2010 MLB All-Star Game Liveblog: Brian McCann's Big Double Powers NL To Streak-Snapping 3-1 Win

Final Reflections On The 2010 MLB All-Star Game

It should come as little surprise, but Brian McCann, who delivered the big bases-clearing double in the seventh off fellow lefty Matt Thornton, has been named the game's most valuable player. Bud Selig comes out to hand off the Ted Williams MVP Trophy, which is a long crystal bat. Let the debate rage over which is the cooler trophy: the long crystal bat MVP trophy, or the bronze(?) crossing-bat Home Run Derby trophy. As an American, naturally, I prefer the thing that's bigger, but what's really important here is that no matter which trophy is cooler, they're both way cooler than the World Cup, which is a blight on everyone involved. I have a theory that trophies should be proportional to the number of people that care about them. Following that idea, the World Cup should be made of astatine and contain the entire moon somewhere.

For the second night in a row, an event I was dreading was made more tolerable by liveblogging the whole time. I think this really is a valuable lesson, particularly for bloggers of bad baseball teams who're out of the race, such as myself. It wasn't just the liveblogging this time, though. This was an All-Star Game, and it was over in just under three hours. Now, last year's All-Star Game was the shortest All-Star Game since 1988, which (A) I didn't realize, and (B) we were never going to match, but you always expect an exhibition like this to drag on longer than your standard nine-inning tilt, so kudos to Charlie Manuel and Joe Girardi for whatever they did to lull their lineups to sleep. We were one Brian McCann swing of the bat away from having Hong-Chih Kuo as an MVP favorite.

So, what does it mean? It means some team in the NL might get one more home game than some team in the AL in the World Series. It's a pretty big advantage if the series ends up going seven games, but if it doesn't, it's irrelevant, and the series hasn't gone seven since 2002. Odds are it's all much ado about nothing. What's most significant to me is that the NL finally snapped the AL's remarkable streak, which, even if you concede that the game doesn't really matter, was as impressive a streak as any I've seen in a while. The odds of one league's ~best players going undefeated against another league's ~best players 13 times in a row are lower than this sock I just threw on the floor for demonstrative purposes.

People will argue about the managing in this game, as they always do. People will wonder why David Ortiz ran for himself in the ninth, and why Alex Rodriguez never played. People just love to be mad at things. Sure, the game wasn't managed perfectly. No game is managed perfectly. The rosters for these teams weren't selected perfectly, either, and the outcome very well may not mean a thing. It's not worth getting up in arms about, and I don't know that anyone would get up in arms about it if it weren't the only sporting event of any significance of the day. People need to talk about sports. The sport they're actually talking about doesn't matter as much.

So we're done. Tomorrow, there's nothing. Thursday, there's baseball again. Real baseball. Meaningful baseball. The All-Star break has a lot of flaws, but one thing it does do is really whet your appetite for the return of the regular season. Onward we march. There is a lot of ground yet to cover.

NL Rallies For First All-Star Game Win Since 1996 And Fourth In 23 Years

Anaheim, CA (Sports Network) - Atlanta Braves catcher Brian McCann hit a three-run double in the seventh inning, boosting the National League to its first victory at the All-Star Game since 1996, a 3-1 decision over the American League at Angel Stadium.

The AL had been unbeaten in the previous 13 midsummer classics, winning five in a row from 1997-2001 before a 7-7, 11-inning tie in 2002 when both squads ran out of pitchers. The AL was on a seven-game winning streak.

This was just the fourth win in the last 23 All-Star Games for the NL (4-18-1) which will have home-field advantage for the World Series. That could bode well for the Braves considering they are in first place in the NL East, four games ahead of the New York Mets.

"It'd be big for any NL team that gets there," McCann said. "Being in first place at the break, we've had a lot of guys on our team step up and play big. It was nice just to come out here and be a part of this All-Star Game."

Home run derby champion David Ortiz singled off the Dodgers' Jonathan Broxton on the first pitch of the bottom of the ninth inning, but Adrian Beltre struck out. Chicago Cubs right fielder Marlon Byrd then made a heady defensive play. John Buck looped a single to right field. Byrd played the ball on a hop and threw to second base to get Ortiz on the force play. Ian Kinsler flied out to right-center field ending the game and leaving the Yankees' Alex Rodriguez as the only position player not used for the AL.

