It’s the end of the world as we know it
Posted by: Peter Abraham - Posted in Misc on Jul 06, 2009 
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The All-Star Game has morphed into assorted foolish events including the Legends and Celebrity All-Star Game, which will be Sunday at Busch Stadium.
Among the “celebrities” scheduled to appear include Carlos Diaz, Annie Wersching, James Denton, Brian Littrell and Andy Richter.
Ashanti, Ginuwine, Nelly and Chingy will be there, too. So at least they did OK with the music celebs.
Meanwhile, Bob Knight also is on the list. Yes, the grumpy old basketball coach. He is a Cardinals fan and a Tony La Russa stooge. But for a guy who made a career out of making people miserable, playing in a celebrity all-star game is pretty disingenuous. Hopefully he’ll get mad and take a swing at somebody.
Now that would be entertaining.
Among the “celebrities” scheduled to appear include Carlos Diaz, Annie Wersching, James Denton, Brian Littrell and Andy Richter.
I’ve know of Andy Richter who are the others?
Hmm.
Maybe I should go get baptised or something.
I feel fine.
Pete no comment on the Ump’s comment to Jeter?
what did the ump say to jeter? it had to be a force out, lol just kidding that would be funny though
The All-Star Game is now a spectacle designed to make as much money as possible. MLB is a cash cow. Sigh.
Carlos Diaz–Who?
Annie Wersching–Who?
James Denton–Mike from Desperate Housewives
Brian Littrell–I think he was a backstreet boy?
Andy Richter.–Sidekick to Conan
Selig ruined the All-Star game
The Phillies scored 10 runs on 6 hits in the bottom of the 1st inning against the Reds
I’ve been following baseball for 45 years. Who are these people?
” Carlos Diaz, Annie Wersching, James Denton, Brian Littrell and Andy Richter.
Ashanti, Ginuwine, Nelly and Chingy will be there, too. So at least they did OK with the music celebs.
Meanwhile, Bob Knight also is on the list”
I don’t know who any of those people are
Jenna Fischer will be appearing at the All Star Game so it’s all good
Yanks Fan
July 6th, 2009 at 7:43 pm
what did the ump say to jeter? it had to be a force out, lol just kidding that would be funny though
he said Rolen did not have to tag Jeter because the throw beat him.
Paam
Wow, Johnny Cueto might need a hug later today
Heh. I thought pettitte had a bad day. And then I saw what happened to Cueto.
Montero just ripped a double off the wall for Trenton.
Jenna Fischer should throw the first ball at Scranton Yankees games.
Doesn’t Tony Danza usually do this celebrity all star game stuff too? He can’t be too busy. What about Gary Coleman?
Okay, what happened to Cueto??
Rebecca, you need to go to Trenton to see your boy Montero
OT, but Annie Wersching is hot, don’t mind seeing her at the ASG at all! lol
Christina: I do…but no easy way to get there =(
I don’t know anyone on that list except Ashani and the Denton guy, who not only acts but is part-owner of a minor league team, I believe. But one of them must sing “It’s the End of the World as We Know It,” or Pete wouldn’t have used that as the lead.
Folks, you are reading Pete’s blog for so long and you still do not get this humor on the great celebrities
No train? I dont know where Trenton is, but I think its pretty far from me. At least you wont have to worry about a game being cancelled because some idiots dont know how to take care of a baseball field.
Wow, 8/10 runs in the 1st with 2 outs, including a double from Cole Hamels.
And how could I forget – of course I know who Bobby Knight is. I hope they clear the field of any chairs.
If they were going to get a person from Desperate Housewives they should have gotten Eva Longoria.
I did not see Brian Stipe on the list?????
Wasnt he on the brady bunch?
# Christina- pictures from AAA Yanks game July 6th, 2009 at 7:56 pm
No train? I dont know where Trenton is, but I think its pretty far from me. At least you wont have to worry about a game being cancelled because some idiots dont know how to take care of a baseball field.
————————–
Trenton is the capital of Jersey, it’s about 70 or so miles south of the Manhattan area.
Nice neighborhood, I ought to catch a game there soon.
Christina: I’m sure there is but it’d take about 3, 4 hours to get there from here that way.
I think there are more famous people on the blog than on that list.
Did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed today Pete? Most of your posts have been winy. I usually enjoy the blog but the past few days its been harder to read with all of your complaints.
“he’s singlehandedly ruined wang.
he really is a major problem with this franchise.”
