2010 All-Star Game @ Anaheim, California
All right, thank you very much. Well, as you can see down on the field, the players are lined up along the baselines. It’s an absolutely gorgeous night for baseball. A little bit warm, but we’ll take it. Not a cloud in the sky. And this is always such a great time in any All-Star game when we get to introduce the players to all of you, those who have been so good in the first half to earn their way to this 81st Major League Baseball All-Star game. [Music] First, let’s meet the National League All-Star team, the coaches from the San Diego Padres’s, Bud Black, and from the San Francisco Giants, Bruce Bochi. And now the players from the Arizona Diamondbacks, Chris Young from the Atlanta Braves, Omar Infante, Tim Hudson, Brian McCann, and Jason Hayward. [Applause] from the Chicago Cubs, Marlon Bird. from the Cincinnati Reds. Brandon Phillips, [Music] Joey Vado, Scott Roland, and Arthur Roads from the Colorado Rockies. Troy Tilowitzki from the Florida Marlins. Josh Johnson from the Houston Astros. Michael Bourne from the Los Angeles Dodgers. Raphael Faul, Jonathan Broxton, and Hongchi Quo. from the Milwaukee Brewers, Giovanni Gallardo from the New York Mets, Jose Reyes from the Philadelphia Phillies, Roy Halliday [Applause] from the Pittsburgh Pirates, Evan Meek from the St. Louis Cardinals, Matt Holiday, [Applause] Chris Carpenter, and Adam Wright from the San Diego Padres’s, Heath Bell and Adrien Gonzalez. from the San Francisco Giants, Brian Wilson and Tim Lindum [Applause] from the Washington Nationals, Matt Caps. Now, let’s meet the American League All-Star team. First, the coaches from your Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Mike Sosa from the Oakland A’s, Bob Garren. Now, the players from the Baltimore Orioles, Ty Wigington from the Boston Red Sox, Clay Buckold, Dustin Pedroya, Adrien Beltree, John Lester, David Ortiz, and Victor Martinez from the Chicago White Socks. Paul Kerkco and Matt Thornton from the Cleveland Indians. Fausto Carmona from the Detroit Tigers. Justin Verlander and Jose Valverde [Applause] from the Kansas City Royals. Wim Sora from the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Jared Weaver and Tory Hunter from the New York Yankees. Alex Rodriguez, Nick Swisser, Andy Pettit, CC Sabathia, and Phil Hughes from the Oakland Athletics, Andrew Bailey. and Trevor Cahill [Music] from the Tampa Bay Rays. Raphael Soriano [Music] from the Texas Rangers. Elvis Andrews, Ian Kinsler, Nefali Feliz, and Cliff Lee. from the Toronto Blue Jays, Vernon Wells, John Buck, and Jose Batista. And now, let’s meet the National League manager and starting lineup. The manager from the 2009 National League champion, Philadelphia Phillies, Charlie Emanuel. Leading off and playing shortstop from the Florida Marlins, Hanley Ramirez. [Applause] Batting second and playing second base from the Atlanta Braves, Martin Praau. Batting third and playing first base from the St. Louis Cardinals, Albert Fuhol. [Applause] Batting fourth, the designated hitter from the Philadelphia Phillies, Ryan Howard. [Applause] Batting fifth and playing third base from the New York Mets, David Reich. batting sixth and playing left field from the Milwaukee Brewers, Ryan Braw. [Music] Batting seventh and playing center field from the Los Angeles Dodgers, Andre Eier batting eighth and playing right field from the Milwaukee Brewers, Cory Hart. Batting ninth and catching from the St. Louis Cardinals, Yadier Molina. [Music] And in the dugout, pitching tonight’s game for the National League from the Colorado Rockies, Zubaldo Jimenez. [Applause] And now, let’s meet the American League manager and starting lineup. The manager from the 2009 World Series champion New York Yankees, Joe Gerardi. Leading off and playing right field from the Seattle Mariners, Ichiro Suzuki. Batting second and playing shortstop from the New York Yankees, Derek Jeter. [Applause] Batting third and playing first base from the Detroit Tigers, Miguel Cabrera. Batting fourth and playing center field from the Texas Rangers, Josh Hamilton. [Applause] Batting fifth, the designated hitter from the Texas Rangers, Vladimir Guerrero. batting sixth and playing third base from the Tampa Bay Rays, Evan Longoria. [Applause] batting seventh in catching from the Minnesota Twins, Joe Mau. [Applause] batting eighth and playing second base from the New York Yankees, Robinson Canó. Batting ninth and playing left field from the Tampa Bay Rays, Carl Crawford. And the starting pitcher for the American League, warming up in the bullpen from the Tampa Bay Rays, David Price. [Applause] Ladies and gentlemen, your 2010 American League and National League Allstars. Tonight, as we celebrate the spirit of philanthropy, we pause to remember the life and legacy of one of baseball’s most iconic figures, the boss, George Steinbrer, who passed away this morning at the age of 80. His unbridled passion for family, charity, and winning with his beloved New York Yankees, including seven World Series championships, marked the cornerstone of a great American life. In his memory, please join us for a moment of silence. Thank you. To honor America with a singing of our national anthem, please welcome once again Amber Riley. Say, can you see by the dawn early light? What so proudly we hi [Music] last gleaming? Who’s brought stripes and bright stars? Through the perilous fight or the ramparts we watch were so gallently streaming and the rockets [Music] bursting proof through the night that our flag was still there. Oh, say does that star spangled B [Music] for the land of the free [Music] and the home of the [Applause] We will take a quick break and then come back and set up tonight’s All-Star game right after this as we continue from Anaheim. Please welcome one of the game’s all-time great hitters and the 16th player in Major League history to record 3,000 career hits. He played right here in Anaheim from 1979 through 1985 and was a key member of the Angels first two American League Western Division Championship teams in 1979 and 1982. Ladies and gentlemen, seventime batting champion and baseball hall of famer Rod Karu to throw to Tory Hunter. That was a solid first pitch. He had some heat on it. Good way to get this thing going. We’ll come back and talk about this 81st MLB All-Star game right after this. And welcome to what is a beautiful day. Not a cloud in the sky here in Anaheim, California. It’s in the mid 80s and it’s the American League taking on the National League. And now, welcome to the broadcast booth, everybody. I am Joe Buck. Tim McCarver is coming right up. Well, the weather couldn’t be any better. For the National League, they’re going, “When can we win one of these things? It’s been forever.” And if you look at this this setup and this matchup, you’ve got an American League lineup that is as good as we’ve seen in a long long time. But Tim McCarver, you’ve got a National League side that with their starting pitchers might be able to hold that lineup in check. Well, great pitching in both leagues has been the trend through the first half of the season and the National League hope hopes it continues tonight. And why not with Ubaldo Jimenez as the starter, the best record in baseball, 15-1, the best earned run average in baseball, Josh Johnson, then Adam Wayright and Roy Holidayiday with a perfect game to his credit. Those four guys, by the way, their combined record this year, 47 and 16. Not bad. Okay, so who wins? Uh, say it. I think the American League has the advantage still even with the pitching. I picked the NL. I picked the NL and it’s been forever since the National League won this thing. We are in Anaheim. It’s Angel Stadium and we’re about to play baseball. 84° and literally not a cloud in the sky. Here are both lineups brought to you by Taco Bell Think outside the bun and from two special guests from the Boys and Girls Clubs of America. Hello, my name is Esther Rodrigal and here is the starting lineup for the National League. First is batting is Hanley Ramirez. Second, Martin Praau. Third, Albert Puhos. Fourth, Ryan Howard. Fifth, David Wright. Sixth, Ryan Braun, and from our local LA Dodgers, Andre Ether is seventh. Eighth, Cory Hart, and ninth for Yadier Molina. Hi, my name is Zier Mccclair and I’m um I’m announcing the starting lineup for the American League. The first the first batter is Ichiro Suzuki. The second batter is Derek Jeter. The third batter is Miguel Cabrera. The fourth batter is Josh Hamilton. The fifth batter is Vlad Guerrero and the Angels Missy. The sixth batter is Evan Langoria. The seventh batter is Joe Mau. The eighth batter is Robinson Kennel and the ninth batter is Kyle Crawford. Bravo. How cute was that? And he’s right. The Angels do miss Vladimir Guerrero. And here are the numbers for David Price. He gets the ball here to start the game for the American League taking on the National League side. And we will run through the lineup one more time for you before we start. And it’s our sprint pitcher profile for the lefty from Tampa Bay for David Price. First time all-star, second lefthander selected from the Rays. The first was Scott Casemir. And David Price also the first Rays pitcher to start an Allstar game. And so while he gets ready, we will remind you that this game is brought to you by Budweiser, official beer of the first inning. The beer that starts with full flavor and ends with a crisp, clean finish. Budweiser, it’s what we do. And now the Ford keys to the game. AL NL. Hard to figure out what’s going to happen, but I think the National League has to take advantage of their pitchers more than the American League. What a lineup the American League has. As an example, Joe Mau, who’s won three batting titles, is batting seventh. So, I think the American League’s got to use it, and we’ll see how they do against the National League pitching. So that’s your team. You’re picking the AL again here tonight. Uh I I’m leaning toward the end of the AL. Yes. So you’re going to broadcast with a heavy bias against the National League. Is that what we’re talking about? No, that’s not what we’re talking. Here’s Hanley Ramirez, who is the shortstop for the Florida Marlins. I will say this, Joe, that if if the National League wins this game, Hanley Ramirez will be a star. He is some ball player. big strong shorts stop from the Florida Marlins and we’re going to see a lot of that here tonight. A couple of things hitters don’t want to get into hitting counts where they’re behind on the count with a kind of firepower they’re going to see on the mound. And secondly, you can see the shadow or the glare behind the pitcher here early. It’s going to be very hard to see the ball and hit it. There’s a strike in the count of one and two. Hanley Ramirez, 2006 Rookie of the Year, only player in the last three years with 20 or more homers, 25 or more stolen bases. And across baseball, has the most home runs at that position. He is, as I said, big and strong, really put together. Martin Praau on deck and then Albert Puhol here to start for the National League. Here’s a one-two pitch. Foul back and out of play. 99 miles per hour from the lefty David Price. Part of that great young pitching that the Tampa Bay Rays feature down in Florida, particularly their starters. You’re going to see high 90s and even 100 miles an hour tonight. Maybe from Jimenez in the bottom of the center. Little roller to the first baseman. Cabrera takes it to the bag. his first time as an AL allstar and that’s out number one. So, we’ll just give you the numbers and talk about this streak that the American League has been on. Unbeaten in 13 straight. There was the tie in 2002. Seven straight wins since then. And that means seven straight wins since the this time it counts campaign where the winner of this game, that league, will have homefield advantage in this year’s World Series. Joe, you talked about how difficult it is to see and that’s certainly the case. Martin Praau asking Ramirez as he went to the plate about how it was to see and Ramirez didn’t give him a real positive answer. So with one out, here’s Martine Prad who’s hitting 325 and that average leads the National League and just poured in at 98 for strike one. I We’re not going to see a lot of offense today. No. No. That’s some high octane gas from Price. One out, nobody