Kuzul

So by now I'm sure you all know that the 2010 All-Star game received the lowest ratings ever. Like, ever ever.  And now, the head honchos and suits at MLB are sitting around a table, wondering what they could have done differently, and what they can do next year, to ensure that baseball doesn't continue to fall by the wayside, a sloppy second to the NFL. Well, I have an idea for you MLB!!! You should have allowed Stephen Strasburg to take part in the festivities. And not just because he throws over 100 miles per hour. And not just because he sold out a Nationals game, and had fans risking urinary tract infections. And not just because he drew season-high crowds to Cleveland and Florida. And not just because, at the time of the break, he had an eye-popping 61 strikeouts in 42.2 innings, and a WHIP near 1.00. And not just because he has brought ...

It doesn’t take a hardcore sabermetrician to realize that the All-Star vote is a sham. After all, the best catcher in the game (Miguel Olivo) received only the 11th-most votes at his position, and Omar Infante made the cut while MVP candidate Ryan Zimmerman had to sit at home (not the fans’ fault, but still).  But even if it’s impossible to distinguish the game’s best players by looking at the vote totals, I wondered if it would be possible to gather some more unorthodox information from the results: namely, the impact of fans’ biases on their ballots. I quickly scratched out an equation for a statistic I made up, called “All-Star Score,” to measure how deserving a player is of fans’ votes for the Midsummer Classic: All-Star Score = (Wins Above Replacement* + 2) ^ 2 *—numbers as of the All-Star Game I calculated the All-Star Scores for each player listed on the ballot and ...

When news broke out that Yankees' owner George Steinbrenner had passed Tuesday morning, I predictably got a few texts from friends asking if I was planning on writing about “The Boss.” At first I hesitated; too much had happened before I was even born. I had never met him in person. What perspective could I possibly give, that a million other writers couldn’t? Then I really started to think about George. I thought about the way he ran his organization with the iron fist of a South American dictator. I thought about the way he controlled every word that came in and out of his clubhouse like the Russians controlled information during the Cold War. I thought about the way he struck fear into multi-millionaire ballplayers and fired managers like they were clerks at CVS. I thought about ...

After a long 14-year drought, the National League finally beat the American League in the All-Star Game, 3-1. The hero of the game for the NL was Brian McCann, who hit a bases-clearing double in the 7th inning. Now that the NL can finally relax knowing they can actually win this game, it is now time to look at next year to see what they can improve upon, and see what they need to do to win again.Begin Slideshow

The Cincinnati Reds brought their style of play to Anaheim, and the results paid off as the National League defeated the American League 3-1 in the 81st annual All-Star Game. A pitcher's duel for most of the night, Scott Rolen started a seventh-inning rally with a single off Phil Hughes. He then went first to third on a Matt Holliday single, hustling the entire way and sliding to safety. All-Star teammate Brandon Phillips was miked up for the game and could be heard chanting: “Yeah yeah. That’s what we do in Cincinnati. We go first to third.” Ah yes, they do. They currently lead the majors in that category. The play didn't win the game for the NL, but it altered the way Matt Thornton pitched to Marlon Byrd—who eventually earned a walk. It also set a tone for the rest of the NL squad. The game does matter and Rolen is going ...

The 2010 All-Star Game began as an early pitcher's duel at Angels Stadium on Tuesday night. No runs were scored, and seven pitchers performed without allowing a run, in the game's first four-and-a-half innings. No one crossed home plate until the bottom of the fifth, when the American League struck first. They scored an unearned run off of pitcher Hong-Chih Kuo's throwing error. The AL got on the board without getting a hit in the inning. Until the seventh, the AL All-Stars were shutting out their opponents, and it looked as if they would once again come away with a victory. But Brian McCann changed the NL's disastrous recent past in All-Star games with one swing of the bat. McCann came into the batter's box with the bases loaded and ripped a bases-clearing double to right. Three runs scored on the play, also the final three of the game, which would be enough for the NL pitching, ...

There have been many poor performances in sports history, but never has a player had a night this horrific. And it just so happened that 12-year old Keri Sterling’s nightmare of a game happened in front of a packed house at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California and a nationwide audience on ESPN.   Due to her father’s contacts in the business world and his willingness to shell out a few hundred bucks, Sterling got the nod from Home Run Derby Manager Gus McFarland to start in Short Left Center Field. It was a decision that McFarland would soon regret. The Diamondbacks’ Chris Young started off the night against the Home Run Derby fielders, and it wasn’t long before he hit a lazy fly ball Sterling’s way.  Clearly nervous in her first Derby start, the young outfielder misjudged the fly ball by at least twelve feet, falling backward and bumping into another fielder ...

It's a sad day for baseball and the Yankees especially as long time owner George Steinbrenner passed away this morning. The historic career of Steinbrenner has been covered throughout the day and he will be honored prior to the first pitch at the All-Star game. The Yankee's players will be wearing a black armband to represent Steinbrenner tonight.  This will be the place to get your All-Star fix and converse about the game as it happens. I'll be giving updates after every significant moment happens in the game and you can feel free to comment on the game below. The American League has won the past 12 meetings and home field in the World Series is up for grabs. If your team has playoff aspirations and has a chance for the World Series, this game could change the outcome of those October contests. Be sure to take it all in as the ...

Eight years ago, the All-Star Game ended in a tie when the teams ran out of players to put into the extra-inning contest.  Nobody likes a tie, and the fans at that game in Milwaukee and those watching nationwide on TV, like myself, were no exceptions.In response to the deadlocked Midsummer Classic, Commissioner Bud Selig deemed change necessary.  As of six seasons ago, the league that wins the All-Star Game also wins home field advantage for the World Series.  While it may seem logical on the surface, Selig’s overreaction to the tie eight years ago has him talking out of both sides of his mouth these days.  The hypocrisy of an All-Star Game “that counts” has divided fans on exactly how the teams should be chosen and the game played.  The two main changes fans want are to remove the fan selection portion of the balloting and also get rid ...

Well that was short. By my count, first time All-Star outfielder Chris Young had five singles and one double in Anaheim Monday.   Unfortunately for the Diamondback, it was not the well-placed-line-drive-derby.  Eliminated in the first round in last place, Young hit just one ball out of the park while frequently voicing his displeasure with himself aloud. "In the long run, I'd much rather have my line-drive swing than my home run swing," Young told azcentral.com. "Nobody has to worry about my getting turned around. It was line drives the entire time." That's all fine and dandy, but he might want to rethink his stance before entering another home run derby.  In the end, the young resurgent player seemed to enjoy his short-lived experience at the event and garnered high praise from the ESPN announcers.  It would have been nice to see a Diamondback go further however, since the team rarely gets any national audience. The only Arizona player ...