McCann, who entered as a pinch-hitter in the fifth inning, was named the game's MVP, marking just the second time a Brave has been honored, joining first baseman Fred McGriff in 1994.

"You dream about moments like this as a kid," McCann said. "Tonight was just amazing."

The Mets' David Wright had two of the seven hits for the NL. Washington's Matt Capps picked up the victory, while Broxton held on for the save.

Phil Hughes, from nearby Mission Viejo, suffered the loss. Yankees teammate Robinson Cano knocked in the only run for the AL with a sacrifice fly in the fifth inning. The AL had just six hits in the 81st edition of the All-Star Game.

Colorado's Ubaldo Jimenez and Tampa Bay's David Price both lasted two innings in their starts. Price became the youngest All-Star starting pitcher since 23- year-old Dwight Gooden of the Mets in 1988.

Hughes started the top of the seventh. Scott Rolen singled to center field and hustled to third on Matt Holliday's base hit up the middle. Torii Hunter's throw was wide of the base. Matt Thornton then retired pinch-hitter Chris Young on a pop foul to first. Byrd battled back from an 0-2 count and walked.

McCann then fouled Thornton's first offering barely into the stands down the right field line, but lined the second pitch into the right field corner for a 3-1 NL lead. Andrew Bailey then walked Rafael Furcal, but Brandon Phillips struck out to cap the frame.

The AL put runners on first and third against St. Louis' Adam Wainwright in the bottom of the seventh, thanks in part to a dropped ball by Holliday on a ball hit by Buck. But the Angels' Hunter struck out swinging at an outside pitch to finish the inning.

San Francisco's Brian Wilson retired the side in order in the eighth.

A moment of silence was held before the game for Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, who passed away earlier Tuesday at the age of 80. A brief tribute was played on the video board.

The voice of late Yankees public address announcer Bob Sheppard, who died Sunday at the age of 99, introduced shortstop Derek Jeter before he walked to the plate with one out in the first inning. Jeter walked and Miguel Cabrera followed with a single to put runners at the corners, but Josh Hamilton grounded into a 1-6-3 double play.

Evan Longoria doubled with one out in the bottom of the second, but couldn't advance another base.

Ryan Braun made a diving catch on a ball hit by Hamilton down the left field line in the fourth inning.

Justin Verlander escaped a jam in the top of the fifth. Wright singled up the middle and stole second as catcher Joe Mauer's throw sailed into the outfield. Andre Ethier singled with one out, but Wright was held up at third. Corey Hart then struck out and pinch-hitter McCann flied out to the warning track in right field.

Hong-Chih Kuo walked Longoria to start the bottom of the fifth. Mauer then hit a ball to the third base side of the mound. Kuo's throw sailed over the head of first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, placing runners at the corners. Cano then lifted a sacrifice fly to left field. Heath Bell sprinted from the bullpen area with two outs and retired Hunter on a fly ball to right, leaving Carl Crawford stranded at second base.

Elvis Andrus was caught stealing second in the bottom of the sixth when he slid off the base. Capps fanned Ortiz on a called third strike to end the inning.

Game Notes

Players and coaches representing the Yankees at the All-Star Game wore black armbands for Steinbrenner. The bottom of the patch said "The Boss"...The unbeaten streak for the AL was the longest in the game's history, surpassing the Senior Circuit's 11-game run from 1972-1982...Texas' Cliff Lee, who started for the AL All-Star squad in 2008, threw just six pitches in the fourth inning...The NL overall advantage stands at 41-38-2 in All-Star Games...McCann is the fifth catcher to win the award, joining Gary Carter (1981, 1984), Terry Steinbach (1988), Mike Piazza (1996) and Sandy Alomar, Jr. (1997)...This was the AL's lowest hit total since 1999 when they also collected six hits.