on. And Prao from the Atlanta Braves takes a breaking ball for strike number two. On deck is Puhol. David Price is the youngest all-star starter since Doc Gooden, the age of 23. Started in 88. Obviously representing the New York Mets. Price is 24 and kicking it for a moment, but recovering with a good play is Canó. And it’s two out, nobody on. And that was a good play on a tough chance to his left. That ball in between hop. And Robinson Canó has a short stops arm at second base. And that’s why he made that play relatively easily even after the boot retrieving and had Praau easily. Here comes Albert Puhol who is 6 for 17 in past all-star games wearing a new helmet designed by Rawlings. It’s a little smaller than the one they came out with last year to try and help guard against concussions and head injuries. First pitch is low for ball one and a chopper foul. One ball, one strike. Albert Puh Holse is on pace with what he’s done so far in the first half of 2010 to become the first player in Major League Baseball history to have 10 straight seasons of 30 or more home runs, 100 or more RBI’s, and an average of 300 or better. Babe Ruth did it eight times. Lou Garri and Pooh Holes have done it nine times. That’s high for ball two. who holds a three-time MVP, the rookie of the year in 2001. And he’s right in the middle with Garrick to his right, Babe Ruth to his left. Here’s a 2-1. That is a rocket into right center field. Ichiro over to get it. And the inning is over. And somebody gets a souvenir out in the seats in right center field. The 2010 All-Star game on Fox is sponsored by Taco Bell. Think outside the bunch by Direct TV. Watch and record in multiple rooms with just one DVR and by free creditscore.com. Get your score. Here is Ubaldo Jimenez. What else do you want a guy to do in the first half of the season? A record of 15 and one. And that fast ball rides up and away to Ichiro to start his night. Third Dominican born pitcher to start an All-Star game after Mario Sto. 83. Pedro Martinez, Ubaldo’s idol in 99. Little popup left side of the field. Hanley Ramirez is out. That’s out number one. And now for a special moment, let’s throw it to public address announcer David Courtney. Ladies and gentlemen, to introduce our next batter, we turn to the voice of legendary New York Yankee public address announcer Bob Shepard, who passed away this weekend at the age of 99. Now batting for the American League from the New York Yankees, the shorts stop number two, Derek Jeter. Number two, [Applause] and that’s how Derek Jeter will walk to the plate the rest of his time as a Yankee. passing away this past weekend, Bob Shepard at the age of 99 as Ubaldo Jimenez misses low with ball one. And you mentioned George Steinbrer at the age of 80. Rest assured, there will be two more monuments added to Monument Park at Yankee Stadium next year. Here comes a one pitch to Jeter. That’s low. Two balls, no strikes. And for Bob Shepard, just his speech and overall presence seemed like a last link to the precision and elegance of another era. The way he did that job was better than anybody who’s ever done it. 96 mph fast ball rides up and in and sends Jeter back to the on deck circle. Fast ball up and in to Derek Jeter. And you get the feeling with the arms that both sides have that only a pitcher who gets wild is going to be the guy who gets in trouble. There’s a strike on three and 0. Add to that when you’ve got 96 that’s riding up and in and you can’t see it with the glare behind the pitcher. Can’t be a very comforting feeling with one out, nobody on. Walk to Jeter. So Jeter who’s a career 429 hitter during all-star game play is on with one out. and Miguel Cabrera. It’s coming up. And here is the sprint pitcher profile for Jimenez. It’s just like David Price of the Rays. First time all stars allstar selection for Jimenez and the first Rockies pitcher to start an Allstar game. So with oneon-one out, first pitch is a strike on the inside corner to Miguel Cabrera. It’s Cabrera now. It’s Josh Hamilton on deck right in the middle of this American League lineup. And a little flare into right field’s going to drop for a base hit. Derek Jeter will turn and go to third. And just like that, the American League has first and third with one out. in the first inning. Cabrera jammed on the pitch but strong enough to get it over the head of Martin Praau Jeter. An outstanding base runner off at the crack of the bat. He didn’t wait going to third easily. So for a guy in Miguel Cabrera who’s the first Tiger to have 20 homers over 70 RBI’s 330 plus batting average at the break. First guy to do it for the Tigers since Norm Cash in 1961 having an MVP type season. He’s on at first and another guy doing a lot of the same things is at the plate and Josh Hamilton for the first place Texas Rangers and a breaking ball falls in for strike one. Jenz certainly has the ability with his pitching stuff. He struck out 113 so far in the first half to get out of this. And he’s ahead on the count and two to Hamilton. That’s as hard as Ubaldo has thrown in this first inning. 98. That was a late swing and I don’t think Hamilton saw that pitch that well. Infield is in a bit. The O2 pitch back to Jimenez to second. Out. Hanley Ramirez in the middle and we’re scoreless through one. For the National League, it’ll be the heart of their lineup. Ryan Howard, David Wright, Ryan Brawn against the left-hander, David Price. It is two and out for David Price in all likelihood. Same for Jimenez who’ll go back out there for another. And the fast ball is poured in for a strike. And you can see some of the reactions these hitters are having. Puhol’s had a reaction coming back after lining out into right center field to end the top of the first inning. It tells you all you need to know about how hard it is to see from the batters box. One ball, one strike on Ryan Howard. Facing the best pitchers in the game, the hardest throwers. Yeah. Have a nice night. All right. Have fun. Enjoy yourself. Two balls and a strike to the 2005 Rookie of the Year, the 2006 MVP Andy Pettit getting loose. He’ll be next in for the AL. Howard just gets a piece and they count two and two for Ryan. He’s had at least 45 home runs and at least 135 RBI’s in each of the last four years. That’s the best streak among active players. Saw Andy Pettit. Cliff Lee will follow Andy Pettit. So Price, Pettit, and Lee, the first three American League pitchers tonight. A strikeout is the first of the night for either side. And it belongs to David Price. It’s the way the second inning begins. 98 mph fast ball gets Ryan Howard. I figure if there are a lot of balls where hitters make contact, they’re going to hit the ball the other way. That’s how hard both pitchers are throwing. You mentioned the AL side for the National League. It’ll be Jimenez and then Josh Johnson. And it could be two and two from each. And Josh Johnson, if you don’t know about him, has the best erra in baseball at 1.7. Strike one on David Wright. David Wright represents the Mets. Had a great June. Hit 404, 29 RBI’s, was the player of the month. He’s hit 386 overall since June 11th. That’s the opposite way. Canó dives, knocks it down, and can’t make the play. had a couple of cracks at it and just lost it. David Wright is on with one out and they rule it a base hit. It was a tough play for Canó. Similar to that play that he made on Praau, but when he finally came up with it, he dropped it. And David Wright has the first National League hit. Who are the umpires in this game? Mike Riley is the crew chief. He’s behind home plate. Mike Wyinners is at first. Brian Onora at second. Laz Diaz at third. Bruce Drekman down the left field line and Jim Wolf down the right field line. Batter is Ryan Brawn who’s hitting 292, 13 home runs, 54 RBI’s for the Brewers. We’ve had a disappointing first half. And El Central is led by Cincinnati. They have a one-ame lead over St. Louis. Milwaukeekey’s eight and a half out. And the production for Ryan Brawn, former rookie of the year, is down so far here in 2010. Base hit by Wright, his fifth in an All-Star game. And that is a foul ball down the third baseline. Holiday in, the official partner of Road Trips and MLB are supporting the Susan G. Coleman Foundation and Stand Up to Cancer with a $1,000 donation for every hit during the game tonight. This was a road trip that every player in uniform was glad to take and glad to make. How many people got on airline waiting lists, got on the plane because there were big leaguers who were cancelling trips for about a three-day stretch there as the rosters were evolving up until yesterday. That’s right. 98 mph fast ball misses. Up and away. Two and one. Ryan Brawn is 0 for five in All-Star action. As you see, the first Brewer to start three consecutive All-Star games. Here’s a 2-1 shattered bat. Longoria gets the lead man and got them both. 543 on the double play and well turned by Longoria and Canó in the middle. Bottom of the second rolls in in Anaheim. No score. [Applause] Well, he’s back and he’s an American League Allstar representing Texas. Vladimir Guerrero. most RBI’s and home runs for any player who changed teams last winter. What a year he is having for the Rangers. Fast ball has poured in for a strike from Jimenez. Vladimir Guerrero is 35. Spent six years here with the Angels. He’s gotten his legs back. It took him a year to get over knee surgery, something that slowed him down last year. But his numbers and his production from last year to this year, it’s been a drastic jump. You look at most all time for 300 average, 25 or more home run seasons. He’s on the list with some of the greats of the game. He chases a pitch in the dirt and Vladimir is gone and he swings at anything. Waving at that two strike pitch that was toes high. Is that the cast of Glee that recorded that for us or was that someone else? It was. Thank you. Pitch up and in in the count two and0 and Longoria’s heart’s about to jump out of his uniform top watching these upper 90s fast balls right up and in under his chin. Well, the thing about Jimenez’s fast ball is it’s not only fast, it’s hard. David Price throws a light high fast ball. Not him. But it’s such an easy delivery. Yeah. Well, he’s a big strong guy. 26 years old, signed as a 17-year-old out of the Dominican Republic, fires a strike, and a player who lives in downtown Denver, walks to and from the ballpark, and lives with his mother and father. About a fiveminute walk from Kors Field. Here’s a shot into left field off the bat of Longoria and past the outstretched glove of Ryan Brawn. It’s a one out double and the first extra base hit belongs to Longoria. Loria lightning fast inside. American League pitchers know that. Not National Leaguers, however. Longoria from Downey, California, about 20 minutes from here. That’s the hardest hit ball by far from either side thus far. Went to Long Beach State Rookie of the Year in 2008. And he’s a guy that just came to the big leagues looking like he’d been here for 10 years. Yep. And about six minutes later, the Rays signed him to a contract extension. Here’s a pitch inside to Joe Mau, who is a threetime American League batting champion, batting in the number seven spot. and off to a slow start by his standards hitting just 293. That’s off the end of the bat into left center field and Eier who has never played center field in the big leagues makes the catch. Little nod out to the mound and Jimenez from Robinson Canó who is fifth in the American League with an average of 336 and a guy who you believe someday will win a batting title. I I we did uh our first game, our first Saturday game was Tampa Bay against the Yankees this year and uh and I think at Robinson Canó sometime in the next 5 years will win a batting title and he’s almost in that MVP type category because he that back shoulder stays up. He gets great backspin on the ball and he has as much power as anybody in this lineup today and he has 10 home runs against left-handed pitching this year. Pulled the string Jimenez did in the count one ball, one strike. He leads second baseman across baseball with his hit total since his debut on May the 3rd of 2005 and he’s hit 16 home runs. Tied for 10th in the AL with 58 RBI’s. A 1-1 chopped to the right side. Martin Plato takes care of it. We’ve played two scoreless in Anaheim. Back after this from