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| In Depth Look at the Major League Baseball All-Star Game |
The 2011 Major League Baseball All-Star Break is finally upon us, and you know what that means. We fans are in for an exciting sequence of futures, softball, home runs, autographs, and interviews all climaxing in the All-Star Game itself. You can always tell that the break has arrived when ESPN and MLB Network insist on showing nothing but recap segments about the first half of the season. Don’t worry, previews will come in the same capacity immediately following the conclusion of tomorrow’s game. I’m all for first half analysis and second half predictions, but there comes a time when enough is enough. It is for this very reason that I will direct the majority of my attention toward the events during this three day period. Ahead you will find everything you need to know about the Midsummer Classic and all of its surrounding festivities. All-Star Futures Game-- Let’s begin with the XM All-Star Futures Game which was played last night. Make no mistake about it; this is essentially the prospect’s All-Star Game. I don’t think this game gets the publicity that it deserves, but it is what is. It provides a preview of the talent on the horizon for fans, and perhaps more importantly, it’s a game that has all of the scouts and executives drooling. Chances are that many of the guys featured in this game will be MLB All-Stars somewhere down the road, so it’s no small event for the players out there on the field. As many will admit, the pressure to succeed is immense. The 6-4 U.S. win over the World team was their second straight, much to the delight of both the players and their manager, Hall of Fame catcher Mike Piazza. Oakland’s Grant Green came away with the MVP Award by one vote over Tim Beckham, the recently promoted Bryce Harper was hitless, and several pitchers showcased fastballs in the high nineties (Rays prospect Matt Moore hit 100 on the radar gun). All-Star Legends and Celebrity Softball Game-- Although the softball game often lacks a whole lot of excitement, it can still be somewhat entertaining to watch. I mean, how often to you get the chance to see a bunch of has beens and never will bes embarrass themselves on national television? And how often do you get to see images like this? Ok maybe there are one or two players that have some game, but beyond that, the field is extremely thin as far as baseball talent is concerned. The National League won the game last night, but quite honestly I think everyone could care less about the final score. Anyway, here’s a list of who took part in the event. Home Run Derby American League: * David Ortiz (Captain, 17 HR) * Adrian Gonzalez (16 HR) * Jose Bautista (28 HR) * Robinson Cano (14 HR) National League: * Prince Fielder (Captain, 21 HR) * Rickie Weeks (15 HR) * Matt Kemp (22 HR) * Matt Holliday (10 HR) For the first time in history, MLB chose Home Run Derby participants via captains. Boston’s David Ortiz and Milwaukee’s Prince Fielder were named AL and NL captains respectively as the two previous winners of the Derby. Both were allowed to select three other players from their league, and although the regular HRD format with one ultimate winner will remain in place, a winning team will be acknowledged as well based on the total home runs hit by the entire group of four. A variety of donations to charity will be made during this event as usual, and the State Farm Gold Ball which is pitched while a batter is on his last out will contain actual gold this year. No, I didn’t make that up. Check it out. While often controversial based on how it might affect a player’s swing, the Home Run Derby is always a favorite among fans. This year should be more of the same, although it seems to me that the American League has the clear advantage on paper. Ortiz always has success in the Derby, Gonzalez hits home runs in every direction, and Bautista is the undisputed best power hitter in baseball right now. I’d be shocked if Joey Bats isn’t in the final two at the end of the night, but who knows? Either way, it’s nice to see baseball experimenting with the whole captain idea. I’m sure everyone can’t wait to hear the famous back back back gone home run call from Chris Berman! For all you Twitter fans out there, players will be tweeting live during the event for the first time ever as MLB begins to embrace social media. All-Star Game American League: * C-Alex Avila (Detroit Tigers) * 1B-Adrian Gonzalez (Boston Red Sox) * 2B-Robinson Cano (New York Yankees) * SS-Asdrubal Cabrera (Cleveland Indians) * 3B-Adrian Beltre (Texas Rangers) * OF-Jose Bautista (Toronto Blue Jays) * OF-Josh Hamilton (Texas Rangers) * OF-Curtis Granderson (New York Yankees) * DH-David Ortiz (Boston Red Sox) * SP-Jered Weaver (Los Angeles Angels) * Manager-Ron Washington (Texas Rangers) National League: * C-Brian McCann (Atlanta Braves) * 1B-Prince Fielder (Milwaukee Brewers) * 2B-Rickie Weeks (Milwaukee Brewers) * SS-Troy Tulowitzki (Colorado Rockies) * 3B-Scott Rolen (Cincinnati Reds) * OF-Ryan Braun (Milwaukee Brewers) * OF-Lance Berkman (St. Louis Cardinals) * OF-Matt Kemp (Los Angeles Dodgers) * SP-Roy Halladay (Philadelphia Phillies) * Manager-Bruce Bochy (San Francisco Giants) Finally, this brings us to the 82nd MLB All-Star Game. This is what the All-Star Break is all about. As we got closer and closer to the date of the game, I became more and more disappointed with the number of all-stars who won’t actually be appearing in the game. With a total of 14 all-stars not actually playing in the game, MLB won’t actually be showcasing its best players. Some people might not care all that much, but to me, it’s a big deal. I want to see the best of the best go head to head. Instead, some of baseball’s best talents will be sitting on the bench while some guys who don’t necessarily deserve to make the team replace them. There is more than one reason to bet on the big game and plenty of reasons to tune into the big game. Stop by Bet Phoenix and check out all of the odds and get ready for all the great events of the All-Star game! 
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The All-Star game is a celebration of baseball and covers more than just a game. It has plenty of events that surround the big game and plenty of chances to bet on the big events. Bet Phoenix is your online sportsbook for the event.
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