7 p.m. CDT
FOX
It's time for the World's Greatest All-Star Game! OK, that's not saying much given the state of other All-Star games. Still, it is the best one.
Our own intrepid Eduardo Nunez is the Twins' lone All-Star representative, which would have shocking to predict 3 months ago. There's certainly been criticism for the choice and for how deserving he is, but I certainly have no problem with it. Brian Dozier might have a good case to go to the game for a second time and Kurt Suzuki might have much less competition at his position, but Nunez has been far more consistent in the first half. Both Dozier and Suzuki had terrible numbers coming into June before both finally started to get red hot.
We'll see if Nunez gets into the game. Given he wasn't voted in, he's the lone rep of the worst team in the AL, he's clearly thrilled to just be at the game, he can play several infield positions and has plenty of speed with a bunch of steals to boot, I'm guessing he'll be held back by AL manager Ned Yost for late-game maneuverings because, you know, it counts!
If this was a helmet-tossing competition, Nunez would win MVP.
Years ago, when there was only one televised game a week, the all-star game was a huge deal to me, because it might be the only time all year I got to watch the greatest players in the game. It's gotten less and less interesting to me as the years have gone by. I'm headed home now, and I'll probably turn it on for a little while, but I'm sure I won't watch very many innings. No matter how many times they say, "it counts", they still treat it like an exhibition game, so I just can't get that fired up about it.
If charlie hustle were playing it would actually count because, you know, Ray Fosse.
Wait, it all makes sense now. Ray Fosse SAS his bookie, wasn't he?
I don't mind too much that it's an exhibition; I like seeing them in one place all the same. In a year like this where the Twins make following baseball a chore, it's kind of a re-calibration that reminds me who's where.
I'm reading up some international news instead of watching baseball.
This map is neat:
I'm not entirely sure, but it looks like there's a little slice of the Spratlys* (or just sea between the Spratlys) that is claimed by all five countries in the area:
Vietnam, China, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Brunei.
But just a few dozen miles northwest of there are some islands, (the Owen Shoal?) are only claimed by China and Vietnam.
I bet those islands wonder what's wrong with them. What does that slice of sea have that we don't?
*If there is land (even just at low tide) in the small slice of five-way dispute, it's Amboyna Cay.
Update: it looks like Amboyna Cay (any relation, DG?) is outside the Brunei Claim. Must be those rocks just to the east of the overclaimed zone.
So there's no rocks or island or reef or anything in that zone...until China builds something there.
The National League really hates having home field for the world series.
Considering the recent record of the two leagues, I think they don't care.
Fox says Bryant is the youngest Cub to homer in an All-Star Game since 1936. Either Cubbies are homering in every ASG or this might be a slightly too specific of a stat.
Too much baseball. Gotta sell music and corporate platitudes against cancer.
Nunez gets three outs to play in the game.
So, Nunez is in as a late inning defensive replacement.
The ironing.
Figured in all 3 outs.
Nunez makes the most of his half-inning and gets two putouts and an assist.
M-V-P!
Hosmer forced to make the difficult decision between two cars he could buy with his earnings from a single game.