2010 MLB All-Star Game

So by now I'm sure you all know that the 2010 All-Star game received the lowest ratings ever. Like, ever ever. 

And now, the head honchos and suits at MLB are sitting around a table, wondering what they could have done differently, and what they can do next year, to ensure that baseball doesn't continue to fall by the wayside, a sloppy second to the NFL.

Well, I have an idea for you MLB!!! You should have allowed Stephen Strasburg to take part in the festivities.

And not just because he throws over 100 miles per hour.

It doesn’t take a hardcore sabermetrician to realize that the All-Star vote is a sham. After all, the best catcher in the game (Miguel Olivo) received only the 11th-most votes at his position, and Omar Infante made the cut while MVP candidate Ryan Zimmerman had to sit at home (not the fans’ fault, but still). 

When news broke out that Yankees' owner George Steinbrenner had passed Tuesday morning, I predictably got a few texts from friends asking if I was planning on writing about “The Boss.”

At first I hesitated; too much had happened before I was even born. I had never met him in person. What perspective could I possibly give, that a million other writers couldn’t?

There have been many poor performances in sports history, but never has a player had a night this horrific. And it just so happened that 12-year old Keri Sterling’s nightmare of a game happened in front of a packed house at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California and a nationwide audience on ESPN.  

It's a sad day for baseball and the Yankees especially as long time owner George Steinbrenner passed away this morning. The historic career of Steinbrenner has been covered throughout the day and he will be honored prior to the first pitch at the All-Star game. The Yankee's players will be wearing a black armband to represent Steinbrenner tonight. 

This will be the place to get your All-Star fix and converse about the game as it happens. I'll be giving updates after every significant moment happens in the game and you can feel free to comment on the game below.

Eight years ago, the All-Star Game ended in a tie when the teams ran out of players to put into the extra-inning contest.  Nobody likes a tie, and the fans at that game in Milwaukee and those watching nationwide on TV, like myself, were no exceptions.

In response to the deadlocked Midsummer Classic, Commissioner Bud Selig deemed change necessary.  As of six seasons ago, the league that wins the All-Star Game also wins home field advantage for the World Series. 

Well that was short.

By my count, first time All-Star outfielder Chris Young had five singles and one double in Anaheim Monday.  

Unfortunately for the Diamondback, it was not the well-placed-line-drive-derby. 

Eliminated in the first round in last place, Young hit just one ball out of the park while frequently voicing his displeasure with himself aloud.

"In the long run, I'd much rather have my line-drive swing than my home run swing," Young told azcentral.com.

The Yanks enter the 2010 All-Star break with the best record in baseball and are on pace for 103 victories. But the big news in Yankeeland this past week was the non-trade for Cliff Lee. Since that deal fell through, ESPN Insider is reporting that a Yanks deal for Cubs starting pitcher Ted Lilly “has legs.” What I don’t understand is the Yanks’ sudden obsession with starting pitching. Yes, yes, there are those old pitching adages:

Pitching wins championships.
You can never have enough pitching.

The players are swinging for the fences tonight and the big sticks are getting broken out.

The only things fans aren't real happy about is the fact that besides Matt Holliday, David Ortiz, and Miguel Cabrera, there aren't those big names participating that can put on a show for the fans in Anaheim.

Guys like Chris Young, Vernon Wells, Corey Hart, and Hanley Ramirez don't really make the every day Home Run derby fan stand up and take notice.

So, in case you didn't get a chance to catch it on television, here's a round by round breakdown of how things went tonight and the standout performers.

On Tuesday night, the city of Anaheim will become relevant again as the top players in the MLB hit the field for the 2010 All-Star Game.

On Wednesday, it will go back to being a city that just added Los Angeles to its name for publicity.

But until then, there are two teams wrestling for something very crucial: home field advantage in the World Series.

While the exhibition may seem trivial to you, players want home field in the World Series as much as the Kardashians want their names in the news.

Well, unless they play for the Cubs.