It's nice and sunny here for the All-Star game, after a foggy early morning (pretty typical). Going to watch the game with a Yankee fan friend and some of his mates at a bar called.. the Connecticut Yankee. I'll likely be the only Dodger fan there.

He will. Why? One word:

Gloss

No, no, he plays third for the Blue Jays.

Every Mariners game is shown on TV in Japan. And they get pretty good ratings despite being on at weird times.

I'm new to the Seattle area, so I'm not as attached to him as most people here. Most hardcore M's fans (including the guys at USS Mariner) seem happy about it. They just have a TON of money tied up to some real mediocre players for the next few years.

Jones and Belentien both are pretty awesome prospects. I wouldnt mind either one.

All-Star Break is a time to take a breath and reflect on the first half of the baseball year. We can discuss the merits and shortcomings of the Dodgers all day and every day. And we do. And we discuss a lot more than that. And many of us find sanctuary from work, wives and reality of all sorts.
For that, we have Jon Weisman to thank.
He has created something that is valuable for all and priceless for some. And All Star break is the time to give back a little something. Now is the time that you really should press the paypal button at the right and send Dodgerthoughts a donation. Base it on the intersection of what it's worth to you and what you can afford. Think of it is as the best subscription you ever paid for and did so voluntarily.
Of course Jon has not asked for this and I'm sure he never would. But I still think it is the right thing to give a little back to someone who has given so many of you so much.
Now excuse me while I go apply for a job at PBS.

Start Beltran's career at age 26 or 27 (the age when Ichiro came over), and his career numbers look superior. But I guess there's no guarantee that Beltran maintains his current level of production for another 2-3 years to keep up with Ichiro. Certainly Ichiro's move to centerfield this year has increased his value.

Sea +5
Az +5
LA Angels +4
Cle +2
Atl +2
NYM +2
LAD +1
Bos 0
Milw 0
Det -1
Tor -2
Minn -3
Chi C -3
Oak -3
SD -4
NYY -8

I'm not sure how this projects out for the full season, I know Cleveland had a pretty big split last year. The Dodgers had a bigger run differential last year at this time last year with a worse record.

Where, oh where, is our mythical bat going to come from?

The questions that remain, can the offense continue its mini-resurgence that they began in the latter part of June and will the pitching continue to hope up and keep runs off the board.

The questions that remain, can the offense continue its mini-resurgence that they began in the latter part of June and will the pitching continue to hope up and keep runs off the board.

BTW - I was pretty excited to buy the entire DVD set of "Get Smart" but I have yet to even watch my favorite episodes and I have had it for six months. But I'll get around to it I'm sure.

By the same measure, the Padres have been lucky in both their hitting and pitching lines. Perhaps a good sign for the second half.

Of course, if you have seen his fiancee, you would probably again try to figure out what lucky star he was born under.

Meanwhile Ben Howland is out at high school and college gyms watching his potential 2009 and 2010 recruits.

I'd like to see a monster home run into the Bay, though.

Thanks for the reminder

A-Rod will top 20 Mil. I believe it is in his contract that he has to be the highest paid player in baseball.

I predict if Ichiro gets that kind of deal, A-Rod goes free agent. With that contract setting the market, Boras could probably get A-Rod 30 Mil per year.

http://tinyurl.com/24furc

A-rod is going to be a free agent.

To think he wouldn't is like thinking JD Drew wouldn't.

"(Rodriguez) is going to opt out and he's going to get more," said Minnesota's Torii Hunter, a free agent himself after this season. "People want to say it's all about the money, but it's all about not being stupid."

Barry Bonds is a perfect example, the thought of losing all those succulent steroid drenched numbers sends the average Sabermite into a slobbery, mad dog, frenzy. They would rather chew off the non-math lobe of their brain than let go, or admit, that Barry might indeed be full of nincompoop.

http://tinyurl.com/2y9bkf

The next one will be a line-drive triple to right-center.

Do you think Mr.Ned throws a bunch of money at A-Rod like he did Furcal, i.e. overpay for a shorter term.

Or do you think Boras will simply use Mr. Ned's tactics as a way of running up the price without any intention of signing with LA?

I also predict that Saito, Penny, and Martin will be booed when they're introduced.

I guess close minded prejudice is still in vogue.

I doubt it.

I think Martin singles to left.

The hard part was being able to make anyone out on the field with the 5:30 pm start.

And a lot of us were caught up in the small fire that started behind the stadium from the fireworks being set off.

A-Rod will have both. Mr. Ned is salivating now.

Ah what are you gonna do? Dodger fans would do the same thing if the All Star Game was at the Ravine.

Great to be back everybody!! I missed you guys so much (sorta) while I was away at the Home Run Derby.

Here are my initial impressions of AT&T Park:

"The stadium was very beautiful, if you took out the kiddie diamond and the goofy giant coke bottle and giant baseball glove... and the stupid water canons, the ridiculous mascot, the obnoxious foghorn..."

Artie Moreno should call his team "The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim California in the United States of America." You don't miss any demographic that way.

I meant to say if the ravine hosted an all star game and Bonds was in it... whoops

That's just silly to boo Russell.

