National League Wins All Star Game!!!

NL celebrate big win!
For a moment I would like to move away from politics and religion to what is really important -- baseball.  Yes, baseball.  I know that soccer is the world's pastime, but baseball, along with apple pie and certain car companies (I drive another brand of American car), defines America.  So, it is with great pleasure that I get to celebrate last night's National League win.  I am a NL fan for two reasons.  1.  I'm a life long Giants fan and they're in the NL.  2.  They don't have the Designated Hitter.  Yes, I know that the DH has its aficionados, but I think that it is bad for the game.  It prolongs the careers of one dimensional players and tells pitchers they needn't learn how to hit.  But that is an argument for another day.

Now, back to the game last night.   If you've been following the story line, for the past 13 years the "much superior" American League has dominated the All Star game (of course the National League dominated for the previous decade or so, even though the AL had the DH).  But, even though the AL was supposed to be so much better, over the past 4 years prior to last night, the AL won by one run -- usually due to a missed pitch or something.  Now, I don't know about you, but a string of one run wins doesn't suggest dominance, it suggests "luck."   Well, that is unless you're a Red Sox or Yankee fan and believe that God favors you (I don't think it's God, though).  

I thought last night was a fitting fame -- I didn't watch until the latter stages of the game -- when all the action happened.  But there was good pitching on both sides.  Good fielding -- except the errant throw by the Dodger reliever that put the AL in position to score.  Cubs fans should be proud of Marlin Byrd for his great heads up play to pick Big Pappi off as he trudged down to 2nd base on a short flair to right field.  And then for another unlikely hero, Brian McCann, the Braves catcher who hit a bases loaded double that gave the NL all the offense they'd need on a night dominated by pitching.  Oh, and in closing I'll add that Giants closer Brian Wilson, who often makes games interesting, came in and put down the side in the 8th inning with not a whimper from the AL.

As a NL fan, I want to say -- let's start a new streak, shall we!! 

Comments

Steve Thorngate said…
Hear, hear. And yes, we Cub fans are proud of our only representative in the lineup.

I moved from the north side of Chicago to the south side last year, and I can't bring myself to start following the White Sox, despite cheaper tickets and less obnoxious fans. It's the stupid DH thing, which I hate both for the reasons you name and because it simplifies one of the most interesting things about baseball: the strategy around bench management.

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