Two Guys Sports
Bruce BostwickA.L. Continues All Star Dominance 4-3 in 15 Inning Marathon
July 16th 2008 10:11
What makes the Major League Baseball All Star game different from all the others, and so great each year? The list is long. For me however it starts with the fact that I get chills when they start announcing the names. Just hearing the fans react to the players names. Seeing all the Hall of Famers standing together on the field. It just sends a sensation through the body that is different than anything else, and cannot be matched by any other sport’s All Star game. This year in Yankee Stadium makes it just that much more special for me. You see, I grew up in New Jersey, about an hour away from Yankee Stadium, and have been a life-long Yankees fan. Living so close I had many chances to sit and watch a game from in the stands. I just wish there would have been some way for me to be in attendance tonight at this special game.
I was amazed during the introductions of all the Hall of Famers and players in this year’s game the fans cheered for nearly everyone! Of course the current Red Sox got a chorus of boos(although I think some of them were Youks and Drews rather than boos), but the enemies of the past like Rollie Fingers, Robin Yount, and yes even George Brett got a round of applause. The only legend to get enough boos and jeers to be recognizable was Bill Mazeroski. Everyone was wearing the hat of the team they were inducted into the Hall of Fame wearing. It was a touching moment when we got to Dave Winfield who was wearing a San Diego Padres hat. He tipped his Padres cap, and then with his other hand raised a Yankee cap! Gary Carter would do the same when they got to the catchers. He tipped his Expos cap, and then raised his Mets cap with his other hand. The biggest ovations went to Reggie Jackson, and Yogi Berra who both had their names chanted by the fans.
It then came time to throw out the ceremonial first pitches. Again, being a Yankees fan I am probably a bit biased, but this will end up being one of my favorite memories of baseball ever. The Boss, George Steinbrenner was driven out from the bullpen to deliver the four balls for the pitches. The four players he was delivering the balls too were Yankee greats, Whitey Ford, Reggie Jackson, Yogi Berra, and Goose Gossage. After he handed over the balls he got a kiss on the cheek from three of the four, Gossage was more of a hug. These four legends would be throwing their pitches to four more Yankees. Reggie threw to Derek Jeter (Mr. October to Mr. November), Whitey Ford threw to Alex Rodriguez, Yogi Berra threw to Joe Girardi who was the one that got to line up right behind home plate, and in fitting manner Goose got to throw to Mariano Rivera. Again, I am biased, but WOW! I will remember it forever.
Now onto the actual game. Cliff Lee came out and started the game the way an All Star Game starting pitcher should. . . two strikeouts, followed by a bloop flyball out to right center that Josh Hamilton got under easily. The appropriate start to the All Star game at Yankee Stadium continued in the bottom of the first when Derek Jeter got the first hit of the game, and then stole second base. A-Rod also made the final out of the inning.
Lee and N.L. starter Ben Sheets got the job done, both pitching two scoreless innings. My prediction of a 9-7 final score wasn’t looking so good at this point. Also Josh Hamilton was 0-for-2 as I type this.
An interesting moment in the 4th inning happened when Carlos Zambrano threw his first pitch to Manny Ramirez. It was a slow breaking ball that came in high above Manny’s head. It got a smile out of Manny. In that same inning Milton Bradley, who by the way has three stolen bases this year, and stole second earlier in the game, was picked off at first base to end the inning.
The scoring started in the top of the fifth inning when Matt Holliday took a pitch from Ervin Santana of the Angels to deep right for a solo home run. Lance Berkman added to the Nationals lead with a sacrifice fly off Oakland’s Justin Duchsherer which scored Hanley Ramirez.
