2006 MLB All-Star Game Recap
10:30 AM EDT Wednesday, July 12 2006
So I couldn't have been more wrong in my prediction of the All-Star game, the AL won a close, low scoring game, I predicted the NL to win a high scoring blow out. There was some horrendous analysis of the game, both on TV and online, that I just have to comment on.
First, Fox shows a locker room speech by Phil Garner in which he says (I'm paraphrasing) "We have no signs. Swing away on 3-0 and steal bases when ever you want. This is your chance to strut your stuff". Coming out of that clip, Joe Buck states that the managers will be managing the game like it is game 7 of the world series. That just makes no sense at all. This is managed more like a softball game than it is game 7 of the world series. In fact, Phil Garner even said something to that effect while Fox was doing their in game interview. I think it was when Soriano stole second he said "It's like Little League, we have no signs". So Fox, we get it, we know it counts and you would like that to drive up the ratings, but stop lying to us and telling us they are managing it like game 7 of the world series.
Continuing with this theme, Alan Robinson praises Phil Garner for his aggresive managing. Did you watch the game? Phil Garner was on the headset with Joe Buck and Tim McCarver when Soriano and Beltran stole those bases. Garner had no idea those guys were going to steal. When Beltran stole 3rd, he starting talking about the old baseball adage that says don't steal 3rd with two outs, saying Beltran probably should have stolen 3rd. Then, when the wild pitch game in, all three of them joked about Garner's great managing, having Beltran steal 3rd.
This post over on Baseball Toaster correct states that Vlad's HR off of Penny was amazing. I agree, but I wasn't shocked. I remember thinking that Penny was throwning hard, but if he keeps just throwing fastballs, one of these guys will turn it around. But I have to criticize this post for saying that he can't think of anyone else in the big league who could hit a pitch that high and that hard out. Hello? Aren't you a Yankee fan? Gary Sheffield comes to mind.
But the worst of them all is Jeff Passan's faux player microphones transcript. You just have to read this, I'll really can't explain it, other than it's like a really bad rip-off of The Sports Guy.