your local Fox station. Aerial coverage tonight brought to you by DirecTV. Now all the TVs in your home can be connected to just one DVR. Call 1800 Direct TV. Andy Pettit into the game. He has put together one of, if not the best first hs of the season in his long career. He’s 38. was front and center when the Yankees won it all in 1996. And he deals with Andre Eier who fouls it away. Strike two. Eier is making the start playing center field as I mentioned for the first time in his major league career. He made the put out on the ball hit by Mau in the second representing the Dodgers. has had a very good start to the season and he is out on the strikeout to begin Andy Pettit’s night. He cut fast ball. Andy Pettit’s made a lot of money on that pitch in his career. This is his best winning percentage after a half at 11 and two and it’s his best erra Andy Pettit after half the season. It’s a 2.70 for the first place Yankees, the team with the best record in the game. Here is Cory Hart. And from the Milwaukee Brewers, he takes a strike. There’s a lot of talk about the core four. Those are the four players with the Yankees. Mariano Rivera, Derek Jeter. That will be in the Hall of Fame. Then there’s Andy Pettit, and Jorge Pada. Andy Pettit is 103 games over 500. No pitcher in the history of baseball has ever been a 100 games over 500 and not gone into the Hall of Fame. So you might book him there, too. On 0 and2, that pitch is outside. A ball and two strikes on Cory Hart. Hart’s first half. He already hit more home runs here in 2010 than he did all of last year. He’s hit 21. That’s tied for the third best total in the National League. and he just ticks it into the glove of Joe Mau and that’s backto back strikeouts for Andy Pettit. Another cutter out of the strike zone. So Harden down on strikes and he did not get a piece of it. That was a swing and a miss. And that noise was the baseball hitting the dirt. Scooped up by Mau. And it’s two out, nobody on for the number nine man, Yadier Molina, who’s having a disappointing year swinging the bat. And he grounds it right up the middle with a base hit. That’s the second hit of the night for the National League. And Yadier, who had a hit and an RBI in last year’s All-Star game, is on. Turn the lineup over and get it back to Hanley Ramirez. Ken Rosenthal is with us weekend after weekend. And Ken, this is a special night and a special time here in Southern California for Andy Pettit. It sure is, Joe. This is his first All-Star appearance since 2001. His oldest sons, Josh and Jared, were 6 and3 then. Now they’re 15 and 12. And all they want to do is shag fly balls in the outfield. Well, they’ve done that and now they’ve watched their dad pitch a scoreless first inning of work. Well, maybe it’s an introduction to biggest audience for Josh Johnson. The hardthrowing right-hander underwent Tommy John surgery in August of 2007 and less than a year removed from Tommy John surgery. Johnson has won 31 of his last 40 decisions and he has the best erra in baseball. Carl Crawford first up, took a strike and now a ball. So in this case, it’s Josh Johnson who was throwing for the first time to Yadier Molina as Crawford fouls it out of play. And in the top of this inning, it was Joe Mau catching Andy Pettit for the first time. And we’ll play you their conversation when Andy came to the mount right now. Here’s what the two said to one another. And what they got for me? Fast ball. You need to know tinker or fouramer? Um, I’d like to. Yeah. Okay. You want me to wiggle one for sinker? Yeah. Okay. Um, straight one for four. Three cutter ball. Sounds good. Um, first time out. Sounds good. All right. But I’ll keep it in front of you. That first question was the most important. Do you want to know whether the fast ball’s a sinker or a cutter? Because they’re on either sides of the plate. The cutter is on the right hand side of the plate, inside the right-handers, and the sinker outside the right-handed batters. So, catchers like to know that. Itchiro, his first time popped up. Now he’s in the hole. One and two. Joe Mau was 12 years old when Andy Pedock came to the big leagues. Minnesota native Ichiro strikes out and Johnson just blew it by him at 98 miles per hour. Two out in the bottom of the third. So what does Josh Johnson feature? He’s got a fast ball, a change up, and a slider. And all three pitches are among the top 10. And certainly in the National League, maybe in baseball, all three pitches. That’s why his earned run average is 170 coming in. Josh Johnson part of a Marlin team that surprised everybody last season by finishing second as that one’s just poured in for strike one. Second in their division behind Philadelphia who made it to the World Series and lost to Derek Jeter and the Yankees. Jeter walked his first time and now a late swing and a foul for strike two. I mean right now it just doesn’t even look fair. Not that baseball the matchup of anybody trying to hit these pitchers. Seems like one of those games where you should have started the game in the fourth inning. Especially with what’s going on behind the pitcher and the hitters backdrop is that drives Derek Jeter off the plate with two out, nobody on. Ball one. That’s the second time Jeter has been driven back off the plate. First by Jimenez and now by Johnson. Whether intentional or not, if you’re Josh Johnson and you have the ability to pitch inside and do that, comes inside again with his pitching stuff. It’s a reason why his erra is 1.7 own the inside part of the plate no matter who’s up there. And in this case, it’s Derek Jeter, who has more hits than any Yankee in New York Yankee history with 2,847. So, he is 153 hits shy of becoming the first Yankee ever to have 3,000 hits. And this is his 11th time as an American League Allstar, a one-two, two and two. His contract is finished after this year. He had a career year in some respects last year at the age of 35. His numbers are down this year, but I would be shocked if he goes anywhere and if he plays in any uniform other than the one he’s wearing the rest of his time in the big leagues. Yankee captain with a full count. Three and two. Two out, nobody on. 3-2 pitch is fouled out of play. This may surprise you. Derek Jeter through 36 years old, 17 days, has more hits than Pete Rose did at that age. And Pete the all-time career hits leader with 4,256. 3-2 breaking ball has Jeter frozen and sends us into the fourth. Chevrolet is proud to support youth baseball and is offering future Allstars a ballpark makeover. Go to chevy baseball.com to enter your community. Great effort, worthwhile. And now as we go to the fourth inning with no score and very little action, Tory Hunter takes over in center field. In center field, the ninetime Gold Glove award winner. Josh Hamilton moves over to right. Ichiro’s out. Hunter will bat in the leadoff spot. And here’s Pra going after the first pitch. Grounds to Jeter in the hole. Long throw for the out. One away. The new pitcher is Cliff Lee. The often talked about Cliff Lee and it finally happened. He was traded to the Texas Rangers on Friday. and the guy who told Cliff Lee to go pitch in this fourth inning. Joe Gerardi is the manager of the Yankees and the manager of the American League side. And uh we haven’t seen much offense with the I would imagine the hitters backdrop. It’s tough to see down there. It is tough to see. And until these shadows go away, it’s going to be tough. And when you have guys with the velocity that they do, it even makes it harder. Joe and Joe, I don’t know if you realize this or not, but guess whose house Cliff Lee was renting in Seattle? I have no idea. Jamie Moyers. Aha. From one lefty to another. Yeah, that’s right. Everything in the house is left-handed. Oh, and two is the count on Pooh Holes. And now a strikeout on three pitches. We have to ask you, I we talked about it in your office, Joe, about how your day started getting the message and learning of the passing of George Steinbrer. I know you managed this game and you have a lot of players with you with heavy hearts tonight. Yeah, our hearts are extremely heavy. He meant so much uh to the New York Yankees, the the city of New York, and to us individually. I mean, I think about how he’s changed my career. Um he brought me over as a player. I I had a chance to win three championships. And I don’t think if I have if I don’t have that relationship with Mr. Steinbrunner, I’m probably not managing here and I’m probably not managing as quickly in the big leagues had I not had a chance to play in the World Series. So, he has changed my life dramatically and for that, I am forever grateful. and we’re just going to miss it. He would show up in the clubhouse in Tampa when we were playing the Rays and it just seemed to fire all the guys up and he’s that kind of guy. Here’s a broken back ground ball to the right side. Canó makes the play. Joe, thanks for your time. We’ll talk more about Mr. Stein Brener. We appreciate you joining us tonight. Thanks, guys. It’s Joe Gerardi. We’re through three and a half in Anaheim. No score. Miguel Cabrera singled his first time. He takes a 97 mph fast ball down and away from Josh Johnson. Adrien Gonzalez takes over at first base. Albert Puhol’s night is over. He’ll end it 0 for two and now six of 19 as an all-star. Counts two and0. Cabrera, then Josh Hamilton, then Vladimir Guerrero. Very little action. Pitching dominated through the first three and a half. And now David Wright to his left takes care of Cabrera. One out. Rare is gone and Josh Hamilton will be the batter. And if anything starts to shake loose, Hongchi Quo is getting ready in the bullpen. He has been absolutely lethal against left-handed hitters so far in 2010. 0 for 31 left-handed hitters against Quo so far this year. And now Verlander, who was a late addition. Justin Verlander of the Tigers is getting loose. There’s a strike to Josh Hamilton. We’ve talked to Joe Gerardy about it. He has every reason to manage this game to win it and try and secure homefield advantage. Certainly the same for Charlie Emanuel. His Phillies have won the NL pennet the last two years. As you know, the winner of this game, that side gets homefield advantage in the upcoming World Series. Why is it a big deal? Since 1985, the team with homefield advantage has won 19 of the 24 World Series play. And you see it in the shaping of the rosters as Hamilton fouls it away. Guys like Omar and Fonte who can play all over. Three setup type relievers now four with the addition of Quo that are available to each manager total. Here’s a one two and two. There’s one big factor though that’s not here this year for the American League and that’s Mariano Rivera who was four for four in save chances in all-star games with an erra of zero. Here’s a fly ball down the left field line. Brawn with a diving catch for the out. Ryan Brawn in toward the line made the catch to rob Josh Hamilton. Remember that ball was tailing away from Braun and the diving play. A lot of guys get hurt on plays like that because their hand curls up and the body falls on the hand. But Braun appears to be all right. And a smile on the face of Josh Johnson, the former third baseman who is getting better and better in the outfield. Ryan Brawn from LA makes the play. And now the former Angel flails at one. 98 miles per hour. Strike one. Guerrero struck out his first time. Already 75 RBI’s for the Texas Rangers who at the break lead the Angels by four and a half games and that is the biggest lead of any division four and a half. So things very very competitive everywhere. 