To the Moon Alice

The Minnesota Twins' Justin Morneau walked away with the Home Run Derby trophy last night, but the Texas Rangers' Josh Hamilton walked away with the crowd and the television viewing audience.

Though he had clearly tired in the final round, Hamilton put on an unbelievable display in the contest's first round. Not only did he hit 28 dingers (eclipsing then Phillies' Bobby Abreu's 24 in 2004), but most of them were tape measure shots. Hamilton said he'd like to try to be the first one to hit a ball out of a Yankee Stadium (Josh Gibson legends aside), and he came awfully close. One shot hit high atop the back of the right-center field bleachers, stunning everyone watching.

Hamilton also hit the back of the black-painted bleachers in center and hit several moon shots to unsuspecting fans well up in the upper deck in right field. He hit for what seemed like 3 hours as one ball after another easily left the park. At one point commentator Joe Morgan (who was probably muttering this guy's not as good as Johnny Bench) thought he had finally made an out and the ball landed in the upper deck.

Hamilton's story has been well documented by now and you will here more about it again tonight. But he also made the classiest move of this gala by bringing along 71-yr old Clay Counsil, who threw batting practice to Hamilton when he was growing up. Counsil was nervous, but it didn't show as he poured in one strike after another (54 pitches alone in the first round) and Hamilton hit one after another into the seats.

Chris Berman wasn't even overly obnoxious. All in all, it was a great show.

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Terry Francona Gets it, Jon Papelbon Does Not

Props to Terry Francona, who is batting Derek Jeter in the 2nd spot tonight, despite the fact his own number 2 hitter, Dustin Pedroia, is in the lineup.

"A Derek Jeter deserves to hit at the top of the order -- in a place like this especially," said Francona, who chose Jeter for that spot over Dustin Pedroia, who hits second for Francona's Boston Red Sox. "This is Dustin's, in my opinion, not his last All-Star Game, but it's his first All-Star Game.

"Sometimes getting people in their proper place ... what they've done for the game also means something."

The same kind of class is obviously lost on the Red Sox goon-faced closer Jon Papelbon. He feels that he, and not Mariano Rivera, should close out tonight's All-Star game.

"If I was managing the team, I would close. ... But I'm not managing the team," Papelbon said yesterday.

Papelbon acknowledged Rivera's accomplishments, calling him the greatest closer in history. So what's his case?

"By winning the World Series and having our manager here," he said.

Though Francona wouldn't reveal his plans, Joe Girardi has a hunch what will happen.

Yankees manager Joe Girardi, who is on Francona's staff for the game, believes it will be Rivera in the ninth.

"Terry is a very classy guy and a very wise man," Girardi said. "I just have a feeling."

Some people get it and some people are self absorbed whiny bitches.

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Giambi Says No Thanks

According to the Journal News' Peter Abraham, Jason Giambi became the first major leaguer to be invited to participate in the home run derby despite not being on the All-Star team. Giambi said, "no thanks", and who can blame him. He would be giving up spending 3 days at home in Las Vegas to hang around for 2 hours on Monday night.

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Mustache Still Trails

The Yankees gave out mustaches to a packed house at the Stadium yesterday, but barring a last hour surge, it doesn't appear Jason Giambi will make the All-Star team.

As of this morning, Evan Longoria of the Rays and the White Sox Jermaine Dye were ahead of Giambi in a tight race for the "Final Vote".

Mike Mussina is backing the G though.

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All-Star Flock to be Sheppard-less

Unfortunately, Bob Sheppard will not be in the PA booth for the All-Star game next Tuesday. In fact, as Steve Polliti reports, Mr. Sheppard is still not sure when he'll return.

"I am not going to be physically able to perform my duties during the All-Star activities," Sheppard told The Star-Ledger from his home in Baldwin, N.Y. "I notified the Yankees that my back-up, Jim Hall - H-A-L-L - will be filling in for me.

"After 57 years of doing every game at Yankee Stadium, it is deeply disappointing," he said. "But I have no control over my well being. I have faith that God will get me back to the ballpark whenever he's ready for me to get back."