I just hope he's picking up some good intel on Peavy.

Stuck up Nor Cal.

Only one player has ever reached first on an error. Sal Maglie in 1951 and it was on a ground ball.

That's hard to believe. I guess these guys really are Stars, after all.

You've said it! I was out there over the weekend and sheesh getting a cup of coffee is an ordeal for these guys. I digress..

Martin hits a Grand Slam!

I may be in the minority, but I've always liked that over-the-shoulder catch he made. Does anyone else remember that?

Loved Penny's reaction to the SF partisans in the stands, and the way Saito and Martin followed suite, with the tip of the hat, and Martin with that big smile. Ha! Martin's the coolest.

Is that a joke? Who doesn't like that catch?

After the game, he went and played stickball in the streets of Harlem.

And anybody who doesn't is wrong.

Cranky Bob Feller has always said that he thought Mays made several other catches that were better, it was only because of the circumstances and that it was on TV that it was famous.

I think that is like Dennis Eckersley saying that Kirk Gibson hit several much more impressive home runs, it was only because it won a Game 1 in the World Series is that it remembered so well.

[slinks down in chair, meekly raises hand]

I just don't think it's all it's been cracked up to be. Sure, it was a nice catch, but it's regarded as the greatest catch of all time and it was nothing close to that. He had to run a long way, sure, but it was more style than substance. People like it because his hat fell off, and because he whirled and threw quickly, but they forget that the throw was pointless; the runner advanced anyway.

I've seen hundreds of better catches during the regular season and several better ones in postseason play. (The two Mets outfielders, Ron Swoboda and Endy Chavez, come immediately to mind.)

I remember, as a kid, reading Bob Feller's autobiography, in which he devoted the better part of a chapter to debunking the greatness of the Mays catch. This is the first and hopefully the last time I ever agree with Bob Feller on anything.

He can now sit back or if it was like the old days, he would shower and get out of there with his girlfriend.

Damn you A-Rod.

Then again I'm very bad at playing craps.

Gameday says swing and miss, and my eyes are playing tricks on me.

I'm thrilled Mays made better catches. In the meantime, let's not put down a huge play just because it had the misfortune of actually being filmed.

If I paid that much for a ticket, I'd stay until the last dog was hung.

Other members: Carl Yastrezmski (1970), Ted Williams (1946), Joe Medwick (1937).

That's pretty nice company.

Those are sweet! Have you checked out Utley's?

Utley's just make it look like his pants are bellbottoms.

Forget that. A-Rod replaces Furcal. LaRoche stays at third.

But I think Man of the Match would be a nicer title.

Furcal leaves as a free agent.

187

Why can't he? Just because the Yankees have Jeter? A-Rod can play SS at least as long as Ripken did.

Rose did miss a few games however.

I wasn't exactly planning for next year, but if A-Rod becomes available to LA, what happens to Furcal is of little importance.

Epilogue: Fosse, who was only 23 when Rose rammed him, played nine more seasons but never was as good as he'd been before the injuries he suffered July 14, 1970 (separated and fractured throwing shoulder). Rose missed three games with a bruised knee.

"Fosse was never the same after the injury. Gobbling pain killers to ease the fire in his shoulder, Fosse played two more months in 1970 before a finger injury ended his season. Unable to lift his left arm above his head, Fosse hit .297 with only two homers and 16 RBIs after the break. Called "Mule" by teammates in honor of his toughness, Fosse never asked out of the lineup.

It was not until the next spring that the problem was found. Fosse had a fractured and separated shoulder. According to doctors, the force of Rose's hit was so great the inflammation and swelling kept the fracture from showing up on X-rays.

Fosse played seven more seasons, but could not return to his All-Star level. He had 16 homers at the break in 1970 and only 39 homers in the next 7 1/2 seasons.

"I couldn't use my left side, so I developed bad habits swinging the bat," Fosse said. "Without a doubt, (the injury) affected me.""

Still, Fosse played pretty well the rest of the 1970 season. I don't think a dropoff from .312 to .297 is falling off a cliff.

So much pointless jibber-jabber.

He honestly makes Steiner and Lyons sound like Hall of Famers.

I was hoping fellow ex-catcher Tim McCarver would pimp him but i guess not.

I'm walking distance if you're in decent shape.

I will have to give up following the game.

but Russell Martin is coming up to bat!

He finished the year batting .325 with 29 homers.

I don't think it counts, specially since he's facing the elite pitchers of the AL.

He was drinking Tequila?

Looks like she gained a few but her voice still sounds o.k.

I was hoping for her sister.

"In 2003, Gagne again pitched 82 and a third innings, this time recording 55 saves and 137 strikeouts with a 1.20 ERA. During the entirety of that year, he did not blow any saves, except at the All-Star game to Hank Blalock, which does not count for record-keeping purposes."

How true...

that's a long time.

That was my implied message.

isn't it his job to know that stuff? it's like Dr.Jobe not knowing what ligament replacement surgery is.

i wonder what dance moves Chase Utley knows.

Northwest Airlines seems pretty worthless in letting you change your reservation. All I want to do is take an earlier flight tomorrow, but the web site won't let me, so I call the reservations phone number which tells me that they can't take my call, so I call the web site phone number which has put me on hold for the last 10 minutes.