99 from Johnson. It’s 2 and one. 50 and 38 record for the Rangers. That’s a soft liner caught by Adrien Gonzalez. We’re just settling in and we’re into the fifth. Tim hasn’t even finished his hot dog yet. Ryan Brawn with a diving catch to his right. No score. David Wright first up for the National League. We’re already in the fifth. Wright singled his first time. Braun will follow. Made that great play out in left. And here’s David Wright going two for two. and he’s now six out of 13 during his very impressive young career in all-star game action. Justin Verlander, Tim, takes over on the mound. Justin Verlander, the hardthrower and David Wright, the first leadoff batter to get on in this ball game. Things do not get any easier. Berlander, perhaps the hardest thrower on the American League staff. And what he does that’s so impressive is he doesn’t top out in the upper 90s or touch 100 every once in a while early. You see him in the seventh, eighth, and if he gets to the ninth inning, still pumping it in there in the upper 90. That’s a very good point and true. Burlander after the leadoff hit misses inside to Ryan Brawn who bounced into a double play his first time up. Lander was the 2006 AL rookie of the year. Was the first American League starter when he won that award to do it since Dave Regetti in 1981. A check on David Wright at first. Wright has stolen 15 bases in the first half of the season and he is a guy who will run. Charlie Emanuel saying we’ll do anything. We’ll put the hit and run on. We’ll run tonight. Try to cause something to happen. There’s a foul. Ryan Howard is wearing a mic. Here’s what he was saying to himself when Braun made that catch a moment ago. We got a guy there named Braun. Oh, I’m gonna go ahead and say he did that for TV. He could have got there. He could have got there. He just wanted to die for television. That’s Ryan Howard, the DH. There goes Wright. Pitch up and in. Throw down. Goes into center field. And David Wright doesn’t realize it. So, he’s stuck at second base. Unable to pop up and advance. and he’s there with nobody out on an All-Star game steel. That head first slide, that is how Chase Settley of the Philadelphia Phillies, tore that left thumb of his. Looked like Canó tried to decoy, but I think David Wright just didn’t realize the ball was a high throw. Didn’t take that peak back at the hitter, but a stolen base for David Wright. I think in Wright’s defense that throw was so bad that he didn’t see the shorts stopper second base struggling to even make a play. That thing looked like it came out sideways out of the hand of Joe Mau and right unable to locate it. Advance. Mhm. So he’s at second, nobody out and a two-1 count on Brawn. Fast ball, foul ball. 99 from Verlander. Does our radar gun go up to 100? I would think so. There’s Phil Hughes, Southern California native, getting loose in the American League bullpen, one of two 11ame winners for the Yankees. And Sabathy has won 12. Here comes a 2-2. Breaking ball stays up full count. Best opportunity to push one across for the National League. Last four All-Star games have been one-run National League losses. And the National League’s been ahead in all four games, but unable to finish. Here’s a 3-2 strikeout by Verlander in a big one. Out number one here in the fifth. [Music] A tailing fast ball inside off the play. The ball, but gets Braun to swing it. It will bring in Andre Eier who struck out his first time up. Andre Ethier, one of the great clutch hitters in the game. Six walk-off home runs in the last year and a half. And the first Dodger outfield starter since Daryl Strawberry was voted in. Didn’t play back in 1991. So, it’s been a while. And he takes strike one. [Music] Now the 01 is outside. The last Dodger voted in to start who actually played in the game. You have to go back to Reggie Smith, an outfielder for LA back in 1980. So it’s been a while for the Dodgers. And Eier gets the nod. his first All-Star game. Last year’s AL strikeout leader, his 1-1 pitch, eighth year with a base hit into right. Hamilton will come up throwing. They hold the runner right at third and it’s first and third, one out. Sam Pazo put up the stop sign and it looks like the right decision. Well, there’s no way that you can know that Josh Hamilton’s throw is going to be up the line. And with one out, you have to stop him here. But Ethier with runners in scoring position, I don’t think there’s anybody better in the National League or any guy that you’d want up at the plate than Andre Eth. Those hands go up from Palazo and the feet stop of right. And it sets up the RBI chance for Cory Hart who struck out his first time. and he goes after the first one up. Fouls it away. Strike one. Sometimes without ever seeing a hitter hit, you know where to pitch him. Cory Hart’s hands are so low that there is no way that he can get on top of the high fast ball. And that’s where Verlander went. When you hold your hands that low, it’s very, very difficult to handle the high fast ball. Here’s the 01. Nasty pitch from Verlander. Strike two. Does the body, the mannerisms, maybe not the exact stroke of Cory Hart remind you at all of Dave Kingman? A little bit. Yeah. Little bit of Eric Davis who held his hands low, the great left fielder of the Cincinnati Reds back in the 80s. Counts 0 and two, first and third, one out. And that fast ball rides up for ball one. Cory Hart up now. Yadier Molina is on deck. [Music] National League had a runner at second. Nobody out. Braun struck out. Base hit by Eier. Hard hit to right and the one two to Cory Hart. He went around and strikes out. Two out in the inning. Mike Wyers rings him up from first and a big strike out again for Verlander. Yeah. After three straight fast balls, the slider and Hart went too far. And we’re going to have a pinch hitter and it’ll be catcher for catcher. More of an offensive threat is Brian McCann. So Brian McCann will hit and then he’s got the rest of the night behind the plate catching the nationally pitching staff. However, if there is an injury be tragic for the Braves, the first place Atlanta Braves losing their catcher, but you can bring the other catcher back into the ball game. Right. There’s Hongchi Quo, the left-hander getting loose. McCann takes a ball. Ryan McCann leads all of baseball at the catching position in home runs. Number two in RBI’s since his first year in 2005. So a catcher with power. Not the defensive player that Yadier Molina is, but more of a threat swinging the bat. K still trying to get loose. Couple of violent swings out away from home plate. Now back in there with a one count. Two and0. Look at his career slugging percentage all time by a catcher. Piaza leads the way. He was here in the celebrity softball game on Sunday night. Roy Campanella. Then Brian McCann. Here’s a 200. Loses the bat. Almost took out Hanley Ramirez in the on deck circle. Strength one. Only in an All-Star game do you see this, right? That’s Pete McCannon who is on Charlie Emanuel’s staff and he’s in charge of keeping the lineup card in order. And you can see him going over the lineup card with Charlie Emanuel. Those two have put together the plan for how to get through this roster and save players in case we are tied after nine. Here’s a 2-1. Three balls and a strike. And it’s four and a half innings away. But if it is tied after nine, keep in mind that the National League has 14 pitchers on their roster and the American League has 13. So that could come into play later on in the game. Here’s a 3-1. Erlander pulled the string and it’s a full count. That means that the runner at first Eier will take off. So a change up that drops down and away and it’s a 3-2 count. They’ll play behind Etheright led off the inning with a hit. Stole the base. He’s at third. 3-2. McCann hits it in the air to right. Back is Hamilton still drifting in the sunshine on the track to end the inning. The fly ball came one batter too late for the National League. Halfway through it. Bottom of the fifth. Al bats no score. George Teay Sulu from the Star Trek series and numerous Star Trek movies is in attendance here tonight as this 81st Major League Baseball All-Star game moves into the bottom of the fifth inning. And there are plenty of changes. Brian McCann stays in the game. He’ll catch the rest of the way. Scott Roland takes over at third base. David Wright is out. Matt Holiday is in the game in left. Ryan Brawn is out. Marlon Bird is in the game in center. Eier moves from center to right. Cory Hart is out. And off the mound is Josh Johnson. On the mound is Hongchi Quo. And a good time for Quo. Why? After Evan Longoria, you have Mau, Canó, Crawford, left-handed batters coming up. And once again, no lefthander has had a hit off Quo all year. Two quick strikes on Longoria. The pitching stuff for Hongchi Quo is good enough to get anybody out. Josh Johnson, two innings, all zeros except two strikeouts. Now John Lester, the hardth throwing left-hander from the Red Sox, gets loose. Longoria doubled his first time up. That came with one out in the second. The mid90s fast ball misses up and away. Ball one. B next. He’s 0 for one. Here comes a one-two from Quo inside. Two balls, two strikes. Evan Longoria is not only good on the field, he proved in a dugout incident with BJ Upton that he’s good off the field and as a leader for that young Tampa Bay Rays team. And this is a guy who early on in his playing career was just looking for somebody to notice how good he was and maybe could be. Rays have him and they’ve locked him up. And after an 02 count, Evan Longoria is on with a leadoff walk. And now Quo will get a chance to take on these left-handed batters. Here’s Joe Mau. So Longoria on base for the second time tonight and Joe Mau digs his way in with Cano and then Carl Crawford to follow. First all-star game for Hongchi Quo and he pours in a 95 mileph fast ball. Strike one. Thing about Quo with left-handed batters, almost everything is away. hard fast balls and the hard slider. Mau is very adept at going the other way. So, he’s a different type left-handed batter than Quo has faced all year. Same pitch, same result. 0 and2 now. Roy Halliday gets loose alongside Heath Bell, the closer from the first place San Diego Padres’s. That’s with an eye on Tory Hunter who follows Carl Crawford, the number nine man. There’s ball one. Here’s a one-two slow chopper. Quell makes the stop and then throws it away down the right field line. Getting up and going to third is Longoria. Into second is Mau. And it’s second and third with nobody out. A lollipop throw over to first base and over the head of Adrien Gonzalez for an error on Hongchi Quo. Well, an easy play. And you see this often with pitchers throwing to bases. We saw it from Mariana Rivera in the 2001 World Series. They’re so used to throwing to home plate where every pitch has to move when they have to throw to a base. They can’t do it. Even the simplest things. Scott Casemir did it in the American League Championship Series last year on a bunt play at Yankee Stadium. Well, here’s Canó, and we’ll get an indication as to how good Quo is against these very good left-handed batters. Here’s a pitch down and away from ball one. Cano his first time grounded out. A walk then an error and a ball low. Two and0. So if you think about it, Quo had a 02 count on Longoria, then threw four straight out of the strike zone, got a chopper back to the mound or just off the mound and threw it down the right field line. Just like that, the American League side that hasn’t lost since 1996 has a chance to jump on top. Strike one. Tim mentioned Quo left-handed batters are 0 for 31 during the regular season against this hardth throwing southpaw. And now here’s a fly ball into left field. Well hit. sends Holiday back for the out, tagging and scoring as Longoria. Tagging and staying put is Mau in the AL scores first on a sack fly by Robinson Canó. Hey League is on top on a sacrifice fly to left and the batter will be Carl Crawford. Crawford lined out to third his first time up. Last year’s All-Star game MVP made a brilliant catch, hit a home run, takes a strike. He’ll be 29 next month. He’s putting together a career type year and there will be teams lined up to try and sign him in this upcoming offseason. I was going to say it’s a good time to do it. Second, one out the one squirts away from Mac but not far enough. Power stays put. Ball one. Lester continues to get loose. Crawford fouls away strike number two. Carl, he can beat you in so many different ways. He can beat you with a long ball. He can beat you with his singles type hitting. He can beat you with his legs. Fourtime American League stolen base leader. He’s stolen 31 so far this season. He can run. One-two pitch from Quo. Hard hit to the shortstop Ramirez. He throws to third and the tag by Roland. Two out. Hanley Ramirez with an aggressive play for out number two here in the fifth. And not good base running by Joe Mau. The rule of thumb is if the ball is hit to your right, you stay at second. That ball was hit to his right and he’s out at third. So that’ll be it for