Thoughts On The 2010 All-Star Game's Ninth Inning

• For those of you wondering whether Jose Valverde would still do his insufferable little dance every time he records an out even if his team is behind, the answer is a resounding RAWWRRGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGGH
• One of the highlights from earlier in the game was a certain woman in a certain red dress standing just behind a rail behind home plate in plain view. She's gone now. I'll never forget you, woman I saw some of once.
• Here we go! This could be it! This could be our final half inning of All-Star Game play for a full year! And David Ortiz leads off with a single. I love Adrian Beltre to death - I absolutely love him to death - but if he goes deep right here, I will find him and burn his house, and his neighbors' houses, and the houses of other people named Adrian Beltre, and the houses of other people with A's or B's in their names.
  
• No arson tonight. Swing and a miss! Now I love Beltre even more.
  
• A player with John Buck's name would totally have John Buck's skillset.
  
• Dramatic turnaround! Buck bloops a single into right, but David Ortiz has to retreat to first in fear the ball would be caught, and he ends up getting thrown out at second on a great quick play by Marlon Byrd. It seems these rosters still aren't big enough to pinch-run for a big fat guy in the ninth inning of a winnable game. Maybe Girardi just wanted to see Ortiz get hurt.
  
• Ian Kinsler flies out to center for the final out of the game! As Chris Young made the catch, my arms shot up and I whooped. I didn't even realize how happy I'd be to see this game end. Says Torii Hunter in an interview after the end: "Shoot, we'll just have to come back and do it again next year." Somebody's a little presumptuous.
  
• In celebration, the NL's three outfielders for the ninth inning - Michael Bourn, Marlon Byrd, and Chris Young - all leap in unison with their backs to one another. This is the first time all year that an Astro, a Cub, and a Diamondback have all been happy on the same day.

Thoughts On The 2010 All-Star Game's Eighth Inning

• "If there is an injury, Ty Wigginton has been designated as a player who can re-enter the game." Ty Wigginton isn't just a utility player. Ty Wigginton is an All-Star utility player. I think I love this even more than I love the Omar Infante selection. Ty Wigginton moves around with all the grace of a turtle on its back, or a capsized middle school battlebot.
• I went to the bathroom and the top of the eighth ended. I can't actually remember the last bad thing that happened while I was in that bathroom. One time I thought there was only one Sudafed, and there were two Sudafeds.
• For maximum hilarity, I'm thinking the AL should go for a surprising and sudden three-run homer after making two outs right here. The NL wouldn't even know what hit them, and we could maintain the pleasing current status quo after a quick ninth capped off another demoralizing loss.
  
• I don't need coffee anymore now that I've seen Brian Wilson's cleats.
  
• Man I can't keep up with these outs. The eighth inning is already over! And now I'm seeing a commercial for Smirnoff Blueberry & Lemonade, which is one of those things I'll never tell anyone about but will probably buy on my own time and hide in the back of the fridge behind the milk and the parsley.

Thoughts On The 2010 All-Star Game's Seventh Inning

• Phil Hughes is in now. Whatever.
• If I weren't getting paid right now, there's no way I'd be watching this. No way. What's the point? Where's the entertainment? The game is meaningless, especially for me, being a Mariners fan and all. And all the things that are most entertaining about the All-Star Game - being close to the players, Ichiro's pregame motivational speech, watching what people are doing in the dugout and the bullpen - are lost on us viewing from home. We're left out. All we get are generic video of the game, Tim McCarver, and Joe Buck. That the Home Run Derby and the All-Star Game routinely draw such an impressive ratings is not evidence that the Home Run Derby and the All-Star Game make for fine entertainment. It's evidence that Americans would literally die if they didn't have sports on TV. The average American's life is so boring that he will tune in to the All-Star Game of his own volition. Invent hoverbikes and the All-Star Game is off the air forever.
  