As much as I resepct Randy’s posts, this is just absurd. Cashman ruined Wang? That is hilarous. They have been so careful with him. When will the players be held accoutnable for their under perofrmance. Wang did not want to pitch longer in the minors. And they nurtured him along longer than any one else to get him straightened out.
Oy vey – are the kidding me? I always thought the MLB all-star game was a lot of fun, if for nothing else to see the stars enjoying each other’s company for one game out of the year. I despise the idea that the winnning league wins homefield for the WS. That will lead managers to possibly overuse players (who are not their own) in trying to win what is a meaningless game. Who cares about those people?
Some of my family lives in St Louis,so expect as they say,for the ALL STAR GAME,to pale in comparison to big time New York’s.
Can you say a JOKE!!
I’m already teasing friends from the State.
Please everyone, go read Rebecca’s blog report on the conditions at SWB field. It is a fair report. Instead of commenting without any knowledge of the situation.
Rebecca: Ouch, that stinks. Actually thats about how long it took me to go from here to Scranton. I am still angry about that by the way
Christina: Well, once I get to Penn Station it’d only be about two hours or so…unless I have to switch at Secaucus.
problem is from here, via subway, it takes an hour to get to PEnn.
Doreen:
Here’s the direct link re the field conditions:
http://www.puristbleedspinstri.....blems.html
cueto 9 runs in 2/3 of an inning with 3 walks
A bunch on B-list celebs to match the somewhat B-list line-ups?
I live about 25 minutes from Trenton by car (if there’s no traffic on the NJ Tpke). I don’t know of any way to get there except by car. But here’s a link to directions from the Thunder website:
http://www.trentonthunder.com/.....ey=001#001
Just scroll down. NJ Transit from Penn Station, I think?
hey check out gameday…
trying to prevent another jinx
Brackman’s line tonight
.0 4 6 6 4 2 1 6.01
EEEEESH
bru -
Ew! Not good for Cueto. to say the least.
Rishi,
???
The only jinx is Johan Smoltz.
fair enough…
would be nice if can continue his rock star production
4-0 Oakland last of the 4th.
Smoltz: 4 runs, 7 hits, 70 pitches so far.
I think the train from say NY Penn station to Trenton would be about an hour and 20 minutes-ish
the rs losing again.
they stink
Check that on Brackman, it’s
1.0 4 6 6 4 2 1 6.01
Nelly use to be quite the ball player was once scouted by the Pirates and Braves
Nice to see Smoltz get rocked
Sadly, Boston will come back. Oakland is an awful team and Boston always rallies at home.
If scheduling permits they should play at Richmond County Bank Ballpark (staten Island Yanks)(seats 7,000) or Trenton or Yankee Stadium
I see Smoltz is doing a fine job tonight
A’S 4 RS 0 bottom of 4th
I don’t know one of those “celebrities”. LOL
Yes, they rallied at home losing 2 of 3 to Seattle.
Great call.
the rs might come back but since the orioles came from behind to beat them i think they only won once & they had to come from behind themselves.
their rotation hasn’t looked great & their pen cooled down.
bay has hit a brick wall.
if youk gets cold they might be in trouble
Anderson just struck out the side (Lugo-Youk-Ortiz) in the bottom of the 4th.
4-0 A’s, top of the 5th.
jennifer
July 6th, 2009 at 8:16 pm
I don’t know one of those “celebrities”. LOL
***
You must need to watch more TV.
Btw- we BBQed corn at the beach yesterday. It made me think of you
PETER!!!!
–I think i have a better title for this article.–
“Umpires hold off Yankees in 9th inning for close win in the Bronx”
Rallying only works when you get to the middle relievers.
Oakland’s starting pitcher seems to be handling the Sox just fine and he has a good pitch count. I’m pretty sure the A’s have a couple of lights out relievers in the back end of their pen.
Can the Sox come back? Of course they can. But just because the A’s are a below .500 team, it doesn’t mean they’re automatically going to blow the game. The Sox do lose a lot of games to mediocre teams.
“He’s got to be doing something right since the Yankees are playing great baseball ”
sj44-
he outspends almost all other gms two to one to do what he does. what kind of genius does it take to spend almost 400 million dollars and still have a below average pitching staff ?
you’re the one who said they screwed up with joba.
who is they?
isn’t cashman in charge of baseball operations?
look , i really don’t care that it takes the yankees $2 to other teams $1 to get things done because cashman is basically an average executive. it’s their money not mine.
can the yankees win a world championship with cashman in charge ? sure, and i hope they do. my father’s 88 and i’d like to see the yankees win another one while he’s alive.
i’m just not going to act like it’s anything but the money that keeps the yankees in the game with cashman in charge.