Hong Gi Quo. He leaves allowing a walk, committing an error. The AL is on top. Tory Hunter is coming up and a pitching change. Here comes Heath Bell. Check on the runner at first. That’s Carl Crawford. Two out in the inning. And Tory Hunter is the batter. First at bat for the hometowner representing the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. and dealing with Heath Bell, a closer for the Padres’s, a team that was 20 games out of first at this time last year at the All-Star break. And right now, they lead the NL West by two games. And they’re doing it, Tim, with their pitching staff. And Bud Black largely responsible for that. He’s one of the bench coaches for Charlie Manuel tonight, the manager of the Padres. There goes Crawford. And an easy steal as McCa dropped it. Well, a big jump by Crawford. I don’t think Brian McCann would have had a chance anyway. Crawford, like all great base Steelers. He motors immediately. Great acceleration. Counts 2 and0 from Heath Bell, last year’s losing pitcher for the National League. Here’s a fly ball down the right field line. Eyier in the corner. Ends the inning. We go into the sixth here in the All-Star game. Al now on top, one to nothing. Here is the free creditscore.com. Ingame boxcore for the National League. Two hits for David Wright. His night is finished. A hit for Andre Eier. He has remained in the game. Molina had a base hit when he was in there and lifted for the pinch hitter Brian McCann. Now John Lester pumps a strike in to the new catcher John Buck representing the Toronto Blue Jays. Ian Kinsler is in the game at second base for the Texas Rangers. Out in the outfield, it’s Vernon Wells in left. Hunter stays in center. That’s where a ninetime Gold Glove Award winner stays at his natural position. And here is John Lester 11 and3 and an RA of 2.78 for the Boston Red Sox. So 1-1 strike two. Hanley Ramirez at the plate. He’s 0 for two. The injuries that have hit the Boston Red Sox. It borders on ridiculous how many players they have lost. Here’s a ground ball that Lester knocks down. Has time to pick up and shovel the first one out. Lester has remained healthy. Josh Beckett is working his way back. Dustin Pedroya is here and Allstar has a broken foot. Play Buck Holtz is here and Allstar has a hamstring pull. Kobe Elly’s been out for most of the year with ribs. Victor Martinez is here as a broken thumb. Adrien Beltree was even a question mark coming into this All-Star celebration, but he’s okay after straining his hamstring. Boy, Halliday is getting loose for the National League as Martine Praau, who’s 0 for two, took a ball outside. Now the 10 pitch is down and into 0. Hard to believe that after five years with the Red Sox that this is John Lester’s first All-Star game. Remember Terry Franka telling us about four years ago that the scouts in there in the Red Sox system. Thought that John Lester threw harder than Jonathan Papa. You and I both raised our eyes saying what? Well, he has proven that. Yeah. and he’s really developed into a top of the rotation starter. He has and done so in the absence of Beckett. There’s a strike to bring Praau back to the plate. First left-handed starter named to the All-Star team for Boston since Bruce Hurst in ‘ 87. Here’s a 3-1 just ripped foul. Brad was waiting for that and pulled the trigger a little too soon. Strike two. Teammates of Martine Prada will tell you he is an impressive guy. Guy with a great thirst for knowledge and he has blossomed into a terrific leadoff hitter for the first place Atlanta Braves. Good second baseman as he fouls it back. kind of reminds some of Placido Palano who’s now on the disabled list for the Philadelphia Phillies. He can you can move him around if you need to, but he has really anchored himself at second base. Yeah, he can hit the ball out of the ballpark, too. He has 10 home runs. Surprise power with one out, nobody on. The 3-2 pitch is at fou. Prada is grounded out twice trying to get on in front of Adrien Gonzalez. We’ll have to deal with the left-hander John Lester in his first at bat. Another 3-2 pitch to Prao Papa on the infield. Jeter is out for out number two. And here are some of the surprise teams. And these are division leading teams in the National League. Braves have been hot after a poor April. The Central division is led by Cincinnati and just pitching for the San Diego Padres’s. These three a combined 40 games back at the All-Star break last year. Mentioned the Padres’s were 20 out. Joey Vado, who was the online edition, voted into this all-star game. San Diego. I I think you look at a guy like Adrien Gonzalez, Tim, and coming into the season, he thought Adrien Gonzalez might be wearing a different uniform by this point in this season. Nobody expected Bud Black’s team to do anything in the NL West. And here they are leading at the break as that one is fouled down the line and out of play. Strike one. If not traded by the break, at least traded at the deadline. But the Padres’s are contending now. And I don’t think you’re going to see Adrien Gonzalez going anywhere. They’re right now in a position where they’re looking to add to that team. Sure. It’s a team where you do not want to be behind after six innings. Their bullpen has been terrific. The 1-1 pitch is down and away. Ball two. [Music] Here’s a 2-1. Good pitch by Lester. Two and two. Gonzalez pulling out of there a little bit. Thing about Adrien is that he has power to all fields. Tremendous power to left field. Also a two-time Gold Glove award winner. He can do it all. Two two pitch is in the dirt. Full count. Another lefty that DH Ryan Howard on deck. You talk about a guy who has power to all fields and with Adrien Gonzalez power the opposite way. Team like Boston with the green monster in left field. That is a park that he could just wear out. He waits for a 3-2 pitch with two out, nobody on from John Lester and grounds it to the right side for Kinsler just into the game. Off we go into the bottom of the sixth. One to nothing. Give it the free creditscore.com in-game box score for the American League. Longoria with a hit, doubled. He’s also walked and scored the only run so far. A hit for Miguel Cabrera came in the first inning. Not much offense on either side. And Holiday slings it home and a flare into right center field. No catch by Marlon Bird and Jeter is on to start the sixth. Marlon Bird did not have a good jump diving and a nice try but just eludes does the ball. So Jeter is on base for the second time in this game. He’ll be lifted for the pinch runner. Paul Canerko will dig in at the plate and Elvis Andrew is the runner at first. Andrews takes over and you look at some of the changes defensively for the National League. Brandon Phillips at second base, Raphael forcal short. We mentioned Holiday on the mound. Here’s Kerkco. So they’re coming fast and furious now. All the changes and the numbers for Cano has hit 20 home runs in the first half of the season. And it’s the White Socks by virtue of their 25 and five record over the last 30 games come into the break as the division leaders in the AL Central. Holiday gets it past the bat of Canerko. A ball and a strike. Holiday with baseball’s perfect game, the 20th in the history of the game on May 29th against Florida. His opponent was Josh Johnson. He won one nothing. There’s a foul with Andrews on the run. He’ll have to come back to first and the count’s one and two. Yeah, Joe, you and I were talking to Eddie Einhorn, part owner of the Chicago White Socks before the game and and marveling at what the White Socks have done over the last six weeks. Yesterday I asked Paul Kerkco if he had ever been on any team at any time in his career. He broke in as a catcher with the Dodgers, went to the Reds, then the White Socks for a long time. That’s been as hot as the Socks. He said no. Saw that note on June 11th. The White Socks were eight and a half games out in a good division with a good Minnesota team in the central, a good Detroit Tigers team in the Central, but it’s the White Socks on top. And Andrews gets back hand first on the bag. Cano’s first at bat, taking on Roy Hall, who has 51 complete games, by far the most in baseball since 2003, the year he won the Sai Young Award. for the Toronto Blue Jays. Here’s a foul out of play off to the right. Ball and two strikes on Caner. Holiday not only gives you wins, but like Cliff Lee will do for the Texas Rangers, he takes such a load off your bullpen. He’s a guy that has gone seven innings or more in all but three starts this season. And Cliff Lee is really going to take a load off what is becoming an overworked bullpen with the Texas Rangers. Here comes a one-two two and two. Interesting note about Holiday. He’s one of just three pitchers all time to throw a perfect game and win 10 plus games before the All-Star game. Others are David Wells in 98 with the Yankees. Randy Johnson in 04 with the Diamondbacks. Runner going and a stolen base and then out as Andrews came off the bag. So it’s a strike him out and in the end throw him out double play as Andrews is tagged. Well, you can see Brian McCann the double clutch. He went ahead and threw it. And a good play by Brandon Phillips to stay with the tag. Andrews, I think he thought the ball went through. We talked about David Wright earlier not seeing the ball, but watch how Andrews steps up. Doesn’t know where the ball is. Phillips did. Tagged him out. It goes down as a caught stealing. 24 with the second baseman Phillips hanging in there with a tag. And the batter is Josh Hamilton who’s 0 for two. That’s strength two. So Phillips leaping for the ball, making the play, and then making the tag before the foot is on the bag. Good play by Phillips. David Ortiz comes into the on deck circle. 02 pitch. Hamilton fights it off. So a one to nothing game as we play here in the bottom of the six with two out now. Nobody on. [Music] Here’s an 02. Ball one. Baldo Jimenez started two innings, two hits. Josh Johnson, two perfect innings. Quo, an unearned run. Twothirds of an inning. The only run so far tonight. Here’s a one-two. Hamilton waited on it and just chopped it off to the right. Still one and two. In the seventh inning, the scheduled hitters of the DH, Ryan Howard, then Roland and Matt Holiday for the National League is Hamilton. Sports one foul left side. Josh Hamilton with a huge month of June. Nine home runs, an average of 454 as Matt Caps gets loose. Hamilton has moved to and stabilized left field for the Rangers with Borbone in center. He’s fought through injuries in his career, but he is as strong as anybody in the game as he takes ball two down and away. Two and two. Third straight year voted in as a starter. Hamilton waits. Here it is. And another foul. Good at bat by Hamilton. Josh had an RBI chance back in the first. First and third one out but bounced into a double play started by Ubaldo Jimenez. Another from Holiday over below. Full count again. And if Hamilton can reach, David Ortiz, the home run derby champ, waits on deck to bat for Guerrero. And he has done just that. Josh Hamilton is on. Second hit of the inning. First of the night for Hamilton. And here comes David Ortiz. [Applause] American [Music] League will watch the National League manager Charlie Emanuel make his way to the mound and he is going to go to the bullpen. So Holiday is out after 2/3 of an inning. Base hit by Hamilton chases him and another pitching change for the NL. David Ortiz will pinch hit for Vladimir Guerrero. Pinch runner is Jose Bautista from the Blue Jays. He’s at first running for Josh Hamilton. And here’s Matt Caps who was the closer for the Washington Nationals trying to end this sixth inning. Two hits in the inning for the American League. They lost a runner on the bases. Andrews and the first pitcher Ortiz is up and away ball one. David Ortiz in the month of April hit 143, one homer, four RBI’s. They have a shift on in the infield and Brandon Phillips is in shallow right field. The second baseman that’s outside two and0 from Caps Ortiz in fact at the end of April on the 27th in Toronto was pinch hit for by Mike Lol. and it looked like his days were numbered with the Boston Red Sox and he has turned it on since that poor April. Slow start as he had last year. There’s a strike. Well, there are some guys that have bounced back years. Adrien Beltree, David