• Two singles have put men on the corners with one out for the NL now. Uh oh. 
• Chris Young pops out! There's hope here! Chris Young has not had a particularly productive two days. You can take the player out of Arizona, but you can't take the Arizona out of the player.
• After Byrd walks, Brian McCann uncorks a bases-clearing double to put the NL ahead 3-1. Half of the NL dugout throws its arms in the air, hootering and hollering. Half the NL dugout watches and stays motionless. Tim McCarver calls it the biggest hit for the NL in 13 years, which is pathetic and probably true. What I was really afraid of was a single or a wild pitch that only scored the tying run. A double there is pretty good. It causes an annoying delay as Girardi is changing his pitcher, but now we're something like half as likely to see extras as we were ten minutes ago.
• On the other hand, that double greatly increases the likelihood that we'll have to slog through a bottom of the ninth. Touche, double.
• A merciful conclusion to the top of the seventh brings us someone named Colbie Caillat to sing God Bless America. They really have me figured out. Colbie Caillat, Julia Roberts, and a fat black girl from a show I don't watch. You know what's weird? FOX and/or MLB wouldn't do things like this without doing their research. There's a reason they chose Colbie Caillat and the fat black girl from Glee to perform. Which means either FOX and/or MLB have completely lost their minds, or my idea of the audience for this thing is greatly mistaken.
• Nice of John Buck to not turn into anything worthwhile until he's just about out of Kansas City. The return on that Carlos Beltran trade was just awful. The best player to come back in the Beltran trade was Octavio Dotel, and he went to Oakland. 
• Right now I am commanding my fingers to move so I don't fall asleep. Move fingers, move. I am sending signals to my fingers from my brain through the magic of neurotransmitters. Somebody hit a home run or throw up or something. All we have left in the apartment is decaf and I'm already three-quarters of the way through this box of Lemonheads.
  
• Torii Hunter strikes out with men on the corners to end the seventh. During a replay, Joe Buck says "you think these players don't care?" as Adam Wainright leaps off the mound in celebration. You know you're broadcasting an important event when you have to remind the viewer at home that the players aren't just mindlessly going through the motions.

Thoughts On The 2010 All-Star Game's Sixth Inning

• Here's Jon Lester, now. Broadcast immediately starts talking about how the Red Sox have been fighting some incredible injury problems of late. Hanley Ramirez hits the third pitch hard right back at the mound. Given this, and how Kevin Youkilis hurt himself walking to the batter's box the other day, one wonders if we've been too hasty in writing off the possibility that some divine entity is intervening and trying to undo the mistakes it made in 2004 and 2007.
  
• Adrian Gonzalez stands in and now the broadcast talks about how the Padres are so surprising as a division leader. They talk about how everyone expected that Gonzalez would be traded before the deadline. This isn't fresh material. It's not like this is the first baseball game anyone's watched all season. Or, if this is the first baseball game somebody's watched all season, then that person is either watching reluctantly at a friend's house and doesn't care about the Padres, or he lost a bet and got messily drunk during the preamble.
  
• Currently showing on ABC Family: Pretty Little Liars. I'm tempted. Is anybody still reading? I'm thinking about liveblogging Pretty Little Liars.
• Jeter leads off the bottom of the sixth against Roy Halladay with a bloop single that just eludes a sprinting, diving Marlon Byrd. Woody Allen would have a lot of fun with the fact that Marlon Byrd got out-dove by a Jew.
  
• Elvis Andrus - pinch-running for Jeter, who must be tired - gets thrown out at second after overrunning the base on a successful steal. There have been whispers all year that Elvis lacks focus from time to time, and is prone to the occasional careless, lazy mistake. Having him in the same game as Hanley Ramirez shouldn't reinforce any negative behavior or anything.
  
• I wonder if they deliberately started the game 50 minutes late to give all the fans in southern California a chance to show up before first pitch.
  
• And now another mid-inning pitching change as Manuel takes out his guy and turns to Matt Capps. I'm beginning to loathe Charlie Manuel. I don't mean to be insensitive, Charlie, but, uh, you don't have that much time.
• Capps strikes out David Ortiz looking to end the sixth. I was barely paying attention. The indifference has now firmly settled in and taken a hold of me by the throat. Can I make it another hour? Stay tuned!

