Daily Archives: July 15, 2008

The NL has the better lineup and the roster that better represents the best of their league, but they haven’t won one of these things since 1996, when the AL was shutout by a nonet of pitchers that included Mark Wohlers, Steve Trachsel, and Phillies closer Ricky Bottalico, and they won’t get last licks tonight.

The NL has had some turnover in its roster since it was first announced. In addition to Corey Hart, who was added via the Final Vote, David Wright, who finished second in that voting, replaces the injured Alfonso Soriano, and Carlos Marmol replaces his bullpen-mate Kerry Wood, who developed blister on his right index finger last weekend. What’s more, today there have been reports that the Giants sophomore sensation Tim Lincecum, my pick to start for the NL squad, fell ill with the flu yesterday and may not even make it to the Stadium. The only roster issue for the ALers was the injured David Ortiz being replaced by Final Vote winner Evan Longoria.

Here are the lineups:

American League

RF – Ichiro Suzuki (L)
SS – Derek Jeter (R)
CF – Josh Hamilton (L)
3B – Alex Rodriguez (R)
LF – Manny Ramirez (R)
DH – Milton Bradley (S)
1B – Kevin Youkilis (R)
C – Joe Mauer (L)
2B – Dustin Pedroia (R)

P – Cliff Lee (L)

National League

SS – Hanely Ramirez (R)
2B – Chase Utley (L)
1B – Lance Berkman (S)
DH – Albert Pujols (R)
3B – Chipper Jones (S)
RF – Matt Holliday (R)
LF – Ryan Braun (R)
CF – Kosuke Fukudome (L)
C – Geovany Soto (R)

P – Ben Sheets (R)

In lieu of FOX’s Zelaskoed pre-game coverage, check our man Alex’s write up on the Stadium over at SI.com, and let’s all hope this won’t be the last night they break the bunting out at the old yard.

More fun: Paul Lukas on All-Star Game uniform shenanigans, including several of those mentioned in my 1977 game recap earlier today.

The last All-Star Game to take place at Yankee Stadium was played on July 19, 1977, five days after the blackout that devastated parts of the city. It was the second season of the renovated Stadium, which had already seen Chris Chambliss hit his ALCS-winning home run against the Royals and the Reds sweep the Yankees in the World Series the previous October. At the break, the Yankees were in third place in a tight race in the AL East, 2.5 games behind the Red Sox and three games behind the Orioles, both of whom would finish the season 2.5 games behind the repeating AL champions.

The Yankees had five representatives at the All-Star Game that year, not counting AL manager Billy Martin and his coaching staff. Reggie Jackson, in his first year with the team, started in right field and was booed loudly by the home crown upon being announced by Bob Sheppard before the game. Willie Randolph, in his second season as a Yankee, made his first All-Star start at second base. Thurman Munson, Graig Nettles, and Sparky Lyle all made the team as reserves.

While the six members of the 1976 World Champion Reds on the NL roster (Joe Morgan, Johnny Bench, George Foster, and Dave Concepcion in the starting lineup, Pete Rose and Ken Griffy on the bench) were booed loudly by the Yankee Stadium crowd, the loudest ovation during the pre-game introductions went to another Red, Tom Seaver, who had been traded to Cincinnati by the Mets just a month earlier. Watching the game now, it’s also striking to see future Yankee stars Dave Winfield and Goose Gossage, both playing for the NL squad, met with near silence by the Stadium fans, and to see Billy Martin cheerfully greet his first base coach, White Sox manager Bob Lemon, who would replace him as Yankee manager the following season.

Orioles ace Jim Palmer started for the AL squad. Having thrown 638 innings over the previous two seasons, Palmer had thrown 187 2/3 innings in the first half of 1977 and was clearly fatigued. Joe Morgan, who had started the scoring in the 1976 World Series with a first-inning home run off Doyle Alexander, led off and put Palmer’s sixth pitch into the right field box seats. As Reggie Jackson ran out of room to chase Morgan’s leadoff homer, he pressed his face against the right field wall and rolled around as if to say "here we go again." The NL had won the previous five All-Star Games and 18 of the previous 20. They would win this one and the next five as well before Fred Lynn’s grand slam off Atlee Hammaker finally broke their dominance in 1983.

(more…)

The reason why baseball movies will never get it right is because no amount of clever CGI can ever replicate what we saw from Josh Hamilton, a real life Roy Hobbs, last night at the Stadium. I still feel buzzed.

“If I was managing the team, I would close,” [Jonathan] Papelbon said. “I’m not managing the team, so it don’t matter.”

…”We’ve both earned that right; us, by winning the World Series and having the opportunity of having our manager there and our team being represented, and Mariano by what he’s done for this role, we’re in Yankee Stadium and blah, blah, blah,” Papelbon said. “It’s not that easy. Everybody thinks it’s a cut and dry answer, but it’s not.”
(N.Y. Daily News)

Well, Jonathan Paplebon is an athlete. And I’d rather have a guy who is dumb and good than smart and crappy. So this wasn’t an especially bright thing to say. He isn’t paid to be bright.