Wright, Vernon Wells, Vlad Guerrero, and what Ortiz has done. He’s bounced back during the same year after that horrible April. Who would have thought that he’d be on the All-Star team? 17 home runs since one during that first month back and out of play two and two and the Red Sox have needed it. They have Adrien Beltree who is a fellow all-star who’s done a tremendous job at third base signing a one-year deal as they and the Tampa Bay Rays are looking up at the New York Yankees in the AL East. Tampa Bay two out, Boston five out and hoping to get healthy at some point here early in the second half. Matt Caps, who last year was with the Pirates, attended a contract, signed with the Nationals. And here he is, an all-star in a tailing fast ball gets Ortiz looking. Two hits a man left into the seventh. One- nothing AL. Back after this from your local Fox station. MLB Commissioner Bud Cely is with Laura Ziskin, one of Hollywood’s leading producers and a co-founder of Stand Up to Cancer, which brings together the brightest and most innovative minds in the field of cancer research in order to shorten the path to finding a cure. MLB has contributed over $30 million, and you too can help by going to standup tocancer.org. And so a number of changes as this game moves into the seventh inning. Joey Vado is going to pinch it for Ryan Howard against the new pitcher Phil Hughes. And after the first pitch, he grounds one right into the gut of Ian Kinsler. One out. We go down to Chris Rose with Derek Jeter. All right, Joe. Thank you very much. Derek, you are 9 and1 all time in All-Star game. So all you have to do is face Jimenez and Johnson when you can’t see the ball and when you finally can go take your hacks at Roy Halliday. That’s that’s not fair. It really isn’t. I mean these guys are tough enough and um I think that’s why you don’t see too many too many runs. A little tough to see but uh you know pitching stats for both teams are impressive. Obviously a very tough day for the entire New York Yankee family with the passing of the boss George Stein Brener. What is it that you knew about him that the public did not? knew a lot about him that the public doesn’t know. But I think the the one thing that stands out is uh how much he cared about his players, how how much he cared about the community, whether it was in New York and Tampa where he lives or anywhere in the country. He really gave back and I think a lot of times people didn’t really pay much attention to that because they knew him as this vocal owner, but uh he really cared about people. Derek, as always, thanks for the time. We appreciate it. Thanks for having me. Joe, back on up to you. All right, Chris. Thank you. And thanks to Derek Jeter. Here’s a swing and a miss by Scott Roland. It’s his first at bat. Counts two balls and a strike. Rolling up. Matt Holiday on deck. And Jeter talking about the other side to George Steinbrunner. Here’s a 2-1. That’s fouled back. Joe Gerardi. Tim talk to us about Mr. Stein Brener before the game. He said he people didn’t know as much about his contributions to the Boys and Girls Clubs of America or what he did for children of officers who fell in the line of duty in Tampa where he lived. And when you think about George Stein Brener, you think about a Titan owner in this game or in American sports as Roland fouls one back. There was the soft side, but there was also the side, Tim, or any fan is hoping to that there’s that covenant with their owner that they’re going to try to make the team as good as they can, spend what they can to make it a competitive team. And there was nobody out there swinging for the fences more than George Stein brother. Nope. Foul back and out of play by Rolling. Bought the team in 1973 for $8.7 million. under his watch. Seven World Series titles, 11 AL Pennants, best winning percentage in baseball, one of the great American businessmen to come along in the last 50 years. Here’s a base hit into center off the bat of rolling. Well, to give you an idea of how good a businessman he was in 1973, of that $8.7 million, only $168,000 was George Steinbr. and he built the Yankee dynasty into a huge what Forbes I guess uh says that it’s worth a billion and a half dollars. That might be low. One of his pitchers is Phil Hughes who’s taken over. He took care of VTO on the first pitch. A base hit by Roland who’s such a big part of the Cincinnati Red success as they lead the Cardinals by a game and Matt Holiday of the Cardinals fouls one out of play. And you have got to tell the story of what Roland told you about AJ Pooh Holes. Well, they obviously Roland played for the Cardinals and he was friends with a lot of the Cardinals. And when Roland showed up here to go into the autograph room to sign memorabilia, Albert was in there with his son AJ. Here’s a fast ball that misses outside a ball and a strike to Matt Holiday. And AJ Albert says to AJ, “AJ, you remember Scott Roland?” And AJ said, “What are you doing here?” Like, “How did you become an all-star Scott Roland?” And uh he is very deserving here in 2010 as that pitch is low for ball two to Matt Holiday out of the mouths of babes. And Roland laughed. He said, “I mean, how honest is that? And how real is that? I mean, he’s undergone a couple of shoulder surgeries. His power seemingly was gone from his swing and that’s not the case anymore as Holiday chases it from Phil Hughes who’s from the area. Two balls, two strikes. Matt Holiday getting his first at bat. Andre Eier who started and is still in the game is on deck. Tying run at first with one out here in the seventh. And the two-2 back up the middle. Backto back hits. Roland is going to turn and go. The throw by Tory Hunter is wide. And Roland, known as one of the best base runners in the game, takes an extra base and he’s 90 ft away with one out. John Vukovich, third base coach for the Philadelphia Phillies, passed away about three years ago. And he told me when Scott Roland was with the Phillies that Scott Roland because of his foot speed was the best base runner he had ever seen. And that’s years and years of coaching experience and as a third base coach and he does it again. He ran on the ninetime Gold Glove award winner Tory Hunter in center and now the tying run is 90 ft away. Matt Thornton coming in from the White Socks as the NL threatens. Well, when we talked about managers and Major League Baseball putting these rosters together with a different mindset now, it opens the door for situational type relievers, and that’s exactly what Matt Thornton is. has been so good for the White Sox and he takes on a pinch hitter Chris Young from the Diamondbacks who’s hit 15 home runs, fifth in the National League with 61 RBI’s. And here he is with an opportunity to tie this game with one of a number of things. Tying run at third, Scott Roland, one out in the 01. Down and in. A ball and a strike. The American League needs a strikeout and Thornton leads the American League in strike strikeout percentage. 49 strikeouts in 36 and 2/3 innings. Here is a 1-1 and Young pops it up right side in foul territory and Cano hauls it in for out number two. So Chris Young got his chance and it’s Matt Thornton who wins that battle and it’s now in the lap of Marlon Bird. First at bat for Bird, the only representative from the Chicago Cubs, a team that two years ago had eight players representing the team. One last year and one here in 2010. And in the words of their manager, L Panella, they will likely be sellers, not buyers by the trading deadline. Bird after the first pitch, fouls it out of play. Strike one. Have a northsider against a southsider right here. The south side of Chicago with Matt Thornton against the Chicago Cubs, Marlon Bird. Marlon Bird was voted onto this team on the players vote. 32 years old, signed a three-year deal with the Cubs, and he has been one of the big pluses for Chicago this year. That’s a foul ball, and that’s strength, too. Here comes the O2 pitch to Marlon Bird and it’s high from the lefty Thornton. So the good base running by Scott Roland puts him at third, but a big out by Thornton as he gets Chris Young on the foul out to the first baseman. Now the one-two pitch, two and two. See those two riding fast balls. It’s very difficult obviously on the catchers. They’re only two catchers per team and trying to catch a different pitcher every inning. Sometimes two in an inning. Lot of pressure with a guy at third. The tying run. John Buck of the Blue Jays is the catcher. Two- two pitch is high again. Three and two. On deck is the only remaining catcher for the National League, Brian McCann. He cannot be lifted for a pinch hitter. So Thornton would get the chance to face a lefty if he doesn’t get Marlon Bird to end the top of the seventh. Runner goes and a pop foul out of play off to the right. It was 0 and2. Now it’s three and two. It’s the go ahead run at first. Holiday will take off with the pitch and another foul. Marlon Bird finally established himself with the Texas Rangers for three years after an up and down existence with the Philadelphia Phillies, then the Washington Nationals. And he really worked hard to get back into this game. Got the free agent deal from the Cubs over the off season. 34 multi-hit games so far in 2010. He could tie this thing 3-2 and that’ll load him up. So, two hits and a walk. We give you sounds of the game. Brandon Phillips wearing a mic, yelling out to Tory Hunter when Scott Roland went first to third. Yeah. Yeah. That’s what we do in Cincinnati. We go first to third, baby. That’s what Roland did. that had his teammate Brandon Phillips excited in the dugout. And now McCann swings at the first pitch and fouls it down the right side. Just out of play. So two hits against Phil Hughes. Horton came on to get Young on a foul out, but then lost Marlon Bird. And now the bases are loaded for McCann. Speaking of losing it, it was tough for the hitters to see when this game began. It’s tough for the outfielders to see on fly balls right now in the twilight. Here’s the 01 ripped into the right field corner off the bat of Macan. Rolland scores. Tie game. Holiday scores. NL leads. Here comes Marlon Bird. Brian McCann has unloaded the bases. Three to one NL. The biggest National League hit in 13 years. Brian McCann got a fast ball and hammered it down the right field line. Bird trucking from first, scoring rather easily. And the National League takes the lead. They lead by two. Thornton is out. McCann excites the National League dugout. And a pitching change here in the top of the seventh. It’s the NL smiling up by two. Brian McCann is the hitting hero right now for the National League. The bases clearing double. It’s 3 to1 NL. And And Andrew Bailey, the closer for the A’s. 18 saves. 10th best total in the American League, takes over and deals with one of the hottest hitters in all of baseball. Raphael Far. Switch hitter takes low. Ball one. Bailey is the third pitcher of the inning. and Phil Hughes who started this inning allowed two hits. One to Roland, one to Matt Holiday is on the hook. Thornton couldn’t get McCann and now Fal takes ball two rookie of the year in 2009 was Andrew Bailey. He’s dealing with Raphael Fcal who since he returned to the Dodgers after the passing of his father who went down to the Dominican Republic is hitting 417. He takes a strike. [Music] Runner at second with two out and FC comes up empty. Two and two. That looked like a splitter change up for Kyle in a fast ball count. Good pitch from Bailey. They’re the number since June 24th and where forcal ranks across baseball. That’s way wide. Full count. The American League will have Wigington who’s in the game at third base taking over for Longoria. Then John Buck and then Ian Kinsler in the bottom of this seventh. Here’s a 3-2 to F call down and in. Another walk. Trevor Cahill was scheduled to be the Oakland Athletic representative in the All-Star game, but he started on Sunday. He knew how badly Andrew Bailey wanted to come. He had been told by Bob Garren on Saturday that don’t make any plans during the All-Star break. Cahill came in on Sunday morning and faked being sick. He said, “I don’t think I can go today.” which then would have made him eligible to pitch tonight. Exactly. And would have kept Bailey out of the game. And then they everybody got a laugh about it and Bailey followed Cahill out to the bullpit when he warmed up to make sure that everything was all right. Here’s Brandon Phillips as Adam Waywright gets loose from the St. Louis Cardinals to work the bottom of the inning. That’s blocked by Buck. And Brandon Phillips, who if you don’t know about him, is one of the more dangerous hitting second baseman in the game. See the numbers in that little note. It’s his first All-Star game. He replaced Chase Utley on the roster. Martine Prao got the start. And now it’s Phillips, the 29year-old from the Reds. That’s another one in the dirt ball, too. Phillips, a Gold Glove Award winner in 2008, was drafted by Montreal. When he was, he had scholarships to play both baseball and football at Georgia, and he was picked up by Cincinnati in April of ’06 for a player to be named later. 