The second was being in BASEketball.

isn't he a national broadcaster & ins't Freddy Sanchez one of the best 2nd baseman in the league? didn't Freddy Sanchez win a batting title?

I'm just saying he should know who Freddy Sanchez is!

i'm sure Tim McCarver covers the Pirates once in a while during a season & Freddy Sanchez happens to be one of the Pirates better hitters so IMO he has no excuse for not knowing who Freddy Sanchez is.

ps shame on him!

"All of this will have to be played by ear," Selig said. "I do have a day job."

Whatever happened to Peppermint?

"Rally killing home run!"

Besides if the game goes to extra innings, you're going to need a pinch hitter.

I've seen it.

You mean Rowand?

i consider my self a NL guy, down with the DH!

It used to be a point of shame that the NL had more artificial turf parks, but that's changed now.

It's pretty simple for me i'm a Dodger fan & the Dodgers play in the NL there for i'm a NL dude.

What a waste of big time drama by going with Hudson over Pujols. Boo, LaRussa, BOO!

Recently, I've started spending more time at home during the ASB.

Do you refuse to recognize any umpires who were once solely employed by the AL?

Of course. How can any self-respecting Dodger fan root for the AL in the ASG?

It's been streaky.

I only believe in one Baseball God.

His name is Russell.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Gqs7Sy9h81w

Sees Fisher to Lakers as setting up Mo Williams to the Heat (for the MLE!) and Steve Francis to the Clippers.

The Lakers, wow. What a horrible move. Fisher is a wonderful human being, but he's not really capable of big time minutes anymore.

Looks like just more of the same in Laker-land. Kobe might just kill someone this year. I'd watch your back, Kwame.

I was certainly not rooting for Bonds' one long shot to get out of the park, but I didn't openly root for it.

And, yeah, what was up for batting Rowand instead of Pujols? Even Rowand himself expressed surprised he was in the AS game. Give us one last shot at drama, LaRussa, c'mon! Sheesh. But at least the NL made it somewhat exciting at the end.

Oh, also, I was glad when the bar got louder and I could no longer here Joe Buck blathering.

Did anyone catch the guy at PhoneCo yesterday who held up an anti-Joe Buck sign? It was something like "Joe Buck sucks" or "Fire Joe Buck" or something, and then they quickly cut away. This was on ESPN. I'm sure they didn't let him back in tonight, but I thought that was pretty amusing.

The AL had Jenks, Lackey, Meche, and Okajima.

Michael Young didn't play for the AL.

Tony La Russa is now dead to me. I've made the necessary update to the official list.

Ah well. I wonder if Russ, Saito and Penny are gonna hang out here the rest of the week? Maybe we can all get together for brunch.

Hardy - ss
Lee - 1B
Hudson - 2b
Rowand - CF
Sanchez - 3B
Holliday - RF
McCann - C
D Young - PH
Soriano - LF

Pujols hits for Rowand and if the game goes extras, Webb goes in at Hudson's spot. Players go out to their positions here:

Hardy - ss
Lee - 1B
Webb - P
Pujols - 3B
Sanchez - 2B
Holliday - RF
McCann - C
D Young - LF
Soriano - CF

Bingo, bango, bongo. Webb doesn't hit for 2-3 more innings. Managing is easy.

Amos (New York): If the Yankees really wanted to get younger, couldn't they let A-Rod, Posada, Rivera, Abreu, and Minky all walk, use a fraction of the money to steal Logan White from the Dodgers, then have something like ten of the first 100 picks in next year's draft?

And 401, what happens when Webb becomes the new Vicente Padilla after, oh, the 12th or 13th inning?

McCarver makes a point to only focus on the top 25 VORPiest players at each position. It all makes sense now.

Speaking of the old band---Has anyone seen Shaq's new show on ABC? Its about kids trying lose weight.

Its actually quite entertaining, although Shaq doesnt make much more than a cameo appearance in each episode.

I'll never understand Laker fans hating Shaq. It was obvious he was right about the front office not knowing what they were doing. He got out at the perfect time, got another ring, and the Lakers are still recovering from that massive screwup.

With Seattle/Portland getting alot better, and the Lakers not---

Here's to OJ Mayo in the 2008 draft!

Kobe: Get me some help or get me out of here.
Kupchak: How about a point guard who's a year out of high school, a Derek Fisher rerun, and some Chinese guy?
Kobe: Is it Yao?
Kupchak: Not Yao, but scouts say he's better than Mengke Bateer. He had 9 assists against the Knicks' summer league team.
Kobe: I hate you Mitch.

Why don't the Lakers find these players?

Russ, Brad, and Saito looked great. Gotta be happy about that.

I wish Ichiro would come to LA, man he is fun to watch.

The commentary was awful. It was either talk of steroids or cutting to interviews on the side. I want to watch the game!!!

I realize everyone is an all-star in this game, but I would have loved to see Pujols' look of determination with the bases loaded. However, it was bad form for him to say something publicly about it. I get the feeling LaRussa might be moving on after this year.