by Anthony Olivieri

Filed under: Mets, NL East, MLB All-Star Game, Sports Business and Media

Add Carlos Beltran to the list of those who are against Arizona's controversial immigration law.

In fact, the New York Mets' center fielder is unsure if he would attend next season's All-Star Game in Phoenix if selected.

"Would I come? I don't know," Beltran told the New York Daily News on Tuesday.

"I'm from Puerto Rico, so I don't have that issue. But still, who knows? -- If I'm walking around here, and they see me speaking Spanish, who knows what might happen? I don't know where that's going to end up, but I don't agree with it."

Arizona's law, set to go into effect July 28, gives police the right to demand proof of citizenship on the suspicion that someone may be an illegal immigrant.

As such, Major League Baseball, which employs many Latino players -- even if they are of legal immigrant status -- may have a problem on its hands.

 

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by Milton Kent

Filed under: MLB All-Star Game, MLB Biz, Sports Business and Media

Apparently, the public wasn't all that interested in seeing the National League break a 14-year winless All-Star Game skein. That, or they really didn't care if that one counted for real.

Those are a couple of conclusions to be gleaned from word that Nielsen overnight ratings for Tuesday's Midsummer Classic, a 9.3, were the lowest overnights ever, down from the previous low of 9.8 from 2005. Tuesday's numbers were down 11 percent from last year's 10.4 and marked only the second time in the last 12 years that the All-Star Game didn't get at least a double-digit overnight rating.

It's worth noting that even with the lower rating, FOX still won the night with the All-Star Game, which is annually the highest-rated program of the summer. Still, according to the website Sports Media Watch, Tuesday's game trailed every game of this year's Final Four and NBA Finals, as well as the Ghana-United States round of 16 match in the World Cup tournament, Sunday's final between Spain and the Netherlands and the final round of the Masters.

This wasn't baseball's week for ratings, as Monday's less-than-star-studded Home Run Derby on ESPN drew its lowest ratings in five years, and was down 22 percent from last year.

 

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by Josh Alper

Filed under: Marlins, Red Sox, MLB All-Star Game

Jon Lester and Hanley Ramirez were once teammates in the Red Sox minor league system but were on opposite sides of the All-Star Game on Tuesday night. Lester retired Ramirez on a bouncer back to the mound and after the game he was asked if he and Ramirez had ever gone out for pizza and fantasized about being in the Midsummer Classic while they were on their way up the baseball ladder.

It's a silly question, but Lester didn't have a particularly jokey response.

"I'd have a better chance of being struck by lightning than me and him getting a pizza together," Lester said. "You can take that for what it's worth. But there was no chance on God's green earth that I was getting a pizza with him."

 

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by FanHouse TV

Filed under: MLB All-Star Game, MLB Video, Executive Take

The 14-year hex is over.

The National League defeated the American League 3-1 on Tuesday night thanks to some great pitching and the timely hitting of Brian McCann.

FanHouse TV's Dan Graziano and Steve Phillips break down the keys to the game, including why the difference-maker may have been one player who didn't even play.

Click to watch:

 

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by Tom Krasovic

Filed under: Nationals, Red Sox, MLB All-Star Game

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Yep, someday baseball fans in D.C. will revisit the lively summer of 2010 and talk about that hard-throwing right-hander who came up big for the Nationals on a large stage.

Stephen Strasburg?

Nah, Matt Capps.

Capps, the team's closer, added a shiny nugget to his career Tuesday night by picking up the National League's first victory in an All-Star Game since 1996.

"We snapped the streak that everybody's been talking about, and to have my name attached to it is a pretty satisfying feeling," he said.

 

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by Tom Krasovic

Filed under: Angels, Cardinals, Cubs, Dodgers, Giants, Marlins, Nationals, Padres, Phillies, Rockies, MLB All-Star Game

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Just like in the movies, the salty manager gathered his players around, then barked out a blunt message.

"Charlie Manuel told us: 'Let's go out and kick their ass,' " said San Diego Padres pitcher Heath Bell. "That's what he told us before the game. And that's what we did. I don't care that the score was 3-1. All that matters is that we won. Finally."

The National League halted its record winless streak in the All-Star game at 13 games Tuesday, using the same formula in the 3-1 victory at Angel Stadium that carried it to its previous All-Star victory, at Philadelphia's Veterans Stadium in 1996.

Dominant pitching put the older league over the top.

Nine pitchers combined to hold the AL to only one unearned run. The AL had only six hits, its lowest total since 1999.

