Last Year At Marienbad

Just as I was getting ready to unload on another dull and dreary All-Star Game... it actually went and got interesting on us! While noting that, as always, the FOX coverage was still intensely terrible, the game itself had a number of highlights:

-Ichiro's inside-the-park home run. Who doesn't love inside the inside-the-park home runs? While less surprising than Prince Fielder's earlier this year, and less dramatic that Jose Reyes' last season (with the totally unnecessary headfirst slide/flop), it was still a kick. As a bonus, Ichiro's hit drove in "Ol' Butterfly-Head, Brian Roberts".

Question: who was the last Yankee to hit an inside-the-park home run? I can't remember, and it's proving tougher to research online than I thought; this is driving me nuts. Oh Google, why have you forsaken me? I did, however, discover that Wahoo Sam Crawford holds the all-time record for inside-the-park home runs, with... wait for it... 51. It was a different game back then, but that's still basically inconceivable.

-The New York teams represented fairly well: Reyes was 3-for-4, but Billy Wagner canceled him out by giving up the decisive two-run homer to Victor Martinez. Everyone else (Beltran, Wright, A-Rod and Jeter) went 1-for-3.

-It was very weird seeing Jorge Posada catch Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon. What, Jorge couldn't have maybe drawn that inning out a bit, gotten him to throw a few more high-stress pitches? I swear, it's like he's not even trying sometimes. Meanwhile, what's the over/under on one or both of Posada's knees blowing out from overuse? I say August 15.

-I have never cared much for Tony La Russa as a manager, and he didn't grow on me during the playoffs last fall. So I was torn: since the Yankees seem unlikely to benefit from homefield advantage in the World Series this year, why not let the NL win one, right? It might yet come in handy for the Mets. On the other hand, I couldn't root for La Russa over Jim Leyland, who is light years awesomer -- and on that front, the game went better than I could have hoped. As you probably know by now, La Russa left Aaron Rowand in to bat with two outs and the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth, down by one run... with Albert Pujols on the bench.

Now, Rowand's a good hitter and all, but Pujols, off year or not, is one of the two or three best in the game. La Russa insisted that he needed him on the bench in case of extra innings, which is the same sort of logic Joe Torre has used too many times this season to explain leaving Mariano Rivera in the bullpen while poor overworked Scott Proctor blew the lead. Torre, however, has interpersonal skills coming out of his ears, and would no doubt have handled this a whole lot better:

"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. ...

..."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."

It is, indeed, America. Everyone can do what he wants. No doubt when the founding fathers drafted the first amendment, they had a scenario much like this one in mind.

Other items of note on this slow sports news day:

-The Yankees are, per ESPN, talking to A-Rod about a contract extension. All well and good... except they'll negotiate with him during the season, but not lifelong Yankees Mariano Rivera and Jorge Posada? I can't imagine that's going to go over very well.

-Bruuuuuuce!

-And hey -- I almost forgot my own anniversary. Eephus Pitch turned 1 year old today; my first-ever post was on the 2006 All-Star Game (don't ask me what happened with the font there. I have no idea). At the time, I was summarizing Z-grade DVDs for a living; since then I've covered the Mets and Yankees in the playoffs for the Village Voice, as well as the Knicks, the Rangers, the Jets and Giants (definitely not doing that again), Cooperstown, and Spring Training, to say nothing of indoor lacrosse. I've been fired. And I got a book deal. And a dog.


So, in short: thanks for reading, everybody.

And to the hundreds and hundreds of people over the last twelve months who, quite understandably, came here looking for information on how to throw an eephus, and left confused and disappointed... sorry about that.

Pat Neshek For New York State Comptroller

This is my least favorite aspect of the Post: not that they're a seedy, unethical, and bottom-dwelling rag -- I like that about them -- but their tendency to suddenly feign moral outrage when convenient. I guess if you're A-Rod's wife, that's not a shirt you wear if you don't want attention; but give me a break, the entire Yankee Stadium crowd chants "ASSHOLE" several times a game. And what about all the little kids that had to look at this Post cover?

(Credit where credit's due: I did enjoy the "Pett Cemetery" headline on the back page).

News and notes:

-Three Yanks (Jeter, A-Rod, Posada, duh) and four Mets (Reyes, Wright, Beltran, Wagner) are going to the All-Star Game. I'd argue that John Maine should be pitching for the NL too, but that's probably the only New York snub, and I can't get too worked up about it.

-The Yanks have gotten so bad that bored fans have started doing the wave at the Stadium. Okay, you know what? That's it. Last straw. Fire Torre.

-Paul Lo Duca is not speaking to the media. Now who are reporters going to talk to when El Duque pitches -- the one player on the Mets who will, in fact, often pretend not to speak English when he doesn't feel like talking? Oh, the irony. It's like rain on your wedding day...

-Jorge Sosa hurt his hamstring Saturday, and what the hell is it with all these athletes in top physical condition blowing out hamstrings running the 90 feet to first base? Why hasn't anyone figured out a way to prevent this yet? Anyway, this means it's Mike Pelfrey time -- and with Oliver Perez's back acting up, say hello to Jason Vargas, tomorrow night's starter. Hmm, could be a rocky week or two for the Mets.

-Vote Neshek for the last AL All-Star spot. I was going to anyway, frankly, because I love his weird-ass delivery ("a stork being violently tickled, but with much better control" is how I described it on the Banter once). But then you've gotta enjoy any player who doesn't just say something along the lines of, oh, it's an honor to be a finalist, I respect whatever choice the fans make, etc. No, Neshek went on his blog and wrote:

"WOW, how cool is getting nominated. I don't know what to say it's unreal to even think about. But man I need you guys to vote, vote and vote... it's unlimited voting... tell everyone you know and come together and get creative we have like 5 days or something! We need everyone, all Minnesotan's, all graphers, fans of baseball and yes everyone in Yankee Nation (and we know why!) I seriously would like to promise everyone All Star balls or jerseys for voting but it might be a stretch...I will promise this, if you guys can get me in I will write about everything that goes on... multiple updates each day letting everyone know what the heck goes on behind closed doors... I don't know what else to say it would be the greatest feeling in the world to be voted in by you guys. Please tell everyone to vote multiple times:) "

He's also had t-shirts made up. Okay, okay! You have my multiple votes, Pat.