Thoughts On The 2010 All-Star Game's Fifth Inning

• Justin Verlander is in now, and he's immediately met with a groundball single by David Wright. This game is going by so fast, with so few moments of interest, that I'm not actually being given much material. So in lieu of the All-Star Game, I'm going to talk about Lava Canyon. Did you know that Lava Canyon is a canyon on the Chilko River in the Chilcotin District of the Interior of British Columbia, Canada, located about 35 kilometers below the Chilko's outflow from the foot of Chilko Lake? I didn't either! That wasn't the Lava Canyon I meant to look up, but, hey, cool, two Lava Canyons.
• David Wright steals second easily. Must be stealing signs. This one counts.
  
• Andre Ethier lines a single into right, but he hit it too hard, and Wright has to hold at third base. I want a run to score, but I'd really prefer it be by the AL, since the AL's dominance in this thing is funny to me. Still, if I have to choose between what's funny and what puts this game on pace to end before 9, I'll go with the latter. Wild pitch, anybody? 
• There's a fan behind the on-deck circle with his head down, texting somebody. I'd tell him to pay attention to what's happening on the field since he has such bitchin' seats, but then, it's Yadier Molina standing directly in front of him, so this is as good an opportunity as any to get in touch with your buddies. "Where you at?" "Sitting behind Yadier Molina." "Who?" Major League Baseball All-Star Game!
• Shot of the dugout, with Corey Hart drinking out of a water bottle in the foreground. What a lot of people don't know is that Corey Hart is disappointed every time his water bottle doesn't have a nice juicy salmon.
  
• The NL can't convert as Wright is stranded at third. Now that was just a waste of an inning. These hits and long at bats are going to make me mad. 
• Thomas Haden Church is doing a voiceover for a DirecTV commercial. Ned & Stacey lasted two seasons. Two And A Half Men is going on its eighth. Criminal. The kid isn't even half anymore. He's 16 years old. That show should be called Three Men.
• Here's Hong-Chih Kuo for the NL. I don't really know much about Hong-Chih Kuo, so for that reason I'm going to say that this is the AL's big opportunity to break through and grab this game by the balls.
  
• Did some research. Kuo has appeared in 26 games this year, throwing 27.1 innings. Why didn't people want Stephen Strasburg to make it again? Is having Kuo throw this inning instead of Strasburg really preserving the integrity of the game?
• Kuo walks his first batter, then throws the ball away on a swinging bunt against his second. Nobody out and two in scoring position for the AL. Sometimes even I can't believe how smart I am. Robinson Cano is up, and he needs to hit a single, and everybody else in the game needs to make first-pitch outs.
• A sac fly will do. 1-0 American League! Now proceed with the quick outs! Play Omar Infante! Manuel selected Infante because he can play a number of positions, right? Play Omar Infante in multiple places! The fact that the National League All-Star team has Omar Infante and Yadier Molina is pretty good evidence of how the leagues still aren't balanced.
  
• Here's Heath Bell to replace Kuo in our first mid-inning pitching change. I hate Kuo now. Of the limited information I've learned about him today, I hate him.
• Jake Gyllenhaal just compared baseball to the fight against cancer, which isn't as crazy as it sounds. I wouldn't want to watch the world's best cell biologists pipette against one another for four hours, either. 
• Inning ends with the AL up 1-0. If this score holds, we only have another three and a half innings to go. I haven't actually eaten anything substantial all day and can't really take a break at the moment, so for as long as this drags on, the All-Star Game is actively having a negative effect on my health.

Thoughts On The 2010 All-Star Game's Fourth Inning

• Now Cliff Lee is on. This makes me upset. He should at least be wearing a Mariner pin or something.
• Outs. Outs outs outs. Martin Prado's leadoff grounder to short means hitters are 4-21 so far with six strikeouts. These offenses look terrible and Omar Infante isn't even playing yet.
• And Albert Pujols strikes out swinging. That really makes you wonder if OH MY GOD I FORGOT JOE GIRARDI HAS BRACES
• LOL BRACEFACE
• FreeCreditScore.com has a band. FreeCreditReport.com has a band. FreeCreditReport.com's band is annoying and has been around for a lot longer, but FreeCreditScore.com's band is a lot more like the Jonas Brothers with a black guy. Given a choice between the two, I would opt for sweet blissful credit score ignorance.
  