They took their 2-0 lead into the bottom of the seventh. That is when J.D. Drew hit a 2-run home run to right field off of Edinson Volquez that scored Justin Morneau. Drew became just the fifteenth player to homer in his first All Star at-bat. This also gave Volquez the first blown save of the night. This tie wouldn’t last long though. In the top of the eighth manager Terry Francona brought in Jonathan Papelbon, the crowd at Yankee Stadium greeted him with a loud chorus of boos, which led into them chanting Mariano, and Overrated to get under his skin. In retrospect this might not have been a smart idea, as Yankee crowds tend to do, they succeeded in getting to Papelbon. Adrian Gonzalez hit a sac fly to right that scored Miguel Tejada to put the senior circuit up again, 3-2. Thanks to the Mets Billy Wagner the American League tied the game right back up in the bottom of the eighth on an RBI double from rookie Evan Longoria that scored Grady Sizemore. This tied the game again at 3 a piece.
That would be the last of the scoring until the 15th inning. It turned into a four hour and fifty minute marathon that is now the longest All Star game on record. Home Run Derby winner Justin Morneau started off the 15th inning with a single, Dioner Navarro followed that with a single. With runners now on first and second the eventual losing pitcher walked J.D. Drew to load the bases and setup a force play at any base. Michael Young headed to the plate, someone obviously missed the highlight reel of Young getting the game-winning hit a couple years ago in the All Star game. Young popped out to Corey Hart and Morneau tagged up and headed home. Hart’s throw took two bounces and arrived to catcher Brian McCann on the first base side. McCann did everything he could to block the play and swing the tag over to Morneau’s foot. He came so close that me and about 4 other friends that were watching the game together thought he was out at first glance. The umpire called him safe, and after the replays we were all in agreeance, he was safe. The American League had now won the game 4-3. It was the A.L.’s 12th consecutive win. The last time they lost the All Star game was in 1996.
If the game had gone on any longer they may have had to end. I know that sounds like a ridiculous statement, but it is the truth. Both teams were out of pitchers. They already had to use Brandon Web b and Scott Kazmir, both were pitchers they did not want to use. So much so that Tampa Bay requested that Francona not use him. Kazmir had thrown 105 pitches in a game on Sunday, while Webb threw 107 pitches also on Sunday. They each threw one inning in the game, with Kazmir actually getting the win.
The game also included seven total stolen bases, six by the A.L., both records. In the end the oddest of pitchers had faced the most batters of the game. It seemed manager Clint Hurdle felt most comfortable using one of his own pitchers to go three innings when he needed it. Aaron Cook faced a total of 16 batters during his three innings of work in which he gave up four hits.
The game ended at 1:37 AM ET. Minutes later J.D. Drew was named the MVP of the game. He truly deserved the award. He went 2 for 4, with his 2-run home run, and a walk. Drew became just the fourth Boston Red Sox player to be named All Star MVP. The other three were Pedro Martinez in 1999, Roger Clemens in 1986, and Carl Yastrzemski in 1970.
R H E
National 3 13 4
American 4 14 1 Final in 15 innings
I was amazed during the introductions of all the Hall of Famers and players in this year’s game the fans cheered for nearly everyone! Of course the current Red Sox got a chorus of boos(although I think some of them were Youks and Drews rather than boos), but the enemies of the past like Rollie Fingers, Robin Yount, and yes even George Brett got a round of applause. The only legend to get enough boos and jeers to be recognizable was Bill Mazeroski. Everyone was wearing the hat of the team they were inducted into the Hall of Fame wearing. It was a touching moment when we got to Dave Winfield who was wearing a San Diego Padres hat. He tipped his Padres cap, and then with his other hand raised a Yankee cap! Gary Carter would do the same when they got to the catchers. He tipped his Expos cap, and then raised his Mets cap with his other hand. The biggest ovations went to Reggie Jackson, and Yogi Berra who both had their names chanted by the fans.