07 he was a 3030 player with over 30 homers and 30 stolen bases. Two on, two out. Two balls and a strike on Phillips. Good pitch inside corner. Two and two. Since 06, Phillips has hit 100 home runs, stolen 15 bases. He’s trying to add to a 3-1 National League lead, and do it against the A’s closer Andrew Bailey. That’s foul down the right side. Ryan McCann is the lead runner at second. Raphael Farcal with great speed could probably catch. McCann is the runner at first. Here comes a 2-2. Phillips strikes out on a nasty breaking ball and that ends the inning. But here we are after six and a half with a National League up 3-1 over the American League. Nick Swisser off the bench to bat for the American League. And right after the first pitch delivered by Adam Wayne, Chris Young stays in the game. The pinch hitter, he’s in center. That moves Marlon Bird over to right and Adam Wright who has put together a great run for the St. Louis Cardinals over the last couple of years and is a 13game winner snaps off one of those tremendous curve balls for strength two. Nick Swisser was the internet vote. He won on the American League side. Joey Vado on the National League side. Soriano getting loose for the AL as Wayne Wright brings it and skips it in ball one at home. He’s undefeated. Wayne Wright on the road good RA a record of four and five. Finished third in the Sai Young voting last year when he won 19. Maybe more importantly, has the most wins in the lowest erra in baseball in the last two seasons. Adam Waynewright. Here’s a one-two. Another foul. You know, that’s one graphic that’s easy to explain. 9-0 at home, four and five on the road. Because all the mounds on the road are different in the different parks. The mound at Bush Stadium in St. Louis is going to be the same. I’m I’m really surprised that more pitchers don’t have much better home records and poorer road records. A curveball gets Swisser for round number one in the bottom of the seventh. Batter now is John Buck and he takes ball one. John Buck finished second in the American League among catchers in the players voting. Had to cancel the trip to Niagara Falls with his wife to be here. And he shoots one to left off the glove of Matt Holiday. And Buck is on at second with one out here in the seven. So, one Cardinal cannot help out another as Holiday got there and couldn’t make the catch. Well, that’s a a ball that should have been caught. I think Matt would tell you that. got a little turned around. Bad route to the ball and John Buck has a double. It is a double with one out and it brings in the tying run. Ian Kinsler, who was a 3030 man last year, hit 31 home runs in a hitter friendly park in Arlington, Texas. Tying run at the plate. Wayne Wright brings it and ball one up and away. Ian Kinsler is a 398 career hitter here at Angel Stadium. That is the highest all time. Gets a lot of action out here as both are in the AL West and that’s ball two 2 and 0. On deck is Vernon Wells. [Music] [Applause] [Music] Here’s a two- pitch from Adam Wayright. Fast ball sneaks in at 95. Two and one. Here’s a 2-1 down and away. Three balls and a strike. Wayne Wright is no stranger to pitching late in a ball game. Not only as a starter, but he was the closer for the Cardinals back in their 2006 championship run. Kurt Bald, pardon me, to Carlos Beltron to end the National League Championship Series. That’s ball four and it’s two on with one out. Had four saves during the postseason in 2006. Our Lexus fastest pitch speed graphic. Price hit 100. Verlander just below it. and Josh Johnson with 99 as well. A double, a walk, and an opportunity here for the American League with Vernon Wells stepping in for the first time tonight. It’s been a big bounceback year for Vernon Wells. Wayne Wright chopped to short for Kyle. The second and the only out is Phillips kept his foot on the bag. No chance with the speed of Wells to turn two on a ball hit that softly. Two out. Saw a good play by Brandon Phillips earlier in the game, staying with the tag of Elvis Andrews. And now he makes another good play, realizing the double play is out of the question. Here’s Tory Hunter. Gets a nice hand. He flyed out to right his first time. And with that angels across his chest digs in here at Angel Stadium. And the rally monkey made his first appearance here with an angel at the plate. How about that? Tying run at first, two out. And a ball down and away from Wayne. Rain right trying to get around that double off the glove of Holiday and left then the walk the 10 and good curve ball strike one. Case you may not know about the rally monkey here at Angel Stadium. Rally Monkey may show its head in the sixth, the seventh, the eighth, the ninth. How appropriate Tory Hunter is thinking right now. Here’s a 1-1 from Wayne Wright. First and third, two out. Fooled on the pitch. Strike two. Well, what a tough breaking ball from Tory Hunter. Now the one, two from Adam Wayne. Got him to end the inning. Raphael Soriano, the closer from the Tampa Bay Rays, takes over, fires a 94 mileph fast, fouled by Adrien Gonzalez. And we’re underway in the top of the eighth, the National League leading by two. They’re the numbers for Soraniano, the Tampa Bay Rays, who were two games out in the AL East. Adrien Beltree takes over at third. The only position player left for the American League is Alex Rodriguez. Here’s a fly ball into left. Wells is there. One out. And Adrien Gonzalez is 0 for two since entering the game back in the fourth. Bring in Joey Vado. Meanwhile, the National League is left with Omar Infante and Michael Bourne. The Bullpens at this point have plenty of arms left. And there’s Alex Rodriguez, the only available bench player. If there is an injury, Tai Wigington has been designated as a player who can re-enter the game. Votto gets it off the end of the bat, flies it into center. Two out. Aerial coverage is brought to you by Direct TV. Now all the TVs in your home can be connected to just one DVR. Call 1800 DIRECTV. You know, that’s a roster. That is a roster that should be sent to Coopertown. Everybody has played in the game, every position player, but Alex Rodriguez. Alex Rodriguez, the guy who has 597 home runs. Yeah. Joe Gerardi is saving him for the right spot late. And there is no Mariano Rivera presence. lurking on either side. You have younger closers that the National League will call on guys like Broxton, Brian Wilson. Haven’t seen Evan Meek, a lefty specialist, Arthur Rhodess as Valverde from the Detroit Tigers gets loose. So came to the Rays from the Atlanta Braves and he’s been outstanding. He replaced Mariana Rivera. Brian Wilson gets loose from the Giants for the NL. Three and one. I think if you ask Soraniano, he’ll say, “Well, I finally have a more defined role.” He’s got 50 saves since the beginning of last year. Here’s a 3-1 instead. Rolling hops out. Just talking going to break about the reaction of Adam Wayright. Just happened to catch it on his way off the mound where he reacted. kind of pumped his fist low key, but still got out of that jam in the bottom of the seventh. Here’s a fly ball into left. Vernon Wells to his right. Plenty of room and time to end the inning. Both dugouts still jam-packed with players. Not many left available to play in this game as we go to the bottom of the eighth. NL up by two. Closer from the Giants. Brian Wilson takes over with Michael Bourne in the game in left field to improve the defense. Holiday is finished and Wilson, one of the two young closers [Music] available to manager Charlie Emanuel, pumps home strike one. Ryan Wilson showed up with a Mohawk haircut for the media day and he pumps home another 98 and two quick strikes on Elvis Andrews. I’ll tell you, with Brian Wilson’s arm, he is a very hard thrower. Hard to believe he was picked 24th in the draft back in 2003. He has the third most saves in baseball since he became the full-time closer in 2008. Throwing hard, 98, that’s high. One ball, two strikes. Valverde is getting ready for the American League. Here’s a one-two breaking ball and Andrews fouls it back to the screen. Elvis just 21 years old. Last year tied the club rookie record in Texas with 33 steals. And he led all American League rookies in hits, runs, total bases, stolen bases, and triples. On one and two, a soft chopper to Brandon Phillips. One out. First at bat for Andrews and he is gone. He’ll bring in Kerkco with Jose Bautista on deck. Canco struck out in his only at bat. That happened in the sixth. Cabrera started the game at first and went one for two while he was in there. The American League hopeful of getting Kerko on there so they can have Bautista, who leads the majors in home runs, up at the plate. Good breaking ball from Wilson. Strike one. He leads. Bautista leads the league in home runs with 24. That is the lowest total home run total to lead at the All-Star break since 1993. [Applause] The L1 pitch to the third baseman Rolling. He’s automatic. Two out. One of the best ever defensively at third base. The two out, nobody on. Batter is Bautista takes a strike. Joe, we talked in our opening about the National League pitching. If the National League was going to have a chance, it was going to be their pitching. And their pitching has certainly delivered so far this evening. Just an unearned run has scored for the American League against the NL. from Jimenez to Johnson Quo who gave up the unearned run his error. The reason why Heath Bell Halliday caps way Wilson we could see Broxton before the end of the night. Here comes a 1-1 popped up right side. Adrien Gonzalez will give it a look. He has a play. An uneventful eighth inning and very quick and effective work by Wilson. Here comes the absolutely nasty pitching of Jose Valverde. First season in the American League after seven years in the National League. Opponents are hitting just 125 against him. Lefties only 086 as Jonathan Broxton will try and end this game on the mound for the National League in the bottom of this ninth inning. First at bat for Michael Bourne who is playing in his first All-Star game and who has the most stolen bases in baseball since coming to the Astros in the November 7, 2007 trade that sent Brad Lig to the Phillies. And Bourne is gone in a blink. One away. That’s that splitter from Valverie going down. Goodness, when you see a right-handed hitter holding left-handed or right-handed pitcher holding left-handed hitters to an 086 average, you know he’s got a good splitter. A good swing and miss put you away pitch. And all Bourne can do is smile about that at bat. It didn’t last long. With one out, nobody on. Here is Chris Young, second at bat. Point I was trying to make earlier with regard to Wayne Wright being excited getting off the bound or Charlie Emanuel with the way he’s managing this game, the way the National League made up this roster, why he wanted Bourne available as a good outfielder, as a guy who could lead off here and try and get on base and use his legs, steal a base. Prior to that whole this time it counts campaign after the 2002 tie. What we were seeing before that were guys getting an at bat, maybe two at bats. They’d leave the dugout. They’d go back to the clubhouse. Not all, but some. They’d head out of town and enjoy the rest of their All-Star break. Heath Bell still wearing high-tech 3D glasses that have absolutely no use. You’re not watching a 3D television. Yeah, especially the pitchers staying out of the game. I mean, that’s what we saw in the game at Yankee Stadium two years ago. There’s Heath