Maybe we need to bring back steroids to baseball, at least for the home run derby. I was hoping for a show last night from the best players at knocking them out of the park. Maybe Josh Hamilton’s 28 home run domination over the competition in last year’s home run derby has raised my expectations, but Brandon Inge was completely blanked and Adrian Gonzalez tapped just two into the stands. Though watching the kids race and wallop each other over the balls in the outfield for their 15 milliseconds of fame was kinda funny. And some of the fans made a few outstanding plays of their own, one reaching down to scoop one just over the fence to keep Pujols in the running or another bending over the 2nd row deck wall to make a grab, just a hair away from a 100 foot introduction to the cement below. In the end, with just 23 cumulative home runs, Prince Fielder was crowned King of Home Run Derby, blasting one shot 503 feet.
But I’m here for the NL/AL showdown tonight. Last year, I fell asleep in the 14th inning and was no longer channeling the NL team my powerful vibes through the TV, and they ended up losing the almost 5 hour saga in the 15th inning. Not counting the 2002 tie between the NL and AL, the NL has not won an All-Star game since 1996, giving home field advantage in the World Series to AL teams every year since 2003, when the All Star game became more than just a no strings attached friendly competition. Sure, many of those were one run losses, but 2nd place is the first Loser. The NL just needs to turn this streak around. From 1963 to 1982, the AL only won the All Star game 1 time out of 20 (let’s call that a fluke…) but now the NL is being walked over like a throw rug. Maybe hosting the game at an NL ballpark by an NL team with the 2nd most World Series titles (10), and a strong NL record will create some good NL luck. I can still be happy with the historical record: NL 41 wins, AL, 36.
Plus, the top All Star vote getter is NL St. Louis Cardinal Albert Pujols, and while Pujols nervously racked only a few clicks in the home run derby last night, he does lead the majors with 31 homers and 82 ribbies. And who will he face on the mound? Roy Halladay is the starting pitcher for the AL, but the NL might go up against Red Sox knuckleballer Tim Wakefield. 17 years in the game and this is his first chance at the All Stars at age 43. If he pitches, we could see a lot of passed balls, since very few people can actually catch a knuckleball. Wakefield is prepared though- he brought a fast pitch softball catcher’s mitt with a homing device and strong magnet to give starting AL catcher Joe Mauer a chance to keep the mid 60’s mph erratic-floating still ball from getting away. Or more likely Mauer will be fielding the balls off the backstop. The AL also has Ichiro who hits in the mid 300s and steals bases like a klepto. And what’s the NL got? Ok, so their lineup isn’t quite as impressive but I bribed the umps with ho-hos and beer.
On the personal front, one of my own “uber-competitive” slow pitch, old people softball teams won last night. That doubles our winning record! Yep folks, we’re *that* good… Luckily, my other team is undefeated except for one game that yours truly missed- that must have been the reason for the loss. Sure, we’ll go with that.