• Ryan Braun absolutely lays out to make a diving, rolling catch to rob Josh Hamilton of a hit. At least this isn't the Pro Bowl. There's no faking that kind of effort or determination. The fans in attendance may be watching a pointless baseball game, but they're watching a pointless baseball game in which, if nothing else, the participants are giving some significant fraction of their best. Or, hey, maybe it's just Braun. What am I, Einstein? I can't just how much a player cares just by looking at him. Unless the player is Hanley Ramirez. I bet Hanley Ramirez keeps looking over to the dugout. "Am I done yet, coach?" Hanley's so lazy!

Thoughts On The 2010 All-Star Game's Third Inning

• Here's Andy Pettitte to pitch for the AL. Andy Pettitte, you'll remember from last night, used to have a mustache. He might think about bringing it back. Carl Pavano has a mustache. Carl Pavano has a 3.58 ERA.
  
  
• Two strikeouts and a grounder in the top of the third. The only hit of the inning belonged to Yadier Molina, who is very possibly and probably the worst hitter in the game. It'll be interesting to see if the managers employ this strategy later on in critical situations by calling on other bad hitters. Tim Lincecum's on the mound? We're gonna need you to go up there hacking, Phil Hughes.
• Josh Johnson on for the NL now. Josh Johnson is as criminally underrated as Adrian Gonzalez was early last season. In time, Johnson, too, can have his name bandied about as that of a certain future Red Sox or Yankee. 
• FOX just showed a clip of Pettitte going over signals with Joe Mauer between innings. I wonder if either team is trying to steal signs from the other. It seems like it would be really easy. It's not like they can come up with really complicated signs before the game. It's not like they can even come up with moderately difficult signs before the game on account of athletes are morons. All the signs are going to be really simple, which should make them easy to figure out. Just how badly do these teams want to win?
• Stealing signs is a little thing. Stealing signs is something that doesn't show up in the box score. It should count as one of the fundamentals.
• Jeter strikes out looking on a high breaking ball to end the third. Three innings, 42 minutes of game action. This is blowing my mind right now - I thought it would be taking twice as long. We need a nice, sudden line-drive solo homer. Is Cal Ripken playing?

Thoughts On The 2010 All-Star Game's Second Inning

• Lefty Ryan Howard is batting cleanup against lefty and lefty-killer David Price. There are also crazy shadows in the outfield and blinding glare from the California sun. This is the at bat with the most potential to literally kill a man.
  
• Howard doesn't die; strikes out instead. 
• It's the second inning and Robinson Cano has bobbled two grounders. Somebody didn't stay at a Holiday Inn last night.
• Another double play! This early pace is terrific, and, since good pitching always beats good hitting, not entirely unpredictable. The real challenge is going to come in the later innings, when Girardi and Manuel start trying to fit in different arms from the bullpen. If they're awesome, they'll make changes between innings. If they suck, they'll switch during. If they really suck, they'll make mound meetings too.
  
• iPhone commercial. Dad tells his daughter her braces look beautiful. Dad is a liar. I wonder what else he's lying about.
• A Vladimir Guerrero stat graphic is shown with a background track of kids singing Head Shoulders Knees & Toes. I don't get it. Still funnier than Will Ferrell yesterday. 
• Evan Longoria picks up the first extra-base hit of the game on a line drive with the most topspin I've seen in weeks. If good pitching beats good hitting, and Longoria hits a line drive double, then Ubaldo Jimenez must not be a good pitcher. Or does it switch at a higher level? Does great hitting beat great pitching?
  
• Cano grounds out to end the second. We're two innings in and only 27 minutes deep. But somebody needs to score. The longer we go before somebody scores, the more terrified I'm going to be that we're in for extras. When I went to school in Hartford, I stayed up for those Red Sox/Yankees games that lasted until like 3 in the morning. Extras in the All-Star Game would be like that, only without the things that made it worth staying up to watch. "Man, Jeff, you look terrible." "Yeah, I stayed up all night watching the All-Star Game."

