - Two rain delays shortened the night for Joe Saunders, who tossed five shutout innings for the Diamondbacks.
LA Angels 5, Seattle 1 - Jered Weaver notches his 11th win on his fourth complete game of the season, allowing one run on six hits.
LA Dodgers 6, NY Mets 0 - Clayton Kershaw bounced back from his last start, going eight shutout innings and striking out nine.
San Francisco 2, San Diego 1 - Barry Zito continues to win since his return from the DL, going eight innings and allowing only one run.
Monday, July 4, 2011
Monday, July 4th - The MLB All-Star Rosters
The rosters for the MLB All-Star Game were announced yesterday, with a vote for the "extra" (34th) member of each team still pending. As usual, the roster announcement brings a mix of fanfare and criticism. I won't go into great depth today, as a sprained wrist is making typing difficult, but I wanted to keep my daily update in and make some quick notes on some selections.
First, congratulations to all 24 first-time All-Stars, including Detroit's second-year catcher, Alex Avila, and Atlanta's Jair Jurrjens. For the most part, I think the rosters look good. Barring a couple people, almost all are deserving. Two notables in the AL I'm less sure of are Derek Jeter and Josh Hamilton. Jeter's been hurt and having something of a down year, yet is an All-Star starter. Detroit homer bias aside, I feel Jhonny Peralta was a more deserving choice. I'm also unsure how Hamilton got in; he's doing well enough, but missed almost half of the season up to now. One shocker to me, though, is how C.C. Sabathia didn't get in. Absolutely ludicrous; he's one of top-3 pitchers in the AL. Although the Yankees always end up with too many All-Stars anyway, he was one who was truly deserving. Then again, he's scheduled to start on Sunday and wouldn't likely play, anyway.
I'll delve into this a little deeper later this week when I can type comfortably at length again.
Around the Leagues - MLB:
Detroit 6, San Francisco 3 - Five runs in the sixth and after spur the Tigers to victory after a big loss the night before.
Toronto 7, Philadelphia 4 - Cliff Lee's scoreless innings streak ends at 35 as the Jays save themselves from a sweep.
Cincinnati 7, Cleveland 5 - The Reds get their first season win against the Tribe in the finale, avoiding a season sweep against their in-state rival.
NY Mets 3, NY Yankees 2 - Tying it in the ninth, the Mets win on a Jason Bay RBI single in the tenth inning.
Baltimore 5, Atlanta 4 - Mark Reynolds followed up his 2-HR effort yesterday with another that ultimately provided the game-winning runs in the eighth.
Pittsburgh 10, Washington 2 - Kevin Correia pitches strong to join the rest of the league leaders with 11 wins.
Tampa Bay 8, St. Louis 3 - The Rays finish strong with 2 runs in the sixth and 3 in the eighth to clinch the win.
Boston 2, Houston 1 - Josh Beckett dominated for eight innings, throwing 11 strikeouts and allowing only one run.
Minnesota 9, Milwaukee 7 - After starter Nick Blackburn struggled through four, the Twins righted the ship with a seventh-inning rally to take the series.
Chi. Cubs 3, Chi. White Sox 1 - Rodrigo Lopez threw a two-hitter through eight and Aramis Ramirez belted a two-run HR to lift the Cubs.
Kansas City 16, Colorado 8 - The Royals put up a season-high 21 hits, 12 of which were for extra bases, as they routed the Rockies.
Oakland 7, Arizona 2 - Gio Gonzalez, a newly-named first-time All-Star, pitched seven innings of one-run ball, fanning seven along the way.
Seattle 3, San Diego 1 - Rookie Blake Beaven won his first Major League start, allowing one run and three hits over seven innings.
Florida 6, Texas 4 - Four runs in the top of the eighth put the Marlins back into this game and picked them up the series win.
LA Angels 3, LA Dodgers 1 - After five scoreless innings, Russell Branyan's first career HR - a two-run shot in the seventh - put the Angels over the top.
Around the Leagues - NBA:
The lockout is in effect and many are projecting that at least part of the season, if not all, will be lost. No news to report on this front. Both sides are ready for a showdown.
Free agency is on hold while the lockout is in effect.
Around the Leagues - NFL:
Still locked out here, too, although both sides have been talking at length over the past couple weeks. Negotiations are scheduled to resume tomorrow as the deadline nears for getting an agreement in place before preseason games get axed.
Around the Leagues - NHL:
Free agency is moving players all over, but the biggest news was Brad Richards signing with the New York Rangers for 9 years and $60M. Jaromir Jagr is a Flyer, somehow extorting $3.3M out of them for the coming year.
The Sharks and Wild, who made a surprising draft-day trade, joined again, this time trading Danny Heatley for Martin Havlat, as the Sharks sought to replace some of the speed they lost when they traded away Devin Setoguchi. Havlat waived a no-trade clause to join a team that made it to the Western Conference Finals the last two years. I believe this trade favors the Sharks, as Havlat was a bright spot for the otherwise anemic Wild offense last season. However, Heatley and Setoguchi could make up for that. Much their previous trade, I believe this makes both teams better.
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