 

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by Terence Moore

Filed under: MLB All-Star Game, MLB Biz, Sports Business and Media

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Now this was interesting Tuesday evening, especially since it just dropped out of the dreamy blue sky over Angel Stadium. Outside of the visitors' clubhouse, Tommy Lasorda sifted through his seven decades in professional baseball as a player, a coach, a manager and an ambassador, and he declared of Bud Selig, "To me, he's got to go down as an outstanding commissioner."

Johnny Bench took it further.

After the Hall of Fame catcher who helped make the Big Red Machine famous during the 1970s encountered an old writing acquaintance along the main concourse, Bench said this of Selig's nearly two decades as baseball's ninth commissioner: "The talks I've had from him, it's covered everything from steroids to fans to corporate matters to Hall of Famers, and he's aware of everything. Without question, he is the best."

Ever?

"Ever," said Bench, with current players telling me the same in the two clubhouses featuring baseball's elite.

Added David Wright of the New York Mets: "On a personal note, he was one of the first persons I heard from last year when I got hit in the head [with a pitch]. He left a message on my voicemail to see if I was OK. He's been great to me and great to the game."

 

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by John Hickey

Filed under: Angels, MLB All-Star Game

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Torii Hunter said he wasn't interested in hitting for the American League in the Home Run Derby Monday in part because he didn't want to risk getting hurt overswinging at the plate.

All rules were off Tuesday, though. Hunter came up in the seventh inning against the Cardinals' Adam Wainwright with two out, two on and the AL trailing the National League 3-1.

"Man, I was swinging so hard," Hunter said. "I really wanted to hit that ball out. But I was just too anxious. And Wainwright is a very good pitcher.

"I thought he'd go after me hard, but he gave me a lot of changeups."

Hunter wound up striking out, and the AL would get just one base runner the rest of the night as the NL ended a 13-game winless streak in the Midsummer Classic.

Hunter was impressed by the Anaheim fans, who were as loud as he could ever remember the home crowd being.

"That crowd was so loud, I thought I needed earplugs," Hunter said. "They were into it. They were behind us all the way."

 

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by John Hickey

Filed under: Red Sox, MLB All-Star Game

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- David Ortiz will be part of an All-Star highlight clip for close to forever.

On first base with one out and the AL down 3-1 in the ninth inning Tuesday, Ortiz tried to make it to second base on a single to right by John Buck.

He didn't. Marlon Byrd's strong throw to shortstop Rafael Furcal just beat Ortiz, snuffing out the American League's last chance at a comeback as the NL ended a streak of 13 winless games against the AL.

"I was in the wrong place. It was the wrong time. And it was the wrong guy, too," Ortiz said with a laugh after that most rare of plays, a force out at second base initiated by an outfielder.

 

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by Jeff Fletcher

Filed under: Braves, NL East, MLB All-Star Game

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- One of the delicious little quirks of All-Star Games is that players and managers get a chance to finally be on the good side of those who have brought them such heartbreak.

Phillies manager Charlie Manuel had seen far too much of Braves catcher Brian McCann in their National League East duels.

"Absolutely kills us," Manuel said.

For one night, though, McCann's clutch-hitting abilities worked in favor of Manuel and every other player in the National League, as he ripped a two-out, three-run double in the seventh inning, earning the MVP of the National League's streak-snapping 3-1 All-Star Game victory.

 

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by Jeff Fletcher

Filed under: MLB All-Star Game

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Brian McCann came up with the clutch hit that the National League had been missing.

For the past seven years.

The Braves' catcher ripped a two-out, three-run double in the seventh inning, putting the National League on top on its way to a streak-busting 3-1 victory in the All-Star Game on Tuesday night before 45,408 at Angel Stadium.

The NL had lost seven games in a row, and their winless streak -- including the infamous 2002 tie -- stretched all the way back to 1996. With the victory, the NL earned home-field advantage in the World Series.

 

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by Dan Graziano

Filed under: Yankees, MLB All-Star Game

ANAHEIM, Calif -- The news of George Steinbrenner's death dominated the day leading up to the All-Star Game, and prior to the game Tuesday night Major League Baseball honored Steinbrenner while Angel Stadium flags flew at half-staff. A brief photo tribute played on the video board while fans applauded and the public address announcer extolled "a great American life," and the crowd then observed a moment of silence.

Yankee veterans Derek Jeter, Andy Pettitte and Alex Rodriguez, along with manager Joe Girardi, spoke at a news conference a few hours before the game. Jeter said he considered Steinbrenner a friend and had been planning to visit him this week when Jeter went home to Tampa, where Steinbrenner also lived.

