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77th Annual All-Star Game: July 11, 2006American League (35-40-2), 3National League (40-35-2), 2W: B.J. RyanS: Mariano RiveraH: Brian FuentesH: Derrick TurnbowH: Tom GordonBS, L: Trevor HoffmanTed Williams Award for Most Valuable Player: Michael Young Rather than a blowout or a duel between just two pitchers, this year’s Midsummer Classic was a multiple pitcher mêlée. Brad Penny pushed Fox’s mile-per-hour graphic into overdrive. Knowing that he would pitch at most two innings, Penny cajoled the radar gun in excess of 95 MPH on nearly every pitch, topping out at 99. Penny matched Pedro Martinez’s 1999 showing by striking out the side, but did not surpass Martinez, who had struck out four sluggers in a row. Thankfully, Fox did away with the Red Carpet Show, probably because media whore nonpareil Johnny Damon was not selected as an All-Star. This year there seemed to be a changing of the guard. The camera panned across the lines of the reserves and the fresh faces Grady Sizemore, Dan Uggla, Joe Mauer, Francisco Liriano, and Ryan Howard shone, so much so I wondered if any of them actually need to shave. Despite being 315 miles away, in a different league, and 46 years removed from their...
Home Run Derby: July 10, 2006Lance BerkmanMiguel CabreraJermaine DyeTroy GlausRyan HowardDavid OrtizMiguel TejadaDavid Wright Round 1This Home Run Derby stuff is serious business. Ramon Henderson, the man who lobbed 41 meatballs to Bobby Abreu last year, was recruited by both David Ortiz and Miguel Tejada even though he’s Ryan Howard’s hitting coach. The 2004 derby champ Tejada only hit three in the first round, as did Lance Berkman, who is the only switch-hitter to join in this event. Berkman hit left-handed to take advantage of the shorter distance to the left field stands, which are 375 feet compared to 389 for the right, as well as his greater power potential, which is .648 lefty and .500 righty for slugging. Troy Glaus just doesn’t seem to be able to perform under the spotlight. This year he managed a single homer, which was an improvement over the goose egg he laid in 2001. Miguel Cabrera, a derby rookie, impressed with nine roundtrippers. Although technically in this event no trips are taken. Remarkably, David Wright, another event newbie, defied the odds and exploded for 16 longballs in the first round. Cliff Floyd is on record for saying that Wright would only hit two....
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Photo courtesy of the Boston Public Library’s Sports Temples of Boston.