It then came time to throw out the ceremonial first pitches. Again, being a Yankees fan I am probably a bit biased, but this will end up being one of my favorite memories of baseball ever. The Boss, George Steinbrenner was driven out from the bullpen to deliver the four balls for the pitches. The four players he was delivering the balls too were Yankee greats, Whitey Ford, Reggie Jackson, Yogi Berra, and Goose Gossage. After he handed over the balls he got a kiss on the cheek from three of the four, Gossage was more of a hug. These four legends would be throwing their pitches to four more Yankees. Reggie threw to Derek Jeter (Mr. October to Mr. November), Whitey Ford threw to Alex Rodriguez, Yogi Berra threw to Joe Girardi who was the one that got to line up right behind home plate, and in fitting manner Goose got to throw to Mariano Rivera. Again, I am biased, but WOW! I will remember it forever.
Now onto the actual game. Cliff Lee came out and started the game the way an All Star Game starting pitcher should. . . two strikeouts, followed by a bloop flyball out to right center that Josh Hamilton got under easily. The appropriate start to the All Star game at Yankee Stadium continued in the bottom of the first when Derek Jeter got the first hit of the game, and then stole second base. A-Rod also made the final out of the inning.
Lee and N.L. starter Ben Sheets got the job done, both pitching two scoreless innings. My prediction of a 9-7 final score wasn’t looking so good at this point. Also Josh Hamilton was 0-for-2 as I type this.
An interesting moment in the 4th inning happened when Carlos Zambrano threw his first pitch to Manny Ramirez. It was a slow breaking ball that came in high above Manny’s head. It got a smile out of Manny. In that same inning Milton Bradley, who by the way has three stolen bases this year, and stole second earlier in the game, was picked off at first base to end the inning.
The scoring started in the top of the fifth inning when Matt Holliday took a pitch from Ervin Santana of the Angels to deep right for a solo home run. Lance Berkman added to the Nationals lead with a sacrifice fly off Oakland’s Justin Duchsherer which scored Hanley Ramirez.
Boston outfielder J.D. Drew was named All Star MVP.
That would be the last of the scoring until the 15th inning. It turned into a four hour and fifty minute marathon that is now the longest All Star game on record. Home Run Derby winner Justin Morneau started off the 15th inning with a single, Dioner Navarro followed that with a single. With runners now on first and second the eventual losing pitcher walked J.D. Drew to load the bases and setup a force play at any base. Michael Young headed to the plate, someone obviously missed the highlight reel of Young getting the game-winning hit a couple years ago in the All Star game. Young popped out to Corey Hart and Morneau tagged up and headed home. Hart’s throw took two bounces and arrived to catcher Brian McCann on the first base side. McCann did everything he could to block the play and swing the tag over to Morneau’s foot. He came so close that me and about 4 other friends that were watching the game together thought he was out at first glance. The umpire called him safe, and after the replays we were all in agreeance, he was safe. The American League had now won the game 4-3. It was the A.L.’s 12th consecutive win. The last time they lost the All Star game was in 1996.
If the game had gone on any longer they may have had to end. I know that sounds like a ridiculous statement, but it is the truth. Both teams were out of pitchers. They already had to use Brandon Web b and Scott Kazmir, both were pitchers they did not want to use. So much so that Tampa Bay requested that Francona not use him. Kazmir had thrown 105 pitches in a game on Sunday, while Webb threw 107 pitches also on Sunday. They each threw one inning in the game, with Kazmir actually getting the win.
The game also included seven total stolen bases, six by the A.L., both records. In the end the oddest of pitchers had faced the most batters of the game. It seemed manager Clint Hurdle felt most comfortable using one of his own pitchers to go three innings when he needed it. Aaron Cook faced a total of 16 batters during his three innings of work in which he gave up four hits.
The game ended at 1:37 AM ET. Minutes later J.D. Drew was named the MVP of the game. He truly deserved the award. He went 2 for 4, with his 2-run home run, and a walk. Drew became just the fourth Boston Red Sox player to be named All Star MVP. The other three were Pedro Martinez in 1999, Roger Clemens in 1986, and Carl Yastrzemski in 1970.
R H E
National 3 13 4
American 4 14 1 Final in 15 innings
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