All Stars but Big Yawns

So, who's excited for the All Star game up in SF this year??? Waiting........ Still waiting........ But hey, it decides who gets home field advantage in the World Series!?!?! Anyone? Bueller? Bueller? Yeah, that's what I thought.

CONGRATS to Russell Martin (Very deserving), T.Saito (also deserving) and Brad Penny (uh oh - the hex is back) on being reps for the Dodgers up in that game no one cares about by the city on a bay. Penny started the game last year, after a very similar first half as he's had this year and then went Rudy Seangascanez on the rest of the season for us. Here's hoping Peavy has that luck this year instead of Penny. Props to Russell the most though. Dude is in his 2nd year, catches about 95% of the games (Lieberthal has to be LOVING life - greatest job in the world, backup C to an All Star), calls great games, throws out runners and brings a big stick (as well as wheels) to a position and team greatly in need of it. He's not only an All Star, he'd get my vote for NL MVP today, either him or Prince Fielder.

I think the All Star Game is just a giant mess of confusion. Do we want lineups of "Stars," you know, guys you want to see play or do we want lineups of players having the best 1st halves this season? When I was younger I always got pissed off when Ozzie Smith or Cal Ripken, even in their off years, made the team by a landslide. I thought you should reward those "hot" players for a good start, not anymore. I want to see the elite players playing, the shoe guys, the Boras clients, the big money, big headed warriors. I AM GLAD BONDS IS ON THE NL TEAM. I hate him more than any athlete in any sport yet he belongs in this game. Its in SF and he's about to break Aaron's HR record. Dude belongs!

I'm also ok with making each team send one guy but if you're going to do that, expand the rosters even more. Gil Meche and Brian Fuentes can be on the team but there should also be room for Randy, Rocket, Oswalt, Howard and Rollins. Bud needs to fix this problem. Look at the NL OF - Bonds, Beltran and Griffey, does that not drip All Star? Yet we have D.Young instead of young masher Ryan Howard?? If baseball wants to approach the NFL in terms of popularity again, you need to MARKET the stars. Especially in a year that we celebrate Jackie Robinson, how can you not try to include some of the games bright, Black players. How else will the game grow in the inner cities again? Of course if you ask Gary Sheffield, MLB prefers Dominicans over Blacks anyway. Regardless, put more of the Super Stars in and find a way to raise the stakes, more so than HFA, to bring this back to the exciting times of Rose running over a catcher or Bo going yard!

Congrats again and good luck to our Dodgers in the game!