… but they are going to pay through the nose to do win it.
you can disagree with that, but i don’t really see how because the dollars are a number that doesn’t lie.
“Sadly, Boston will come back. Oakland is an awful team and Boston always rallies at home.”
Happily, I’m not worried.
Go A’s!
The Twins series will be tough – I don’t think my heart can stand 3 more games like those we played at the stadium (and there won’t be anymore walkoffs, lol).
Carlos Diaz, Annie Wersching, James Denton, Brian Littrell and Andy Richter.
Ashanti, Ginuwine, Nelly and Chingy will be there, too.
___
I’ve only heard of Ricther.
Erica- LOL I don’t watch most of the nonsense on tv. Deadliest Catch, Cake Boss, and really besides baseball that is about it.
It is possible for the Yankees to file some sort of protest for this game in light of the fact that an umpire told Jeter “he didn’t need to be tageed to be out”, which is obviously not the rule?
Brian Littrell, IIRC, is an ex-Backstreet Boy.
Yes, I was a preteen when BSB were the shizz-nit.
Jennifer-
Thats why you don’t know these “celebrities”. You watch TLC. I can’t believe I am admitting this, but I miss Jon & Kate Plus 8
what is this world coming too?
Game notes
The Yankees ran out of $5 senior citizen tickets and let about 170 seniors sit in $375 seats on the field level for the $5 price, spokesman Jason Zillo said. …
Erica I too
bbcued corn twice this weekend up in enemy territory.
The Sox losses and the corn tasted good up there.
Still chuckle at the comment “put it under a bright light and ask it tough questions” who said that?
Rob Neyer blogging on the umpires:
…
I was watching the game, and the replays were clear: Jeter should have been safe. The umpires missed several other calls in this game. But that’s going to happen. What’s not supposed to happen is missing calls and then admitting that you don’t really care if you missed them — can’t be bothered to get them right.
In fact, I would argue that if Foster really told Jeter that a tag is not necessary, he should be disciplined and perhaps fired. Every time I write something like this, the D.o.U. — Defenders of Umpires — jump all over me. The defenders claim umpires have a hard job and should be allowed to make mistakes. How can I possibly criticize these poor guys who make $300,000 for six or seven months of work? Well, maybe I’m too rough on the arbiters.
I’ll tell you this, though: I have a newfound admiration for Jeter. Because if I made a foolish decision and then, thanks to a bit of luck and a great deal of skill, turned my mistake into success only to have an umpire decide to make his own rule, I’d want to punch him in his big fat mouth.
http://myespn.go.com/blogs/swe.....-rule.html
Rebecca-
You must feel the way about BSB that I do about the New Kids on the Block. I finally got to see NKOTB live last September. It was 20 years overdue. LOL
Wow Jason Giam.bl is batting .200
Erica I think they would have had to have announced that they were playing the game under protest during the game, in order to take up what the ump said with the league/have it impact the outcome of the game. Protests are rarely/never upheld, though.
erica- Yep. Now that ER is off the air.
Oh I also tape reruns of Scrubs, and One Life to Life. Otherwise my DVR is set to record baseball.
kudos to the yankees for handling this the right way:
per yesnetwork.com- The Yankees ran out of $5 senior citizen tickets and let about 170 seniors sit in $375 seats on the field level for the $5 price, spokesman Jason Zillo said.
Rishi, thanks for posting. That’s good stuff from Neyer…….I’m glad this is getting noticed. I really hope Bell is fired or at least suspended…maybe there will be some momentum towards this. I still can’t believe any ump would be so stupid as to admit what Bell admitted.
Anyone know where I can find the Nick Swisher interview on Mike’d up?
How old do you have to be for senior citizen seats???
I was also blown away by the handicapped seats at the stadium. Those are the best seats in the house!!! There was a group of 20 year old kids (not handicapped) sitting in them. We asked an they said they got them that day for $5 each. Unbelieveable??
Hey guys I have a question. I was just looking at the box score online of the RS vs A’s game tonight, and saw Jason Bay was batting .260
At what point does a batting average become unacceptable? .240 .250 .260 .270? I know he hits alot of HRs and RBI but back in the day, anything under .285 was crazy. To me .280 is where I draw the line, really shows if you are a good hitter.