"I'm not satisfied that I can give a professional performance. And if I can't do a professional performance up to my stands, as I have done for the last 20 or 30 years, I will turn it over to my back-up, Jim Hall - H-A-L-L."

Get well soon Mr. Sheppard! We miss ya!

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Hall of Fame Honorees

Major League Baseball has announced that more than 40 Hall of Fame members will be honored at this year's All-Star game at Yankee Stadium. It will mark the largest gathering off inductees at an MLB event.

Anthony DiComo of mlb.com reports that among those in attendance on July 15 will be Hank Aaron, Yogi Berra, Bob Feller, Whitey Ford, Reggie Jackson, Cal Ripken Jr. and Frank Robinson. The afternoon of the game will feature a "Red Carpet Parade" along 6th Ave. in Manhattan. Fans in attendance will receive gifts from the Major League mascot thats will line the parade route.

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Not in Our House!

We've often disagreed with the money making, publicity seeking schemes by Major League Baseball (i.e. putting Spiderman ads on the bases), and now we're really steaming. For this year's All-Star game, which you recall is in Yankee Stadium, they are planning a promotion where a fan "calls a shot", reminiscent of the Babe Ruth's called shot in the 1932 World Series. Of course they are going to have a player involved in this year's promotion...David Ortiz! WTF!!!!!! A Red Sox?

As Jack Curry reports, to make matters worse, the Yankees did not even find out about this until Thursday, and they found out from a reporter not the MLB front office. Randy Levine and Len Trost have worked with MLB for over a year in preparation for the gala and word of this stunt was never mentioned.

Pat Courtney, an MLB spokesman, said he understood the Yankees concern and hoped to speak with them soon. Clearly, MLB was hoping wind of this didn't get out until the day before the game.

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Joe Girardi is an All-Star

The Yankees aren't playing All-Star baseball, but Joe Girardi will be working on July 15. With the All-Stargame being played at Yankee Stadium, Girardi was invited, along with Detroit Tigers manager Jim Leyland, to join AL manager Terry Francona's staff for the big game.

Rockies and NL manager Clint Hurdle as invited the Mets' Willie Randolph and the Padres' Bud Black to join his staff.

Source: MLB.com

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All-Star Baseball

We absolutely loved All-Star Baseball. It was much better than Strat-o-matic in our opinion. We couldn't get enough.

"What are you still doing up?"

"It's the 12th inning"

"Go to bed already"

"We'll be done soon"

Oh how many times that snippet of conversation was repeated over the years. It's amazing we never suffered an elbow or finger injury from all the times we hit that spinner.

The All-Star game will also be returning to the Bronx this summer for the first time since 1977. And you better be ready to spend a small fortune if you want to take part.

MLB has set up a registration for the chance to buy tickets to the game, home run derby, and futures game. The registration period started yesterday and runs through June 15.

Home Run Derby tickets range from $100 (bleachers) to $650 for premium box seats. The Futures game can run you anywhere from will run $50 - $225, and the big game itself will cost you from $150 (bleachers) to $725 for the boxes. First born child need not be included. This of course does not include food, transportation, and merchandise.

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Jeter and Yogi Team Up for FanFest

MLB has announced that Derek Jeter and Yogi Berra have been named the official spokesmen of this year's DHL All-Star FanFest, to be held at the Jacob K. Javits Center in New York from July 11-15.

"DHL All-Star FanFest is a unique event that will bring excitement and enjoyment to baseball fans of all backgrounds," Jeter said. "DHL All-Star FanFest is the largest baseball fan event in the world, and I can't think of a better stage to hold this type of once-in-a-lifetime experience than New York City."

"DHL All-Star FanFest will be great for the fans," said Berra. "And I also agree with everything Jeter said." The DHL All-Star FanFest will feature more than 40 interactive exhibits and attractions, Major League clinics and seminars, free autograph sessions with Yankees legends and Hall of Famers, memorabilia and much more.

Fans will be able to create their own personalized baseball cards, step up and test their pitching and batting skills against life-size video images of their favorite players, examine an exhibit on loan from the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, N.Y., and take a look at the world's largest baseball -- 12' in diameter and signed by greats like Ted Williams and Hank Aaron.

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