Thoughts On The 2010 All-Star Game's First Inning

• 5:40. Here's Rod Carew to throw out the ceremonial first pitch. And now another commercial break. Rod Carew's pitch was immediately preceded by a commercial break. They're actually going to make me beg for the All-Star Game. They're going to make me beg for the All-Star Game to begin.
• Seattle-area writer Larry Stone says there was an unfortunate microphone malfunction during the Canadian national anthem. I didn't even realize they were trying to sing the Canadian national anthem, so cheers to FOX for their error management, and jeers to Canada for having a national anthem I didn't realize we skipped.
  
• 5:47. Some little girl in the dugout is announcing the NL starting lineup. And now here's some other little kid to announce the AL starting lineup. Didn't we already do this? Didn't we already do it with people older than six? They're messing with us now. They're seeing how long they can string us out. I AM ON MY KNEES FOX START THE GAME
• Tim McCarver suggests the NL hitters try to hit the AL pitchers, and he suggests the AL hitters try to hit the NL pitchers. Analysis. Tim McCarver makes more money than you do. He's making it right now. Hear that? That's Tim McCarver making money.
  
• 5:50 first pitch. Unbelievable. Hanley Ramirez swings at the first pitch, which I fervently support. I hope everybody swings at every first pitch. 
• 2010 All-Star Game: This one counts
  2011 All-Star Game: It still counts
  2012 All-Star Game: It won't stop counting
  2013 All-Star Game: IT WON'T STOP COUNTING
  2014 All-Star Game: SOMEBODY PLEASE HELP ME TRY TO MAKE IT STOP COUNTING
  2015 All-Star Game: IT WON'T STOP COUNTING AND IT'S GOING OUT OF CONTROL
  2016 All-Star Game: ...11,235,912,002,123...11,235,912,002,124...11,235,912,002,125...
  2017 All-Star Game: ...98,112,003,215,619,354,832...AHHHHHH98,112,003,215,619,354,833...
• A recording of Bob Sheppard introduces Derek Jeter's at bat in the bottom half of the first. There it is. There's the touching, meaningful moment. You can end the game now. Please end the game now.
• A double play! Speeds this thing up! Just need someone to score one run. The first inning took 12 minutes. Good pace. Great pace. This has potential.

Thoughts On The 2010 All-Star Game Pregame Show

• 5:03. They're talking about Steinbrenner. It's happening again. I don't mean to be insensitive, but Steinbrenner chose a pretty bad day to die, because now he's stealing the spotlight from the most important event of the season - the 2010 Major League Baseball All-Star Game. He's also delaying it. Like they really need the help. We still have to wade through the long, drawn-out player introductions. The red carpet special was nothing. The action may not start for three hours.
• 5:08 now. Still Steinbrenner. Haven't they been talking about this all day long? Was there another story that I missed? Play the game! The sooner the game starts, the sooner the game ends, and the end of the game is going to be everyone's favorite moment of the evening.
• Ken Rosenthal took a TwitPic of the AL dugout. Grown men look so silly in baseball uniforms. Can't we just let them wear suits? Just let them wear suits. I don't know why the picture is so fuzzy, but it's probably smog.
• Just realized why they were still talking about Steinbrenner instead of going to the game. I forgot to change the channel from MLB Network to FOX. In my defense, look over there!
• David Ortiz roundly booed during player introductions. Guess he didn't win those Angels fans over after all, Chris Berman.
• Loud boos for every Yankee, followed by complete silence for Andrew Bailey. I think I'd rather hear the boos.
• Trevor Cahill made the All-Star team?
• Big applause for Albert Pujols. See, those fans in Anaheim aren't so ignorant about baseball. They can recognize the name of the greatest player on the planet.
• Something something something there's a preamble to this? Now we're recognizing the Community All-Stars, who make a difference beyond the lines and away from the roar of the crowd. Taped celebrity statements of gratitude: Julia Roberts, Harrison Ford, Salma Hayek, Charlize Theron, Ben Affleck, Matthew McConaughey, and Sheryl Crow. Celebrity stars recognizing community stars before the All-Star Game. See what they did there? Sure, these people do charity work and make the world a better place, but I killed a mosquito in a donut shop the other day before it had a chance to bite a little girl. I want a video tribute from Eliza Dushku.
• It's 5:29. Here's some big girl from Glee to sing a song that isn't the national anthem for some reason. Which means we haven't yet gotten to the national anthem. Which means we haven't yet gotten to the game. Someone needs to deliver a beer to my mouth post haste. The song, by the way, is Beautiful by Christina Aguilera, but precious few of the people standing on the field right now are beautiful. Jose Valverde is standing on the field. That girl should've sung Dirrty.
  
