Apparently, baseball and the players' union have not been able to reach an agreement that will give home-field advantage to the winner of this year's All-Star game.  

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/allstar/2006-06-12-all-star-status_x.htm

It would be a shame if that ridiculous idea were to just go away.  I know it won't happen, but, hey, I can dream...

Award HFA to the team that finishes the season with the best record, alternate it between leagues, flip a coin, pick a random Red Sox-Yankees game (based on early ballots, it looks like the Red Sox and Yankees are going to decide it anyway--surprised FOX hasn't asked to replace the All-Star game with a Red Sox-Yankees exhibition)... any of those would be a better option.

I ventured up to Daytona Saturday night to watch the Cubs take on the Tampa Yankees... mainly to see Sean Gallagher pitch.  Here's a brief recap of the Cubs' 6-4 win (apologies if I butcher some names).

Gallagher was solid but not spectacular (7IP 6H 2R 1ER 3K 2BB 1WP).  He's now 4-0 on the season with a 1.99 ERA.  Good fastball, but he seemed to have trouble throwing his breaking pitches for strikes.  That, combined with the Yankees' ability to put the ball in play, kept his strikeout number low.  He did not smash any watermelons with a sledgehammer either.  

Gallagher was also helped out by a few nice defensive plays.  The SS (Simotaikis) and 2B (Spears) in particular.  The Cubs turned 3 double plays including one to end the game.  "Simotaikis to Spears to Craig" doesn't have quite same ring as "Tinker to Evers to Chance", but it was just as effective, at least on Saturday night.

Offensively, Matt Craig (1B) got the Cubs started on the right foot with a 2-out 3-run HR in the first.  The centerfielder, Fuld, tripled in the final run of the game with another 2-out hit later in the game.

The strangest play of the game happened in the 3rd inning and turned out to plate the eventual winning run for the Cubs.  With one out and runners on 1st and 2nd, Jake Fox (C) hit a chopper down the 3rd base line.  The third baseman fielded it, stepped toward the bag and threw it to first for the inning-ending double play... at least that's what the entire Yankee team thought, and they all trotted off the field while the first baseman rolled the ball back to the mound.  At some point, the third base coach realized that the umpire had never called the runner out at third (I couldn't tell if it was a good call or not from my seat), so he started waving the runners around while the Yankees scrambled to get back to the field.  End result--two runs for the Cubs, a 5-0 lead and (I mean this in the nicest possible way) a Cedeno-esque error on the Yankee first baseman.

Jackie Robinson Ballpark is a nice, old minor league park.  Good prices ($6 for a general admission ticket).  Good beer selection.   The park is named, obviously, for Jackie Robinson.  He played his first spring training game there as a member of the Montreal Royals (Brooklyn's AAA team) in 1946.  Due to segregation laws, he had been unable to play in previouos games in Jacksonville and Sanford.  There are a number of signs posted around the park highlighting his life and career.

All in all, a nice way to spend a Saturday evening.