All-Star Game
Tuesday, July 12th, 2005The American League has better talent. That much is clear. And for someone who grew up during a time when the National League was dominant, it hurts to see the AL control my league like this.
The National League is a purer game. We don’t mess around with the fake player rules and all. There’s strategy, damn it!
Well, we had our heinies spanked tonight. The power in the AL batting order is something to behold. ARod, Ortiz, Manny, Tejada, Vlad, Teixeira. That is formidable. While their pitching seems weaker, Mark Buehrle had movement on his ball. Wouldn’t he look good in red pinstripes?
The NL line-up just did not ring as talented. Beltran is still living off of last October. Edmonds is having a very good year, but he isn’t Big Poppy. Piazza? Okay Dave, he’s your token Met, but really, even Joe Buck talked about how the AL was primed to run on the starting All-Star catcher. He’s done as a catcher. Jeff Kent? I always liked Kent, but he is yesterday’s star, not today’s. Sure, Pujols and Lee are as powerful as anyone in the AL this year, but the NL just isn’t as deep. Trust me, it pains me to say it.
Abreu led off with a single and continued the good publicity from last night’s Home Run Derby. Remember, Abreu refused to bat lead-off for the Phils. Rollins singled too, so the Phillies, who played, held their own. But the offense was stymied until the seventh. The NL had seven men stranded through the first six, but could not produce anything against the stronger AL team.
Once again, Joe Buck proved to be a horrible announcer. As the game wore on, Fox kept interrupting the game with other segments, rendering their broadcast an ineffective outlet for a fan to score at home. Thankfully, MLB has not charged (yet) for Gamecast. Once it does, the scoring segment of the fanbase will be done.
I have seen a few games on television from Comerica Park. But it wasn’t until last night that I noticed the skyline. I was impressed. I know the park was big, but I believe they have brought in the fences some. From what I could tell, it looked similar to all the other new old-style parks. I certainly would welcome taking in a game there firsthand to see for sure. 
Now that the mid-season classic is behind us, it is time to fish or cut bait in Philly. My thinking is to cut bait. While I like the talent we have (generally), it has not produced a winning team. It is time to face it that Burrell is not the star we had hoped for. He has value, trade him. Perhaps he will flourish elsewhere. If he does, good for him. In the meantime, the Phillies need to re-tool the organization. The first move should definitely be the general manager.