What about you guys?
It’s funny how some Yankees fans now look at the Red Sox as an amazing team with godly, clutch players that always beat the teams they’re supposed to beat.
This year, the Yankees have a winning record against every single AL team, except the Red Sox. The Sox have already lost TWO series to the Mariners, lost to the Rangers at home, and are in danger of going 1-3 against the A’s if they lose tonight.
Is anyone actually watching the Boston game on tv? I’m curious about how the fans reacted to Nomar. He was always one of the likable red sox IMO.
Andrew-
If anyone important was reading the game thread, they would know it was a highly protested game. But would Girardi’s ejection maybe help consider it a protest?
Randy,
Did he outspend everybody for Chamberlain, Hughes, Aceves, Pena, Cervelli, and the other young guys they signed or was it good scouting?
The Red Sox offered 170 million for Mark Teixeira. The Angels offered 150 for CC Sabathia. Cashman wasn’t the only guy bidding for free agents.
Its not just spending money, its spending it wisely and the Yankees have done that better in recent years.
How about Jesus Montero? Everybody had a chance at him and the Yankees got him.
Does he get no credit for that?
It cuts both ways. He makes mistakes and he does things right and its not just always the money.
He got Nick Swisher for Wilson Betemit. That a good trade?
This is the best Yankee team they have had for years.
You mean to tell me he gets no credit for it but, every screw up is his?
Doesn’t seem fair to me.
Oh so Brian is a indeed a backstreet boy.
Ah, New Kids on the Block. Joey was my favorite.
NYY626
July 6th, 2009 at 8:30 pm
Is anyone actually watching the Boston game on tv? I’m curious about how the fans reacted to Nomar. He was always one of the likable red sox IMO.
***
I lost any and all respect for Nomar on July 1, 2004 when the Yankees played their classic 13 inning game against the Sox (the Jeter diving catch game). And Nomar was the only player on both benches who never played in the game because it was his day off. He was traded by the deadline
SA-
Mine was Jon. And yes, I did scream at the NKOTB concert like a 10 year old girl
Hey randy –
I thought Aceves was pretty good yesterday; won the game for them, in fact. How many millions did Cashman outspend other teams to get him? Same thing about guys like Cervelli, Coke, guys like that. Gardner, Pena, they all helped contribute this year. Or are they nothing? If you say that Cashman is responsible for all of it, then isn’t he responsible for this too? And if Sergio Mitre wins a couple of games….
I read on this blog that this guy Banuelos (please forgive the spelling), signed from the same Mexican league as Aceves, is pretty sharp and has a high ceiling. Doesn’t that count towards building an organization?
new post
I was also blown away by the handicapped seats at the stadium. Those are the best seats in the house!!! There was a group of 20 year old kids (not handicapped) sitting in them. We asked an they said they got them that day for $5 each. Unbelieveable??
I love those seats too I should do more research on how to get them
Also agree on Nomah
Oops, I meant Foster……
I was an Nsync girl, not huge on the BSB. Not sure why they would have Brian Littrell there though. He hasnt been anybody in a long time.
“To me .280 is where I draw the line, really shows if you are a good hitter.”
I agree. I consider .290 to be very close to .300, so .280 is about where I’d draw the line of a good hitter. Of course, a .270 hitter with a .370 OBP and power (ie. Posada) is more valuable than a .280 singles hitter (ie. Melky) but when strictly talking about batting average, I would draw the line at .280.
Btw-
I did my homework and answered my own question. 60 and over for senior citizen tickets. My dad needs to wait 4 years for that special.. grrr
Erica- 60
Did you ask them how they got those seats for $5 bucks!
Erica Made sure to tell my father he is eligible.
Bobby Knight is an old fool
Hey Fans! (No, its not Michael Kay:)
I thought I was going to read about the sheer over-reaction by e-fans over yesterdays and today’s losses.
I read yesterday that it might be time to trade off Cano (who is only 1 of 2 over 300 on NY) for Haren–because Pena was “good.”
Some said, “get Hughes to start”–disregarding the reason for the Yanks winning as of late.
When approached by itan one replied “everyone knows the bullspen stunk eralier in the season, but NY can absorb this now”. YES, the BP was bad and the Yankees were losing.
And now Hughes is there (being productive) and the Yankees are winning–so e-fans say “move him?”