Bell. Now, it’s I’m sure become some sort of I don’t want to take them off now. We’re leading. I’m going to keep them on for the rest of the game. But guys are staying in the dugout. Starters waiting to see who’s going to win this game and trying to celebrate with their teammates. That has changed that aspect of the game. And Valver Vverde celebrates as he does after another strikeout. two out in the ninth, but we saw that two years ago in that 4-3 win for the American League, the 15 inning game at Yankee Stadium that lasted deep into the night into the early hours of the morning. Starters still in the dugout, leaping out. So, that change has had that effect. Whether you like that change in the rule or not, certainly plenty has been said about it. There’s a fast ball for a strike to Marlon Bird. Bird drew a walk in his only previous played appearance. And that preceded the three-run double by McCann with two out in the seventh inning. Made it three to one NL. One ball, one strike. The American League when they bat in the bottom of this ninth will have Ortiz to lead it off. He’s taken over as the DH. Alex Rodriguez is on that bench and Valverde is one strike away from striking out the side here in the ninth. again. That downer inside two and two. And there is the hero tonight for the National League, Brian McCann. [Applause] on two and two. That just missed a full count. See Valverie and and Bird smiling at one another. Bird is not biting the one-two splitter. The two- two splitter. Still alive. And now waiting on a 3-2 pitch. Trying to extend the top of the ninth. Here it is. And a foul as birds in a battle. I like to see major leaguers smile. It’s okay to smile out there. It’s all right. Marlon Bird is having fun in this at bat trying to figure out a way to get Valverie. Cubs will start the second half nine and a half games out in the NL Central. Another 3-2 from the right-hander and another foul ball from Marlon Bird. There’s Brandon Phillips. He’s giving us a smile down in that dugout. That’s the thing I do. And the young 21-year-old Jason Hayward right in front of him. Not eligible tonight, but he’ll be eligible in other years, I’ll tell you. A strike out ends the inning and Valverde strikes out the side. Well, here is Jonathan Broxton getting ready to try and close this game and save it for the National League. Since that tie in 02, the American League has won seven straight games. There have been close calls. A play lock game-winning home run up Gier in 03. 06 NL ahead the ninth. Michael Young won it for the AL. 07 with Puhol on the bench. Rowan flies out with the bases loaded. In ‘ 08, National League blows a late game lead. Last year, Crawford made that game-saving catch. Also hit a home run, was the MVP, and there have been four straight one-run losses by the National League. And now it’s as you look at the numbers, Jonathan Broxton trying to close it, representing the Dodgers in dealing with David Ortiz first here in the ninth. 19 saves for the Dodger. And a line drives a base hit into right field. And the American League puts their leadoff man on. So Ortiz is on. Adrien Beltree will get his first at bat. Alex Rodriguez with 597 career home runs. The only available bat in a game tying situation for Joe Gerardi. And he’s got to be looking for him right now. Beltree takes a strike. There’s A-Rod. [Applause] But if you don’t pinch it for Beltree, you can’t pinch it for John Buck. So if A-Rod does pinch it with one on in this inning, then it’s got to be for Kinsler. It was third up. We’ll see. Third up after the hit by Ortiz. And now two strikes on Adrien Beltree. Jonathan Broxton brings it and a strike out for out number one. He blew it right by him at 99 milesPH. We have seen a lot of 98 and 99 mph fast balls tonight. How about the National League’s pitching tonight? One run. It was unearned. Eight strikeouts, six hits now in eight and a third innings. And here is John Buck. Tim said you can’t pinch it for John Buck because he’s the only catcher left. [Music] Kinsler is in the on deck circle. One, one out. 98 from Broxton. Ball one. Well, Joe Gerardy also realizes that Jonathan Broxton has given up only one home run all year. [Applause] and he’s a strikeout artist. No pitcher in baseball in relief since 2006. Has more strikeouts than Broxton. Breaking ball misses. It’s 2 and 0. One on, one out. And now ball three from Broxton. [Applause] [Applause] Here’s a 3 0 swinging on 3 and 0 to try and tie it. Three balls in a strike. Joe Gerardi saying, “Why not let John Buck go?” Couldn’t go to Niagara Falls. Try to hit his two-run home run here. The 26-year-old closer from the Dodgers. Broxton brings it on three and one. Full count. Not much mystery as to what’s coming to the plate. [Applause] If you’re Broxton, you can’t get beat with anything but that, can you? No, I don’t think so. No sliders right here. Tying run at the plate and a fly ball off the end of the bat. Falling in a hurry. Here comes a right field at third. Has to play it on a hop and out at second on a brilliant defensive play by Marlon Bird. The slowfooted David Ortiz is forced at second. Two away. You can understand the plight of Ortiz on that short hop, the wherewithal to throw one hopper to for Kyle at second base and get Ortiz. Ortiz going back to first and by the time he commits to second base, a hit has turned into a force play. Great reactions by Bird. with only one player left on the bench and Alex Rodriguez. And because David Ortiz didn’t represent the tying run, he stayed in the game after getting the leadoff base hit, but he’s forced at second on a ball that fell in and right. Now Buck is running. Here’s a fly ball into right center. And there’s Young. The National League wins it three to one. And the celebration in the outfield between a Houston Astro, an Arizona Diamondback, and a Chicago Cub. And it’s the Chicago Cub, Marlon Bird, who made the best defensive play of this 81st MLB All-Star game. To be as alert as he was and know who the runner was was. Of course, David Ortiz was caught in between first and second. Right in front of him, the turnaround and the throw quickly to second base. Bird can’t make the play in the air. You can see Ortiz. That’s Bird’s shot. I guess a bird’s eyee view of Ortiz right there. And he was out at second. The defensive play of the game by Bird. A 2hour 59minute game. Caps is the winner. Hughes suffers the loss and the save for Jonathan Broxton in a 3-1 final. The streak is over. The National League wins for the first time since 1996. Plenty of action in the bottom of the ninth inning. And in the end, the NL wins it by two. Let’s go down to the field. And we’ll go down to Kenny Rosenthal who’s standing by with Tory Hunter. Thanks, Joe. Tori, you guys had not lost this game since 1996. Did you think right to the end you were coming back? Uh, yeah, we thought right to the end we were trying to come back. Um, they got a pretty good pitching staff over there, man. They got a lot of guys. They’re throwing a lot more off speed than than usual. And uh uh but the guy have they have great arms over there and we tried to come back but it just didn’t work out for us. That three that three-run double um uh from uh MC was pretty pretty impressive. It hurt us and kicked our butt. I hate it. You came up twice in big situations. Runners on base. Obviously did not get it done. How much did you want to get it done? Oh yeah. You know that I I really wanted to get it done and uh my first at bat just missed it. You know, hit it hit it a little too high. got good wood on it. My second at bat, never faced Wayne right before, but he didn’t throw me no fast balls, cutters, off speed, and uh I didn’t know what his ball was doing. And uh it’s a little jumpy. It’s It was It was a a bad at bat, but we you know, we got to come back and do it next year. How about that, Tori? Thank you very much. Let’s go to Eric Caros on the National League side. Hey, I’m over here with the killer bees tonight, Broxton and Bird. Big man, come in and shut it down. How’d it feel? It felt awesome. I mean, uh, for us to get the win, I mean, to break the streak and, uh, we just played hard tonight and, uh, there ain’t many words to say. Shoot, you’re smiling, man. That’s some emotion. Great defensive play. Came in, great at bat, too. What were you thinking, though? Get Ortiz at second. Gosh, I had to make up my mind. Either dive or just try to let it drop and then finish fire. So, last second, I knew it wasn’t getting there. Pick it up, fire. Hopefully, I can get it there in time. And, and I did. What were you thinking when you saw Marlin come in and make that play? Well, I just uh hoping he would get there, but I knew he wasn’t going to be able to right there at the end. And I seen David wasn’t about halfway, and I knew he didn’t have great speed, so I figured he’d come up firing. National League did it tonight, guys. Back to you. All right. Thank you. And thanks to Maron Bird and Jonathan Broxton, part of the winning side as the NL wins it three to one. They’ve never done that before. No. Three different teams with the celebration and big smiles here in Anaheim. Back with more in a moment. [Music] There’s the final score. Remember at Holiday in they’ve made some big changes so you can stay you. Let’s go down to the field and Chris Rose. All right Joe, thank you very much. It is time right now to present the Ted Williams All-Star game MVP trophy presented by Chevrolet. And for that I welcome in the commissioner of baseball, Mr. Bud Celig. Thank you, Chris, very much. And uh it’s my pleasure tonight to present the Ted Williams Most Valuable Player Award, which is given by Chevrolet to the great young catcher of the Atlanta Braves, Brian McCann, who got a big uh double that cleared the bases. And he’s the second Brave to win this award, first one since 94. And it gave the National League their first victory since 1997. Brian, congratulations. Well, Brian, in terms of big hits in your career, where does this one rank? Because you were out there and pumping your fist and everything. Right at the top. Uh, you know, you dream about moments like this as a kid and um, tonight was just uh, it was amazing. Year after year after year, the National League guys get the same questions. When are you going to finally win this? Did it wear on you guys a little bit? Yeah, you know, during media day, that’s all we answered. So, uh, today was big. Um, and home field advantage is big for for the World Series and whoever whichever teams get there. Um, it’s going to be big. Now, the last time the National League won this game was 1996. You were like three. Uh, do you remember anything about it? Yeah, I don’t know how old I was, but uh I was eight. I was eight. So, um, you know, I’m a huge baseball fan growing up, and this is just something like I I’ll always remember. My parents are here. My wife is home. uh you know she’s pregnant and you know I just want to say hi to her and you know this is this is just an amazing night. By the way, Mike Piaza was the MVP so it’s got to be something about those National League catchers that get it done. Yeah, he’s he he was one of my idols growing up and um you know it’s just nice to to be here and win this award. Have you thought at all because obviously the National League now gets homefield advantage in the World Series. You guys are sniffing that NL East crown. You know, it might be Atlanta, it might be Cincinnati, it might be San Diego, but have you thought about what it would mean for the Braves? It it’d be big. It’d be big for any NL team that gets there. And, uh, you know, being in first place at the break, uh, we’ve had a lot of guys on our team step up and and and play big. And, you know, it’s it was nice just to come out here and and be a part of this all-star game. Congratulations on the All-Star game MVP award, Brian McCann. Job well done. Thank you so much. All right, so the National League a winner for the first time since 1996. And he’s the first Atlanta Braves MVP since Fred McGriff in 94.
National League 3, American League 1
Atlanta Braves catcher Brian McCann clears the bases in the 7th inning for a National League win.
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3 comments
Yooo this is dope!!! I watched the whole thing!!!
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是當年的郭泓志🥺🇹🇼