Seattle Mariners star Julio Rodríguez was requested about his method throughout his ninth-inning at-bat in opposition to Craig Kimbrel in Tuesday’s All-Star Game.
“Oh, definitely trying to win it, honestly,” he mentioned, in line with the New York Times. “Once I saw the guy getting to first, my thought was just get a good pitch to drive and let’s try to win this game.”
The “guy” Rodríguez referred to was his American League teammate Kyle Tucker, a Houston Astros outfielder, who had simply walked.
Hopefully Rodríguez momentarily forgot who batted in entrance of him and truly knew who Tucker was.
But if he didn’t, he definitely was not alone. At an All-Star viewing celebration I attended Tuesday, a lot of the night time was spent answering the identical query: “Who’s that guy?”
Commissioner Rob Manfred’s ignorant and broadly reviled choice in 2021 to ditch the custom of All-Stars carrying their very own uniforms, mixed with so many new faces from groups that seldom seem on ESPN’s “Sunday Night Baseball,” made figuring out the gamers harder than any 12 months I can bear in mind.
Add the decline of big-name beginning pitchers, thanks partially to pitch counts and the continued “bullpenization” of baseball, and lots of obscure relievers had been chosen for the sport. The All-Star Game has was a guessing sport for viewers, from “Who’s who” to “Who’s that?”
Consider the eight pitchers used within the 1971 sport in Detroit, which the American League received 6-4. Dock Ellis and Vida Blue had been the starters, and Juan Marichal, Fergie Jenkins, Don Wilson, Jim Palmer, Mike Cuellar and Mickey Lolich pitched in aid. The sport lasted 2 hours, 5 minutes, and is taken into account a traditional. Every pitcher was recognizable to followers, as had been nearly all of the hitters.
The 2023 sport featured 20 pitchers, few recognized by the common fan, and lasted 3 hours, 3 minutes, regardless of a relative lack of offense. Much of the explanation for the size of the sport was the lengthy industrial breaks and constant promos for the Women’s World Cup subsequent month, plus an prolonged “Stand Up to Cancer” phase that lasted longer than some half-innings.
For Chicago followers, the lone spotlight was Cubs left-hander Justin Steele’s scoreless inning. White Sox heart fielder Luis Robert Jr. was scratched after hurting himself within the Home Run Derby, a type of “that’s so Sox” incidents that South Siders have come to anticipate.
Sox followers did have two former gamers to root for or in opposition to: Texas Rangers second baseman Marcus Semien, who went to Oakland within the 2014 Jeff Samardzija deal and have become a star; and Philadelphia Phillies nearer Kimbrel, who was acquired from the Cubs in 2021, bombed when Tony La Russa tried to make him a setup man and was dealt to the Los Angeles Dodgers final 12 months for A.J. Pollock.
The Fox Sports telecast didn’t illuminate the charms of Seattle, the All-Star Game host and one of many cooler cities in America. The thematic motif of the pregame present and into the published centered across the truth the town likes its espresso. One video sketch had a number of gamers having some enjoyable arriving at Sea-Tac airport, the place enjoyable shouldn’t be recognized available.
The Seattle celebs Fox confirmed included “Jeopardy!” host Ken Jennings and Fox sportscaster Charissa Thompson. Meh. At least we didn’t get rapper Macklemore, the Seattle sports activities superstar model of our Jim Belushi.
An actor from a brand new superhero film referred to as “Blue Beetle” additionally received some digicam time, which we are able to solely assume had one thing to do with the film trailer that preceded his “impromptu” sighting within the stands.
The greatest disappointment was not listening to the sounds of the trains going by the ballpark and their whistles blowing loudly throughout play. It has been a convention of watching Mariners video games at T-Mobile Park because it opened in 1999 as Safeco Field and makes it distinct from each different major-league park.
Before the 2001 All-Star Game in Seattle, there was discuss of suspending the horns for the weekend to accommodate the Fox telecast, however the thought was shot down. If there have been any prepare whistles Tuesday, they weren’t audible on my TV.
It’s not Seattle to me with out the horn going off once you least anticipate it, however that was no drawback for Fox, which did the truth is present the Space Needle to show it is aware of the town. Maybe Fox can use CGI to dam out the Wrigley Field rooftops by the point the Cubs lastly get one other All-Star Game.
The sport itself was notable for packing its greatest moments into the primary two at-bats, throughout which Adolis García and Randy Arozarena made leaping catches in proper and left discipline. There was little motion in any other case, until you rely the lengthy wait whereas umpires tried to find out whether or not a house run was a foul ball. (It was.)
Fox’s obsession with micing up gamers within the discipline reached absurd ranges of monotony from the second Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman agreed that Los Angeles Angels famous person Shohei Ohtani is the uncommon participant who can each pitch and hit. Imagine that.
Fox would’ve been higher off micing up the replay officers whereas they made their selections. All we received was a couple of photographs of replay central.
Why sports activities TV executives assume gamers have something attention-grabbing to say throughout a sport stays one the good mysteries of our time. Perhaps the one All-Star who would’ve been enjoyable to hearken to reside was Cubs pitcher Marcus Stroman, who has referred to as Manfred a “clown” on Twitter whereas calling for his job.
But Stroman opted out of the sport to “restore my energy, clear my mind.” Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr. mentioned on the pregame present he couldn’t perceive why any participant would willingly miss the All-Star Game. Unfortunately he didn’t identify names.
One of my favourite moments of the telecast was a cutaway to some followers trying down at their telephones and ignoring the sport. Nothing says “Baseball in 2023″ like oblivious followers gazing their telephones. Otherwise, every part is okay, Manfred.
The second half begins Friday at a ballpark close to you.
Keep a watch on this Ohtani man. We hear he’s fairly good.
()
Source: www.bostonherald.com