Wednesday, July 11, 2007

THE MID-SUMMER CLASSIC, 2007.

METSGRRL’S ALL-STAR GAME HATE LIST

1. Tony LaRussa
2. Albert Pujols
3. Chase Utley
4. The Entire Fox TV On-Air Staff, except Eric Byrnes and his Dog*
7. Jeanne Zelasko’s Outfit
8. Anyone who had a ticket to a seat and wasn’t using it (and wasn’t in the outfield trying to catch a ball)
9. The guy directly behind home plate that alternately waved while on his cell phone and did the ‘i’m going to distract the pitcher by moving my arms in a rolling motion’ thing
10. The entire press corps that let LaRussa off entirely too easy

[the rest after the jump.]

where’s Billy Wagner? I can’t hate Billy the same way I hated Trevor Hoffman last year, and I’m still divided on the whole home field advantage thing, because I don’t have enough first-hand experience to have an opinion and every person whose opinion I respect has a differing opinion.

LaRussa was an idiot. Taking David Wright out cost us. Taking Jose Reyes out at the very last minute was pointless. Was this the All Star Game, and “this one counts,” or was this a Little League game where it’s more important to get everyone on the field?

AND IF THAT WAS WHAT WAS IMPORTANT, FOR ALL THAT IS GOOD AND HOLY, WHY THE HECK DID YOU NOT PUT PUJOLS IN? I don’t buy these stories that Tony was confused or that Albert was confused, because THEY ALREADY WORK TOGETHER and if Tony doesn’t have a way to communicate directly with Pujols, they have SERIOUS FREAKING PROBLEMS, so I DON’T BUY ANY OF IT. I don’t buy the vagueness, I don’t buy the non-replies, and every reporter who let LaRussa get away with a three minute post-game press conference should lose their credentials IMMEDIATELY. RIGHT NOW.

Of course, they will say “Well, it’s just an exhibition game” BUT YOU CAN’T HAVE IT BOTH WAYS.

[Could I get a cup of tea or something? Thanks.]

[Okay, that’s better.]

NO CRYING IN BASEBALL

I was crying, like sad movie crying, like happy ending crying, when Jose caught Willie’s pitch and then again looking at Jose’s face when Willie signed the ball for him. (He didn’t need to say, “I’ll keep this forever,” the expression said it all.) I think this is officially my first baseball crying moment that had to do with *baseball* and not something personal connected to baseball, like crying hanging off of the third deck railing last year at NLCS game 7, or crying because TBF isn’t crying at NLCS game 7.

I always worry that I’ll never “get it,” that I missed so much of baseball’s history even though I was alive when some of it happened. But last night proved to me that I can still be here now and still get it, because I *want* to get it.

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION.

If you have been to an All-Star game in the past few years and would be willing to share hints and tips about the non-game festivities, please drop a line. (Although we do not understand where the red carpet is going to be - down the Grand Concourse? That’d be sight.)

*ERIC BYRNES AND HIS DOG.

I like this guy, and not just because he’s a dog person. He’s smart, he’s funny, he’s got a great attitude. We liked him when he was on SNY when the D-backs were in town, and the willingness to show up and get in the kayak, just as a San Franciscan enjoying the game, just like he wasn’t a member of MLB and couldn’t be inside the stadium. He’s pretty cool.