Jul 15th 2008 4:15PM by Josh Alper
Earlier today Will Brinson wrote a thoughtful piece about why we should ease back our discussion of Josh Hamilton the former drug addict and just focus on the fact that he’s a terrific baseball player. It’s a very strong point, especially when we’ll be facing a steady dose of his comeback tale during tonight’s All-Star Game.

If there’s a reason why Hamilton’s redemption should never fall too far from the public eye, though, it’s because of the inspiration it may bring to others struggling with addiction. People like Jeff Allison, the 2003 first round pick of the Florida Marlins. Like Hamilton, Allison’s baseball future was brighter than the sun and, like Hamilton, it has dimmed because of drug use. Allison is sober now and trying to follow in Hamilton’s footsteps.
“He has inspired me. I sometimes get emotional when I just talk about Josh Hamilton. The things he’s doing now versus the things he used to do, to choose life over what he did, is unbelievable. I know what he went through.”
After missing the past two seasons, Allison is pitching for Single-A Jupiter and is 5-7 with a 4.39 ERA. Unspectacular numbers for a 23-year old in the Florida State League, although he did make the All-Star Game for that level, but the numbers are only part of the story.

Just as they are for Hamilton. He has shown people like Allison that there is a road back from addiction. Even if the road doesn’t lead to Yankee Stadium and the All-Star Game, it’s a road worth traveling.

Jul 15th 2008 6:05PM by Matt Watson
Willie Randolph will be attending the All-Star Game tonight. This wouldn’t be news if someone told you this a month ago — Randolph was originally expected to serve as one of the National League’s coaches — but since being unceremoniously canned by the Mets, it seemed like the only way he’d get through the gates would be if he bought his own ticket.

But as it turns out, Randolph won’t need to scalp a ticket after all; he’ll be in the buidling as the personal guest of the Steinbrenner family. It’s no secret that the Yanks’ ownership still has an affinity for their former player and coach — Hank offered Willie a job just days after Omar Minaya’s axe came down — but this is still a bit unexpected. From William C. Rhoden of the :
“George invited Willie Randolph to the All-Star Game,” said Howard Rubenstein, the spokesman for George Steinbrenner. “George urged him to attend and he accepted.”

[…] “George had some great things to say about him,” Rubenstein said. Then, referring to the entire Steinbrenner family, Rubenstein added: “They truly love him.”
Should this be interpreted as some kind of snub to the crosstown rival Mets? Probably not. Randolph has a long history with the Yankees, winning a combined six titles as a player and coach. And besides, while some feel that Randolph was unfairly branded a scapegoat for the Mets’ troubles, the decision to fire him seems to have paid off: the Mets have gone from two games under .500 before his dismissal to seven games over now, thanks largely to their nine-game winning streak heading into the break.

In all likelihood, this is just a nice gesture being extended to an old friend — though I wouldn’t be surprised if the Yanks still hope to convince him into returning in some capacity down the road.

Jul 16th 2008 12:55AM by Will Brinson

“TOMMY WANT WINGY!!!!”

You know why the All Star Game is important? Because there’s nothing else on, that’s why. Just kidding, of course. The ASG is awesome, regardless of what cynical people want to tell you. Why? Because of things like Torii Hunter robbing Barry Bonds at the fence. And Randy Johnson buzzing John Kruk. Pete Rose taking a gamble and running over the catcher at home despite the exhibition status. And Cal Ripken, making people forget that his farewell tour was slightly less painful than Brett Favre’s. Kidding, Cal, you rule. And those are just the recent and potentially falsely remembered memories right off the top of my head (they by no means define the ASG, but you get the point).

Oh yeah, and because it’s halfway through summer and we still have three more months of baseball left. So come join me and whoever else stops by for a live blog of the Midsummer Classic, starting tonight somewhere between 7:45 and 8:00.Continue Reading

Jul 16th 2008 1:55AM by Will Brinson
I shouldn’t really say fail. After all, Clint Hurdle did let Aaron Cook pitch for three full innings, so we’ve got that going for us. And Joe Buck and Tim McCarver never fell asleep as far as we can tell. But, as you can hear from Buck here, Terry Francona had maxed out his bench in the seventh inning. Alfonso Soriano, meanwhile, was busy striking gold.

