The All-Star Game Counts, But Do We Act Like It? Posted by Nate Kreichman (07/03/2012 @ 3:56 pm) It’s the tenth anniversary of the travesty that was the 2002 MLB All-Star Game. You know, the one that ended in a 7-7 tie and led to the decision that from then on, the winning side in the game would receive home-field advantage in the World Series. Prior to 2003, the year the rule was implemented, home-field advantage alternated between the AL and NL from year to year. It’s one of three separate but inarguably connected rule-based controversies that dog the “Midsummer Classic” year in and year out. The second being that popular fan vote decides the starting hitters for each side. The third is that all 30 teams must have at least one representative in the game.
The rules are linked because what was formerly an exhibition game meant to showcase baseball’s best and brightest (in other words, a money-making scheme) now has actual value. As such, many take issue with the game’s starters being decided based on fans clicking mouses and sticking mini pencils through holes. Equally many argue that requiring a player from each team often leaves superior players off the rosters, which detracts from the notion that the contest spotlights the game’s best. It’s impossible to gauge the impact of playing the first and last two games of the World Series at home. In the nine years the rule has been in effect, the American League has won the All-Star Game seven times. The AL won the game every year from 2003-2009, but its representatives were only champions in four of those seven years. The rule’s effects were minimal, if it had any, as the World Series never saw a seventh game. But in the past two years, the National League has had home-field. In 2010, the San Francisco Giants quickly won their first two home games, and had the Rangers playing scared en route to a 4-1 series victory. Last year was the first time the Series went seven, and the St. Louis Cardinals won the game, and the series, at home. Even if it is impossible to truly gauge the effects, if you’re a fan of a contending AL team, does it sit right with you that Billy Butler might be in a position to decide if your team gets home-field advantage with two outs and the bases loaded in the ninth? Or if your team’s in the NL, that Huston Street (who has only pitched 21 innings this season) might have to get that final out? Those are just some examples of the possibilities of the “one from each team” rule. Let’s take a look at who the fans chose, and decide whether they deserve to be starting, or in some cases, even playing. Read the rest of this entry » Posted in: MLB Tags: A.J. Pierzynski, Aaron Hill, Adam Jones, Adrian Beltre, All-Star Game, Asdrubal Cabrera, Billy Butler, Bryce Harper, Buster Posey, Carlos Beltran, Carlos Ruiz, Chipper Jones, Curtis Granderson, Dan Uggla, David Ortiz, David Wright, Derek Jeter, Edwin Encarnacion, Fan Vote, home field advantage, Huston Street, Joe Mauer, Joey Votto, Jose Altuve, Jose Bautista, Josh Hamilton, Matt Kemp, Melky Cabrera, Miguel Cabrera, Mike Napoli, mike trout, Pablo Sandoval, Prince Fielder, Rafael Furcal, Robinson Cano, Starlin Castro, Tie, World Series, Yadier Molina
Will the Red Sox be hamstrung by the luxury tax at the trade deadline? Posted by Anthony Stalter (07/16/2010 @ 1:00 pm) According to Senior MLB Writer Ed Price at AOL Fanhouse, the Red Sox could be limited at the trade deadline this year because of the luxury tax. That tax, which in the Red Sox’ case would be 22.5 percent of every dollar over $170 million in payroll, is based on the so-called “actual club payroll,” not the Opening Day payroll. So the pro-rated salaries of any players acquired in a trade would count toward that figure. The Associated Press listed Boston’s Opening Day payroll as $162.7 million, although the luxury-tax figure will also include players on the 40-man roster and players’ benefit. Thus, the Red Sox are about tapped out. The source said the front office would have to “jump through hoops” — make a strong case to ownership — just to add $500,000 in salary over the rest of the season. That’s the equivalent of a player making $1.1 million for the year. Paying luxury tax this year would make Boston liable to a 30 percent luxury tax on payroll over $178 million in 2011, when Beckett, Kevin Youkilis, Dustin Pedroia and Jon Lester are due for raises.