"He's a father figure to everyone that was in our organization, past or present, because he really took care of his players," Jeter said. "Whether it's a player that's on the team now or someone who played for a week 30 years ago, he really went out of his way to take care of the players."

 

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by FanHouse TV

Filed under: Yankees, MLB All-Star Game, MLB Video, Executive Take

Whether you were a homegrown player or one who was paid millions to come play in the Bronx, George Steinbrenner was a central figure in your world.

With the passing of the longtime Yankees owner on Tuesday, several prominent Yankees who knew "The Boss" best reacted and FanHouse TV's Dan Graziano and Steve Phillips were there.

Click to watch:

 

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by John Hickey

Filed under: MLB All-Star Game

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- The scene is familiar enough. Both inside and outside the All-Star venue, the sale of All-Star merchandise is beyond brisk.

It's almost beyond belief. There were guards monitoring the crush of fans trying to get into the main Angels clubhouse shop near Gate 3, allowing fans in only as room inside opened up. And there wasn't much room inside.

Naturally, the All-Stars themselves have little desire to spend time fighting the crowds while picking up trinkets and treasures. But the trinkets and treasures themselves? You better believe they want those.

So the All-Star merchandisers set up a couple of tables with samples of what's available for purchase in the alcove between the two clubhouses. And business was, shall we say, booming.

 

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by John Hickey

Filed under: Mariners, Red Sox, MLB All-Star Game

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Some time just before the American League All-Stars get together to walk on the field for the 2010 All-Star Game, Ichiro Suzuki will face his worst fear.

His name is David Ortiz.

In past All-Star Games when they've both been on the AL roster, Ortiz has demanded that Ichiro give the AL team a pep talk of sorts.

Ortiz wasn't on the team last year, and "I didn't have to do it last year," Ichiro said after batting practice Tuesday afternoon.

And now?

"Now I'm scared," Ichiro said. "If Ortiz tells me I have to do it, I have to do it."

 

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by FanHouse TV

Filed under: Yankees, MLB All-Star Game

You won't find a more polarizing figure in the history of baseball than George Steinbrenner, who died Tuesday at the age of 80.

Anyone who met the man, and many who didn't, tell countless stories of both his outlandish behavior and his charitable humanitarian endeavors.

Terence Moore saw both sides of the Yankees owner and remembers him for FanHouse TV.

Click below to watch:

 

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by Milton Kent

Filed under: Yankees, MLB All-Star Game, Sports Business and Media

Lou D'Ermilio carried a copy of Bill Madden's new biography of George Steinbrenner to Anaheim Stadium for Tuesday's All-Star Game as reference material for FOX's telecast, just as a "for instance" in case The Boss' name came up.

By Tuesday morning, as word of Steinbrenner's death reached the West Coast, the book carried more of the weight of history.

As it was, D'Ermilio, senior vice president of FOX Sports' media relations department, had his own connection with Steinbrenner, having worked in the Yankees' front office for nine years. And he shared the distinction with former managers Billy Martin, Bob Lemon and Lou Piniella of having been terminated by the Boss more than once,

"I was only fired twice," said D'Ermilio, who worked for the Yankees from 1980-88.

 

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by FanHouse TV

Filed under: Yankees, MLB All-Star Game

Yankees owner George Steinbrenner died Tuesday morning from a heart attack.

FanHouse TV's Jay Mariotti looks back at what made Steinbrenner one of the most colorful characters in sports history.

Click below to watch:

 

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by Jeff Fletcher

Filed under: MLB All-Star Game

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- While Bud Selig reiterated his oft-repeated stance that having the All-Star Game determine home-field advantage for the World Series is a good thing, the head of the players' union said that his constituents aren't so sure.

"I will tell you there is strong sentiment among the players that home-field advantage in the World Series should be decided by regular-season record," Michael Weiner, executive director of the MLB Players' Association, said hours before Tuesday's All-Star Game.

Weiner said the owners have claimed that it would be logistically unworkable to potentially have home field for the World Series undetermined until the end of the League Championship Series.

 

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by Jeff Fletcher

Filed under: MLB All-Star Game

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- While a handful of major league players have said they would boycott next year's All-Star game in Arizona as a protest of the controversial immigration laws, Bud Selig steered far clear of the issue when asked about the possibility of moving next year's game from Phoenix.

"We will do things when baseball can influence decisions," Selig said. "This situation will be solved in the political process at the appropriate time."

Major League Baseball and the Players' Association have been concerned about the new law's impact, but Selig does not seem inclined to use his power of awarding All-Star Games to make a political statement.

 

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