Again, Soriano picking his nose — it’s a sign Cubs fans!!! — doesn’t really sum up what was an insanely thrilling All-Star Game. But when McCarver suggested that the AL bunt Ian Kinsler over and have him , I found myself in a similar position, only with a slightly more puzzled look on my face.

Jul 16th 2008 3:15AM by Will Brinson
The only thing sillier about the All-Star Game (excluding Alfonso Soriano picking his nose) than actually having an hour-long red carpet parade was that Yankee fans got into a veritable froth over hearing that Jonathan Papelbon, the Red Sox closer, wanted the ball in the ninth inning so he could *gasp* . You know, instead of Mariano Rivera.

Of course, all of that became a hell of a lot less funny when Papelbon told the press that he and his wife were uncomfortable during the pregame ceremonies, to the point that insults from fans felt life threatening.
“I feel like I needed to be in a bullet-proof car,” Papelbon said, according to the Web site. “My wife is pregnant and she’s getting her life threatened. It’s stupid.”

[…]Papelbon told MLB.com that he was so disturbed by the parade incident that he didn’t even care if he pitched on Tuesday.

“Your family gets involved like that and you’re trying to enjoy an experience with your family, and you have a wife who’s pregnant who doesn’t feel safe riding in a red-carpet event, you know what I mean? How would you feel?” Papelbon said, according to MLB.com.
That’s what you call keeping it classy Yankee fans. Threatening a pregnant woman because her husband wants to do his job. It really is a great way to celebrate the rich history of Yankee Stadium.

He said he would like to close. That’s what he does. I’ve prattled about this ridiculous rivalry before, so I don’t want to go off on another rant about the need for Red Sox and Yankees fans to take a step back and evaluate what’s actually important, but seriously, grow up. There’s nothing cool about death threats on pregnant women.

Jul 16th 2008 6:30AM by Andrew Johnson

Years from now when people look back on the 79th All-Star Game, they’ll remember a few things. First and foremost, they’ll remember the celebration of Yankee Stadium, one of baseball’s last remaining living museums, in its final season. Right alongside that, they’ll think fondly of Josh Hamilton. Even if you’re sick of hearing about his intense battle with drug addiction, the sight of him launching 500-foot homers into the black New York sky at the Home Run Derby won’t soon be forgotten.

And perhaps after that, they’ll remember the actual game itself for its record length — 15 innings over four hours and 50 minutes. It’s safe to say nobody will be thinking of the final All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium as a classic.

Part of that was the ugliness of the game. This Midsummer Classic had everything — blown calls by the umpire, poor baserunning, way too much Aaron Cook, epic offensive squanders and even three errors by poor Dan Uggla.

But the flaws in the structure of the current incarnation of the All-Star Game were also on not-so-sparkling display. Major League Baseball still has the best showcase event in American professional sports, but it’s not above a little cosmetic overhaul now and again.

With that in mind, here are four things that baseball should change to improve the All-Star Game. (There was plenty of time to come up with a list Tuesday night).Continue Reading

Jul 16th 2008 9:00AM by Pat Lackey
July 31 is rapidly approaching. Buy or Sell lets each team know where they stand.

It is absolutely, completely 100% unfathomable to me that we have to answer this question for the Astros. They’re currently standing at 44-51, in last place in the NL Central, 13 games behind the Cubs and 8.5 back of the Wild Card. They’ve got no pitching staff to speak of and their offense is old. This team isn’t a contender and they’re in serious danger of falling into a huge rut because of the emptiness of their farm system. The answer here is an emphatic, “SELL! SELL! SELL!’

And yet, Ed Wade isn’t convinced. He seems to think that there’s a way for him to patch the team together and make a run at something this year. At the very least, he’s refusing to rebuild this year. That’s a dangerous idea for a team that’s top two prospects (Hunter Pence, J.R. Towles) are already in the majors. Of course, Wade is the guy that sent a passel of prospects to Baltimore for Miguel Tejada over the winter, so don’t doubt him on this one.