If the Red Sox are having financial issues, nobody tell David Ortiz, who recently said that he wants a multi-year contract extension. Even though Boston is still very much in the playoff hunt, it’s been an uphill battle for them in 2010. As Price notes in his article, roughly $45 million worth of Red Sox players are on the disabled list, including Josh Beckett ($12 million), Dustin Pedroia ($3.5) million, Victor Martinez ($7 million), Jason Varietk ($5 million), Clay Buchholz ($440,000), Mike Lowell ($12 million) and Jacoby Ellsbury ($500,000). With their growing list of injuries, the Red Sox probably won’t be able to stay in contention in the second half at their current state. They could stand to add a reliever, an outfielder or perhaps even another starter, but if Price is right and Theo Epstein will be limited at the deadline, then we might be looking at a Boston-less postseason in a couple of months. If their 7-2 loss to the Rangers on Thursday night was a taste of things to come, then the BoSox are in store for a long second half. Brian McCann helps the National League finally end 13 years of misery Posted by Anthony Stalter (07/14/2010 @ 9:30 am) Down 1-0 heading into the seventh inning, you got the sense of “here we go again” for the National League in the All-Star Game. The pitching was excellent (the one run that the AL scored was unearned), but nobody was hitting and it appeared that the NL was destined to spend the rest of its existence in All-Star Game hell. Then Braves’ catcher Brian McCann came to the plate with bases loaded and promptly unloaded them with a double to give the NL a 3-1 lead. The Cardinals’ Adam Wainwright, the Giants’ Brian Wilson and the Dodgers’ Jonathan Broxton followed with scoreless innings in the seventh, eighth and ninth to give the NL its first ASG victory in 13 years. The pitching in most All-Star Games is usually good, but the NL’s staff was excellent on Tuesday night. They allowed just six hits and one earned run, while walking three batters and striking out eight. Roy Halladay had the most trouble in his 0.2 innings of work by allowing two hits, although neither run crossed home plate. The pitching for the AL was also solid outside of the Yankees’ Phil Hughes, who had decent stuff but was smacked around in the fatal seventh inning. In just 0.1 innings of work, he gave up two runs on two hits, including McCann’s double. Also noteworthy was how base running came into play late in the game for both sides. Down 1-0 in the seventh, Scott Rolen (who had reached on a single) took second and third on only a single by the Cardinals Matt Holliday because he read the ball off the bat perfectly. While he eventually scored on McCann’s double, Rolen’s savvy base running play was potentially huge because it put a runner at third with less then two outs and the NL down by one run. On the flip side, the AL was threatening in the bottom of the ninth when David Ortiz singled to right to start the inning and John Buck hit what looked to be another single two batters later. But Ortiz didn’t read the play well enough and while the ball dropped in front of outfielder Marlon Byrd, he still had enough time to pick it up and make a good throw to second to nail Ortiz for the force out. While it was a tough play for Ortiz to read, the gaff killed any momentum that the AL had built in the ninth and Broxton was able to retire Ian Kinsler to give the NL its first victory in over a decade. Posted in: MLB Tags: 2010 All-Star Game, Adam Wainwright, Brian McCann, Brian McCann All-Star Game, Brian Wilson, David Ortiz, Marlon Byrd, Matt Holliday, NL beats AL in All-Star Game, Phil Hughes, Scott Rolen
Ortiz outlasts Ramirez in Home Run Derby Posted by Anthony Stalter (07/13/2010 @ 7:30 am) David Ortiz belted 32 dingers over three rounds on Monday night to best Hanley Ramirez in the Home Run Derby. From MLB.com: “It means a lot to me,” Ortiz said. “Thanks to the fans for the support. Thanks to everyone for showing up. We do this for you guys. We want to make sure you guys enjoy the show.” Though both Ortiz and Ramirez went deep a combined 21 times in the first and second rounds, the slate was wiped clean heading into the head-to-head finals competition. Ortiz was the first of the two to take his swings, and he set the bar high. Though Ortiz’s production trailed off toward the end of his turn, his eight early blasts were enough to give him an insurmountable lead. “Hanley is like a son to me. He grew up with us in Boston,” Ortiz said of the Marlins’ shortstop who began his career in the Red Sox’s organization.
The Brewers’ Corey Hart put on a clinic in the first round by sending 13 over the outfield wall, but tanked in the second round by not hitting any. Miguel Cabrera advanced to the semi-finals after hitting seven in the first round, while Matt Holliday hit five and Nick Swisher hit four. Vernon Wells only hit two, while Chris Young went deep only once. Yankee fan Jay-Z sues Big Papi over club name Posted by Anthony Stalter (04/16/2010 @ 7:00 pm)  Rapper/Yankee fan Jay-Z is suing Red Sox part-time slugger David Ortiz after Big Papi named his Dominican nightclub Forty-Forty, which is the same name that the hip hop artist uses for his chain of nightclubs in the states. From ESPN.com: The lawsuit, filed Thursday in a federal court in Manhattan, accuses Ortiz and his sister of naming their Santo Domingo club Forty-Forty in the hopes of trading in on the rapper’s name. The suit seeks more than $5 million in damages and for Ortiz to forfeit any use of the name. He promoted the sports bar and lounge by dropping references to it in rap hits like “Dirt Off Your Shoulder.” The pair subsequently opened up 40/40 clubs in Las Vegas and Atlantic City and have licensed the name to operators in Tokyo and Macau.
I would say that this was a smart tactic by Jay-Z by attempting to get Big Papi distracted, but considering Ortiz is only hitting a buck fifty right now there’s really nothing to distract him from. Photo from fOTOGLIF
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