• 5:34. Moment of silence for George Steinbrenner. First silence since they announced Trevor Cahill.
• National anthem! Go crazy, folks!

And Welcome To Our LiveBlog Of The 2010 MLB All-Star Game

Hey there everybody. Hopefully I can sustain myself through this thing, which I understand promises to take at least six or seven hours. Once again my cable company would have me believe that this'll be over by eight, but I learned something about you last night, Comcast. I learned that you're a dirty little liar. I'm not saying that in a sexy, role-playing kind of way, either. I mean you are dishonest and I hate you.

MLB Network is showing some All-Star red carpet deal before the game gets started, by the way, in case you just can't wait for 5pm to roll around (or 8pm for those of you elsewhere! These are the only two times). Since the game is in Anaheim, the red carpet ceremony is taking place in Disneyland, and since Kevin Millar is employed as a host and personality, MLB Network let him stand in front of "It's A Small World" and say "I'm coming to you from Dustin Pedroia's house, if you know what I mean." There are professionals in charge of this broadcast.

There's a stream of convertibles coming down the main thoroughfare carrying one All-Star in each. This must be the red carpet. The convertibles are labeled. Cliff Lee! Evan Longoria! Hong-Chih Kuo! I was going to make some crack about how I can't keep the rosters straight anymore since there have been so many players added, but I think that right there makes my point just fine.

2010 MLB All-Star Game Starting Lineups Announced

On the heels of Ubaldo Jimenez and David Price being named starting pitchers for Tuesday's All-Star Game, managers Charlie Manuel and Joe Girardi also named their respective starting lineups. They are:

National League

Hanley Ramirez, SS
Martin Prado, 2B
Albert Pujols, 1B
Ryan Howard, DH
David Wright, 3B
Ryan Braun, LF
Andre Ethier, CF
Corey Hart, RF
Yadier Molina, C

American League

Ichiro, RF
Derek Jeter, SS
Miguel Cabrera, 1B
Josh Hamilton, CF
Vladimir Guerrero, DH
Evan Longoria, 3B
Joe Mauer, C
Robinson Cano, 2B
Carl Crawford, LF

No big surprises here, other than Howard being named the NL's cleanup hitter against a left-handed starting pitcher in Price who has limited lefty bats to a .225 career average. But then that's getting a little too analytical over a game that, in truth, deserves little analysis.

It's worth noting that All-Star Yadier Molina has the fourth-lowest OPS in baseball among players with at least 250 trips to the plate.

2010 MLB All-Star Game: Ubaldo Jimenez, David Price Selected As Starting Pitchers

The Rockies' Ubaldo Jimenez and the Rays' David Price have been named the starters for the National League and American League teams, respectively, for Tuesday nights MLB All-Star Game.

The selection of the two first-time All-Stars is not terribly surprising, though that's not to say either choice was easy for managers Charlie Manuel and Joe Giradi.

Indeed, Manuel said that picking Jimenez over the Marlins' Josh Johnson (9-3, 1.70 ERA, 245 ERA+, 9.1 K/9)  was a "tough pick," but it is Jimenez with the tough-to-look-past 15-1 record, the most wins for a pitcher at the break since David Wells' 15 in the 2000 season. And Jimenez's other numbers -- 2.20 ERA, 204 ERA+, 8 K/9 -- are not exactly terrible, either.

Over on the A.L. side, Price was the likely candidate, since he leads the league with a 2.42 ERA and is tied with 12 wins (along with CC Sabathia), numbers that are made impressive when you figured he pitches in the same division as the Yankees and Red Sox. If there was anyone that Price did beat out, it was probably Boston's Jon Lester, and his 11-3 mark and 2.78 ERA.