This One Matters (Kinda, but for Whom?)

Will it be A-Rod or Papi, Jeets or Loretta, Mo or Paps, who pulls it out for the AL? Who will Ozzie Guillen call a [censored]? This is you place for comment on the festivities that is tonight's All Star game. For one night only, Yanks and Sox fans can cheer together. Go AL! And comment here.

Comments

[YF]

Ozzie's first victim should be whomever designed those opening credits. Ack!

[SF]

This intro is laughable. It's like "let's appeal to the kids", even though the game will take so long that the kids will be tight asleep when the game hits the third inning. And is Pittsburgh really a "destination" for anyone? And where's the Ben Roethlisberger flaming motorcycle jump during the pregame?

[SF]

Gotta love Phil Garner in the pre-game pep talk desperately trying to convince his team that the NL is actually anywhere near as good as the AL. He sounded about 30 seconds away from tears.

[YF]

No comment on the "swing for a million" contest by an unnamed national food chain. Okay, one comment: LAME!

[airk]

It sucks that Fox insists on Joe Buck being the public address announcer for these line-ups.

[Nick-YF]

Ah, F*ck it, I'm going for the NL. I can't root for any team with Big Papi on its roster.

[YF]

Alex: whassup w/ the white shoes?

[airk]

Sounded like more boos than cheers for A-Rod.

[YF]

Is Kenny Rogers really the best we can do here, AL?

[YF]

Hey Garner, why is Renteria hitting 5th, in front of Wright (and everyone else except LoDuca and Penny)?

[Nick-YF]

Alex's fashion sense leaves a lot to be desired.

[Nick-YF]

the first clue to Yanks and Sox fans that our managers are probably better than most other managers.

[airk]

Alex's fashion sense leaves a lot to be desired.

[airk]

I agree than Kenny Rogers as SP is a head scratcher. Who are these people voting for him?

[Nick-YF]

The manager selected him

[walein]

Looks like the camera man got stuck under the flag.

[YF]

Odds Carrie Underwood is seen making the "walk of shame" from the hotel room of an AL infielder sometime very early tomorrow morning: 2:1

[walein]

Other camera man blew their assignment to catch the military planes over head.

[walein]

Kenny Rogers man. The Gambler! Islands in the Stream! The guy can pitch a song!

[airk]

right. nevermind - pitchers are player votes.

[airk]

Phil Garner rocks. Great locker room pep talk.

[YF]

Did Phil Garner just wash his hands of the whole managing thing? "Hey, do what you want." No signs. Steal when you want. Swing when you want. If only he ran the Sox. SHeesh.

[SF]

See this re: pep talk, airk

http://yanksfansoxfan.typepad.com/ysfs/2006/07/this_one_matter.html#comment-19568664

[walein]

My favorite part of that speech YF was the "...strut your stuff..." ending.

[walein]

A " heavy, BORING fastball"? What does that mean? Is it bad? Will hitter fall asleep because the fastball comes in early and lectures them, all the while upping the heat in the batter's box?

[Nick-YF]

not watching but did McCarver say that?

[YF]

Garner has basically no charisma. Amazing. It was like he sucked the energy out of the room.

[Nick-YF]

that sounds like a McCarverism

[SF]

Boring, as in the things that drive through hard masses with some ease. Hard.

[walein]

Ivan Rodriguez has the biggest fake-ass smile on, standing next to Ozzie.

[Nick-YF]

architect-speak

[walein]

SF--
I've become so pessimistic with the fox broadcast. I apologize.

[walein]

To the Fox graphics department

[YF]

Man. Penny dealing. Ks Ichiro on high heat. Staying high in the zone to Jeets.

[Nick-YF]

that Penny deal from a couple of years ago was pretty decent in retrospect..for the Dodgers.

[YF]

And Jeets Ks on the hi heat. Penny better be careful with that shit, before it gets turned right around.

[SF]

McCarver said, two pitches into Jeter's at-bat, that this was the best start for a pitcher since Pedro in 1999. He had gotten one out. And threw 9 pitches through 1+ batter. Talk about hyperbole.

[YF]

Think the Fox gun maybe has an extra mile or four on it?

[SF]

I mean, they are positively giddy over Penny, and he's thrown 21 pitches already. So if he strikes out the side, but throws 25 pitches, how is that worth such gushing?

[YF]

Great pitch to Ortiz on the outside half, and low, for k 3.

[airk]

big strike zone.

[YF]

Sori flies out before they can even get him announced! That's the Sori we know and love!

[walein]

Absolutely. Penny doesn't throw that. THe guy hit 99 and 98 the entire at bat...Brad Penny doesn't throw it. I will tell you this:
Burrowing fast ball.
Burrowing.

[YF]

Beltran double. Rogers!

[airk]

Manny would've gunned him down at 2nd!

[airk]

...possibly

[YF]

And Jeter uses his GOLD GLOVE to put down Pujols on the pop.

