The stagnation that late June and early July bring to the sports world gets a much needed respite tonight in Kansas City.
And I promise, there are no more Olympic Trials or Wimbledon matches.
Instead, the MLB All-Star Game will awaken the sleeping throngs of sports fans, eager for an appetizer to the main courses of the Olympics and college football soon to follow.
Forget the uncertainty swirling around performance enhancing drugs, the controversy around instant replay and the bandwagon fan favorite Boston Red Sox being dead last in the American League East. The midsummer classic evokes the pageantry and authenticity of America’s pastime.
Take the 1999 edition at Fenway Park. Old men were reduced to tears as they saw childhood hero Ted Williams carted out to the pitcher’s mound to be recognized, realizing this would be the last public appearance for baseball’s greatest hitter.
Or 2001, when Cal Ripken Jr. bid adieu to the All-Star Game at Safeco Field with a third inning home run in his 19th appearance, earning him his second MVP and cementing one of the greatest careers of the modern era.
It may startle those associated with the Pro Bowl, but with home-field advantage in the World Series on the line for the winning league, players actually put forth a noticeable effort in the game.
How about in 1970, when hit king and compulsive gambler Pete Rose separated his shoulder after trucking catcher Ray Fosse to score the winning run? Or in 2002, when Torii Hunter robbed Barry Bonds of a sure-fire home run with a phenomenal over-the-wall grab.
One of the more overlooked aspects of the entire weekend is the family bonding not only in the stands, but also on the field. Jorge Posada regularly had his son trot out for him when he was introduced, and the Home Run Derby yesterday brought together players with their sons and daughters for a national audience in Kaufmann Stadium.
Nowhere else can you find this heartwarming togetherness because – let’s face it – Antonio Cromartie’s children and baby mamas would take an hour to introduce in Hawaii. And let’s not even delve into the NBA family dynamic.
As a baseball fan, these two days epitomize why I know no other sport can claim the title of America’s pastime. Egos are left at the door, camaraderie is palpable between even the Yankees and the Red Sox, and the game is played in its purest form.
There are no over-hyped dunk contests, no trips off the mainland and nothing close to anything that can be considered the NHL.
From 1997 to 2009, the American League boasted a staggering 12-0-1 record in the contest. But have no fear, the National League, my league of choice, has been making some noise, rattling off two straight victories.
The AL will be no pushover, with everyone’s favorite recovering alcoholic Josh Hamilton, King Felix and some guy they call Papi. Hey, even Yu will be there.
Still, I think the NL will make it three in a row tonight behind knuckleballer R.A. Dickey, the pride of Pennsylvania, Andrew McCutchen, and six St. Louis Cardinals who have single handily kept my team within striking distance in the NL Central.
It’s not college football, but it’ll have to do for now.
PREDICTION N.L. 6, A.L. 2 MVP – A. McCutchen
Contact Chandler Rome at [email protected].