7/15/08 2008 MLB All-Star Game: 7:05 CDT

[RayKingsForemanGrill]

leading the league in hits (or being second, iirc) is much more worthy of a place on the all-star team then some of the other guys...

Its not quite so hard when you also lead the league in ABs.

 

So... you don't think others were less deserving? I'm just saying, I think he's had a year worthy of a spot on the all star team (especially compared to some of the others) and his career mediocrity shouldn't be held against him...

 

[pitchleague]

actually Guzman wasn't all that bad when he was on the Twin, back in his hey-day. Didn't he have like 20 triples a couple seasons? It was a lot, I know.

 

edit: I looked it up. He had 20 in 2000 and 14 the next year, plus another year of 14. He hit .302 one year of those years, too. But otherwise his numbers weren't anything special. So although he "wasn't all that bad" (my quote from above), he wasn't all that good either.

[hawing]

By the way, the "this time it counts" bogus has to end. The homefield advantage in the World Series for one team should not be dependent on whether Dan Uggla makes three errors, or an umpire makes an incorrect call on a stolen base.

I could stand to go back to the alternating-years pattern. I was telling the S.O. last night (after the first two errors) that if the Brewers make the WS and fall short because of the AL home field advantage, I'll send Dan Uggla a bill. If the Cubs get to the WS and fall short for the same reason, I'll send him a check. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif

 

 

 

 

[stoops17]

Wow, what a game, I almost wanted it to get to the point where Francona wouldn't let Kazmir go out anymore. Would he have forfeited? Or just played a position player short as one of the fielders came on to pitch.

[cubfan1126]

Maybe Guzman deserved a spot on the team, but I sure would have rather seen Aramis (regardless of what you guys think of him) with a better chance to give the NL the lead with 1 swing in all those late inning AB's.

 

From our two perspectives (Brewers and Cubs) our guys were all pretty pathetic at the plate but pretty darn good on the mound.

How about that pickoff play, huh?

[crewcrazy]

Maybe Guzman deserved a spot on the team, but I sure would have rather seen Aramis (regardless of what you guys think of him) with a better chance to give the NL the lead with 1 swing in all those late inning AB's.

I think we can all agree here that he may be a jerk, but the dude can still hit the tar out of the ball.

I was actually rooting for the AL to run out of pitchers -- Francona got so much praise from the media for taking so many closers, but the weakness of his plan was exposed once the game hit extra innings. When half of his pitchers could only pitch one inning, he was pretty much handcuffed. Too bad the NL hitters had to bail him out by failing to hit a sac fly in like 4 straight innings. I wonder if the MLB keeps the stupid HFA rule for the All-Star Game after this, and if they do, if the managers finally adapt and stop subbing out the good hitters after 4 innings. Do you think this thing lasts 15 innings if Albert Pujols isn't pulled after a few AB's? The guy was DH'ing -- it's not like he was playing in the field and getting tired.

As far as Guzman goes, I didn't like him getting the All-Star nod for the Nationals, but he did play some pretty good defense at third base (especially considering he never played there in his MLB career).

 

On another note, I would've loved to see position players starting to pitch that game. There was no way Bud Selig was going to let that game end in a tie. We could've seen J.D. Drew and David Wright throwing knucklers -- how cool would that be? http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif

[bullox]

One thing Selig mentioned about a week ago regarding the "This time it counts" stuff - Hotel rooms. People need to plan months ahead of time to make sure that they can get accommodations for an event of this magnitude. It's much easier to have half a season to prepare than it is to have a few days.

 

I'm not saying that this is okay in my view, just that it was one of the reasons that Selig likes it this way.