2007 MLB All-Star Game

[fryingdutchman]

OK...so I'm sitting here watching the MLB All-Star Game, and it seems to be a real clusterfuck from a TV production standpoint.

Is this really the best FOX Sports and Major League Baseball can do?

Let's see what sucked...

The opening introductions where the camera was always one player "off" in the list, if they showed them at all,

The late military fly-by after the National Anthem

The incredibly unprepared performance by Paula Cole during the 7th inning stretch (they didn't even have the keyboard on the field and spent at least 2 minutes showing various panoramic shots of AT&T Field while they set up her shit...)

The Willie Mays tribute before the game, which seemed very underwhelming and "cookie-cutter" when you consider that man's impact on the game overall...and minorities specifically.

Various TV production fuckups from unplanned fades to black (or sometimes green) before returning to coverage.

I'm sure there's more...but that's just a taste.

At least it's a tight game. Right now...bottom 7th and A.L. leads 3 to 2.

[WARF]

And who the fuck is that grape lookin' ape sittin' on top of the car??

Nevermind USA cartoon express in on TV...

Continue....

[fryingdutchman]

PERFECT!!

A Philadelphia Phillie choked and cost the N.L. the game.

Aaron Rowand flies out with bases loaded.

What a surprise... :rolleyes:

How nice of Aaron to take the frustration of Philadelphia fans and project it on a national stage.

[chi-town324]

LaRussa still had Pujols...why would you not use him?

[fryingdutchman]

Originally posted by chi-town324
LaRussa still had Pujols...why would you not use him?

I dunno...

But I heard this morning that Pujols was pissed..and exchanged words with LaRussa over not being put in.

[fryingdutchman]

From ESPN.com

Pujols frustrated not to get into All-Star Game
Associated Press

Updated: July 11, 2007, 3:58 AM ET
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SAN FRANCISCO -- Albert Pujols was angry about being left on the All-Star bench and the St. Louis slugger took aim at the National League manager -- who just happened to be Tony La Russa of his own Cardinals.



Pujols

"It's the All-Star Game. He can do what he wants," Pujols said Tuesday night. "He does whatever he wants. If I wasn't expecting to play, I wouldn't have come up here."

Pujols, the NL MVP in 2005 and key to the Cardinals' win in the World Series last year, said La Russa didn't talk to him the entire game.

Pujols could only watch when Aaron Rowand flied out with the bases loaded to end the American League's 5-4 win.

"If he wants to get upset, he can get upset," La Russa said. "Whatever he wants to do, he can do. It's America. That wasn't the most important thing tonight."



Neyer: Preposterous

It's ridiculous that Tony La Russa didn't play Albert Pujols with the All-Star Game on the line, writes ESPN.com's Rob Neyer. Blog

With the 32-man rosters, it's not uncommon for few players to be left out. The AL used 27 players, while the NL used 28.

Pujols and Texas shortstop Michael Young -- last year's All-Star Game MVP -- were the only position players who didn't get into the game. Ever since the 2002 event ended in an extra-innings tie, managers have tended to hold a hitter back just in case.

La Russa said he indeed was saving his star player in case the game went long.

"Once we lost [Miguel] Cabrera and [Freddy] Sanchez, he was the guy we were going to use to protect ourselves in case we kept playing because of Albert's versatility," La Russa said. "I think we had the right guy at bat."

A six-time All-Star, Pujols finished about 770,000 votes behind starting first baseman Prince Fielder. He played left field regularly in 2002 and '03 and also saw time at third base in 2001 and '02.

Pujols said he was getting his body loose the whole night.

"I was ready to go since the game started," Pujols said.

Pujols is mired in a career-worst home run slump -- 22 games and a career-worst 74 at-bats. He is tied with Chris Duncan for the team lead with 16 homers and his last homer was off Kansas City's Jimmy Gobble on June 14.

Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press

[knuckleboner]

if i were manager, i'd let everyone in the game. it's the all-star game. if that screws me (and the league in that ridiculous, "this time it counts bullshit) in the 11th inning, who cares?

i'd much rather have every player be able to say that they played.


and yeah, the fox coverage was weak. and, although i liked the leon commercials, i'm getting really sick of joe buck.

[ALinChainz]

LaRussa crowed about being able to use Pujols at any position in the field, including any IF position.

Makes the move even more fucked. Orlando Hudson walked, but he should have never batted in front of Pujols.

[Antman]

I know a lot Cardinals fans and they all have two things in common-they all hate the Cubs and Tony LaRussa. The only reason I could come up with for not using Pujols was that LaRussa was promised a blow job by his buddy Jim Leyland if the NL lost. St. Louis is going nowhere and Detroit has a shot and home field advantage may make a difference, although it didn't last year.

[chi-town324]

LaRussa wont be in STL next year...count on it

[chi-town324]

but what a game...LOL