[Nick-YF]

anyone else see the Kenny Rogers-Eddie Izzard resemblance? Anyone?

[walein]

It's really too bad Vlad didn't pick the ball up. It would have been fun to see him gun it to second, though I doubt Beltran would have been out (unless it waws Manny throwing it of course Airk)

[walein]

Kenny Rogers reminds me of the characters Liefeld started drawing for marvel.

[SF]

It's the bottom of the first, and it's NINE O'CLOCK. Great marketing for all those young kids on the east coast and central time zones just getting into baseball. Boo.

[YF]

Definitely Nick. But how does Eddie do with cameramen.

Jayson Bay is Kenny's beotch on a big curveball well outside. Over in the NL they think Jayson Bay is an All Star. Ha!

[SF]

Ah, now we truly know who they are marketing to, with the Flomax ad. The advertisers know all. It's not kids who might become big baseball fans, but an aging demographic who are lucky not to mess themselves. Great.

[YF]

Come on, white shoes!

[SF]

A-Rod up. Boo!!!!!!

[SF]

Buck: "We have never seen this type of velocity from Penny, over the last several years". I WONDER WHY, JOE? MAYBE IT'S THE INACCURATELY BOOSTED GUN, YOU DIMWIT?

[YF]

A-Rod down 6-4.

[SF]

Best effort since Pedro my ass. Vlad!!!!

[YF]

Vlad! AL on top. I seem to recall predicting that if Penny didn't layoff those high fastballs he was going to pay. There it was.

[SF]

Vlad says "take that, you nothing-but-fastball-throwing asshat!"

[SF]

What, no curtain call?

[YF]

SF: Cool down. Penny was reallly dealing hard in the first. Looked like he might have been stretching himself in the showcase.

[YF]

"asshat"!

Game is so on!

[SF]

Dude, WTF?! You posted this many minutes before me!

Think the Fox gun maybe has an extra mile or four on it?

[YF]

I did, and it may be pushing his totals a bit, but maybe not 4 mph. he really was dealing in that first inning, and probably a lot harder than his normal--which seemed to be what he was discussing with Arroyo in the dugout, though i missed most of their chat. Anyway, not worth totally excoriating buck over it.

[SF]

Tito, get someone up dammit!!!!

Er, sorry, lost the context for a second there.

[YF]

AL Renteria = scrub
NL Renteria = All Star

Yeah, the leagues are different.

[SF]

Wright: best third baseman in New York.

[YF]

And David Wright lights up Rogers.

Ugh. A-Rod's gonna here all about that tomorrow.

[SF]

David Wright says "take that, you 54-year-old-junkball-pitching-shouldn't-be-starting-the-all-star-game asshat!"

[SF]

Nice range, DJ.

[YF]

We just learned David Wright like's pastel shirts. I thought Piazza was the gay Met last year?

[SF]

Nice turn, DJ!

[YF]

1-6-3 DP end the inning. Rogers give up the lead. Cameramen scurry!

[SF]

Boo, YF. Can the stereotyping, please.

[SF]

OK, the body just realized it's still 2/3 on Milan time, which makes it about 120am. That means it's past my bedtime, which puts YF in the echo chamber. Where is everyone?! Come back, Nick! Come back, Walein! Come back, airk!

[SF]

What a play by Poo-holes. Now that's a gay name, right YF?

[SF]

And now, good night!

[airk]

talk about going out on a high note!

[walein]

SF going to sleep already?

[airk]

Halladay in to face Holiday.

[walein]

Infield should get alot of work with Halladay in.

[airk]

Jeter sub-par throw to first pulls Papi slightly off the bag. Papi applies the tag.

[airk]

think Derek was trying to test Ortiz there?

[walein]

Jeter just wanted to see if Papi had what it takes to play first in the big leagues.

[walein]

;)

[airk]

Wow, great toss from Vernon Wells!

[YF]

Garner's genius managerial tactics leave Sori toasted at the plate. Thanks!

[walein]

Bad slide decision by Soriano...he could have easily got in their with a leg first slide.

[airk]

Looks like the NL is going to steal 27 bases in this game.

[walein]

This conversation about managing with Garner while Beltran does the work is hilarious.

[YF]

Jeez. Halladay puts one in the dirt that escapes Pudge, Beltran scores after stealing third with 2 outs.

[walein]

Halladay makes Pujols look bad. That swing by Pujols made me wonder if he wants out of here early to get down to a timeshare in Bermuda.

[YF]

Jeets ks.

[walein]

Ozzie is doing the baseball work. Saying how important this game is and all of that hooey!

[YF]

Papi pops out.

Come on, Alex!

[walein]

Once again, Papi un-clutch.

[walein]

NOw the 2005 AL MVP is up to bat.

[YF]

Alex out 6-4. Ozzie escapes the in-game interview without calling anyone a [censored].

[airk]

Roberto Clemente award ceremony coming up after the inning. Is this really necessary? Nothing against Clemente, by any means, but the man's already got a statue, a retired number, and a bridge to his honor.