The other problem the Astros face is that they don’t really have any terribly attractive “sell” candidates. Their best players (Lance Berkman, Roy Oswalt, Carlos Lee, and Tejada, I guess) are all kind of old and locked up until the 2011/2012 neighborhood. Really, the Astros kind of look to be painted into a corner for the near future, and having Wade at the helm isn’t going to help things.

Jul 16th 2008 9:35AM by Josh Alper
Whatever you think about the incessant discussion about Josh Hamilton’s comeback from drug addiction, there’s no doubting that it’s like something out of a movie. And when you’re talking baseball movies about improbable comebacks, it doesn’t take Roger Ebert to know that you’re talking about “Ed.” I kid, I kid, you’re talking about “The Natural.”

Hamilton turned on the TV the morning after the Home Run Derby and, fittingly, he saw Roy Hobbs was just a few minutes away from hitting his final home run. That’s when Hamilton’s own movie script intervened.
That was when he heard a knock on his door. It was the person charged with administering his regular drug test. Hamilton, a former drug abuser, provides a urine sample every third day under his agreement with Major League Baseball.

“Man, you’ve got to hold on,” Hamilton told him. “We’ve got to watch this.”
So the tester sat down and the pair finished watching the movie. “Then I did my business,” he said.
Couldn’t you just see that as the last scene of the movie about Hamilton’s life? The two men sitting on the edge of a bed in a hotel room as the music swells, offering one last reminder that Hamilton will never ever truly escape his past just as Hobbs’s bleeding stomach does the same on the TV.

Jul 14th 2008 3:00PM by Josh Alper
The Orioles need to make a very difficult choice over the next few days about their 2008 season. It’s been a resounding success thus far but losing seven of eight to close the first half has left them with a losing record at the break. Any ideas of a dark horse playoff candidacy died during that streak and getting back to the happy side of .500 at the end of the season is the only short-term reward.

It’s not an insignificant one. When you haven’t finished with a winning record since 1997, giving your fans that gift, even if it comes in fourth place wrapping paper, is appreciated. You just can’t go broke to get there, though. 2009, 2010 and beyond are the balls the Orioles must keep their eyes on or else they’ll just start another cycle of chasing small returns without a plan for the future.

That doesn’t mean they should sit out the trade market, however. If anything the Orioles should be both buyers and sellers. The team could use a shortstop and a starting pitcher and will need them next year as well. There have been rumors linking them to shortstops like David Eckstein, Juan Uribe and Felipe Lopez but those are exactly the types of players the team should be steering clear of today, tomorrow and forever.Continue Reading

Jul 14th 2008 3:45PM by Will Brinson
Just like Brian Powell, I had no clue that NBC Sports actually handed out a “Whiner of the Week” award. Had I known, I would have been following this sooner. Anyway, this week’s winner is a highly regarded figure of the sports blogosphere, a gentleman that really needs no introduction, because of his strengths in the announcing booth and the dedication to learning all the nuances of the game of baseball. That’s right: Dr. Joseph Morgan.
“Part of the reason the game doesn’t bring that energy is it’s a different game now. Now it’s considered an exhibition, whereas before it was considered life and death,” Morgan whimpered to reporters during a conference call in which he was supposed to be plugging the game for ESPN.
Morgan wants the stars to play all nine innings, like Willie Mays and Hank Aaron used to do. That will make everything better, he says.
Well, it ain’t gonna happen, and somebody should tell Morgan that. It’s not necessarily worse. It’s just different. And ratings are down because ratings are down for everything. That’s what happens when you have 400 channels to watch.
So keep your nostalgic whimpering to yourself, Joe. Nobody wants to hear it.

Yowza. Good to know that Joe isn’t heavily favored with the Peacock. And I figured he was so popular with the mainstream. It’s an understandable reaction though — on both sides. Joe, predictably, hates change. (Even if it’s for the better!) We — meaning people not over the age of 50 — prefer that our game today not be knocked.
Although I am interested in this award. Where was Joe Buck’s last week? Will Colin Cowherd be receiving a lifetime achievement award? And I assume the winner get a bottle of … wine.