Some said “get rid of Wang now.” Some even said trade Joba–”he is over-rated”, disregarding his 2nd lowest ERA on NYs roster.
And the fact that he is being “held back” from flame-throwing to avoid injury (for now).
These fans have forgotten in one months time that Joba threw 97-98 all game against Cleveland.
He threw 106 pitches and his very last one was clocked at 97. Using Cleveland’s Clock.
Joba Cometh with Big Heat in August–the month he was inured last year.
I e-told a group of them yesterday to “calm down chicken little; the sky is not falling.”
Just imagine Fans–all that after a win. And 9 of them in thelast 11.
9 of 11 after 7 in a row.
“…And I feel fine”
Good read Peter.
Paddy
Erica – newly OPPC July 6th, 2009 at 8:31 pm
NYY626
July 6th, 2009 at 8:30 pm
Is anyone actually watching the Boston game on tv? I’m curious about how the fans reacted to Nomar. He was always one of the likable red sox IMO.
***
I lost any and all respect for Nomar on July 1, 2004 when the Yankees played their classic 13 inning game against the Sox (the Jeter diving catch game). And Nomar was the only player on both benches who never played in the game because it was his day off. He was traded by the deadline
____________________________________________________________
He had his reasons. I’m not about to defend him though.
Also, if we are on the subject of boy bands, NSYNC > BSB. Does anyone not remember when NSYNC sang the national anthem during the 2000 WS? ( at 15, the Yankees + Nsync in the same facility was a dream come true, although my brother had ruin it by pointing out what a jinx they were because that was the only game the yankees lost….).
I am watching the game on television and I didn’t really notice a lot of fanfare either way regarding Nomar.
“It’s funny how some Yankees fans now look at the Red Sox as an amazing team with godly, clutch players that always beat the teams they’re supposed to beat.”
It would be pretty stupid for Yankee fans to be seeing them that way right about now since they haven’t been so terrific lately.
And for the record, I have never seen the Red Sox that way.
Jennifer-
I think they just asked for them when they arrived at the stadium
sj44-
the yankees are spending a lot more money on their draft picks and international signings. i don’t see how that makes cashman better than other gms. he just has more money to take chances.
i do like aceves and pena. cervelli doesn’t do much for me. i like the gardner/melky competition. swisher for betemit was nice, but what was cashman thinking with betemit in the first place.
cashman does some things right, but not enough in my mind. seattle gets a new gm and leads the league in pitching. cashman spends a fortune and is closer to the back than the front. i don’t get that.
of course he does some stuff right. the head of general motors did some stuff right too .
this is one of those things that people are going to have different opinions about. if i owned the team i’d fire him. you obviously wouldn’t. in politics that’s why they have elections.
cashman has been there a really long time . with the money he has at his disposal the yankees should dominate, but they don’t.
“It cuts both ways. He makes mistakes and he does things right and its not just always the money.”
The funny thing is, Cashman’s weakest point is probably some of the FA signings he has made (especially with pitchers, ie. Pavano), except those are the moves that most people agreed with at the time.
The under-the-radar trades, which no one can predict, have been his strengths. Acquiring Abreu, Molina, Swisher, Nady, Marte, and Hinske for basically nothing were all great moves. Up to this point, I can’t remember a trade that completely backfired on the Yankees, like the Kazmir/Zambrano or Garza/Young deal. Even the non-Santana trade, which looked like a disaster last year, seems okay now that Melky and Hughes have won us a bunch of games this year and Santana doesn’t look that sharp anymore.
I guess my point is that Cashman gets killed on a lot of hindsight moves that no one complained about at the time. Any FA the Yankees go after is going to get a ton of money, no matter who the GM is. And if he doesn’t perform, Cashman will get killed for it. However, all the smaller moves he has made that actually require some GM thinking (Swisher, all the mid-season acquisitions) have actually been good.
I take it back. Nomar got a standing O. They just showed the replay of him being introduced. I didn’t catch it from the beginning.
“seattle gets a new gm and leads the league in pitching. cashman spends a fortune and is closer to the back than the front. i don’t get that.”
Seattle pitches in a huge pitcher’s park. If Pettitte started today in Safeco he gives up 2 ER at the most. Washburn has been lights out all year but he gave up 3 HRs in YS. The ballparks do have a factor there.
But more importantly, the Mariners have the luxury of waiting for some younger pitchers to develop, or of taking a chance on some veterans. Their closer, David Aardsma, has been outstanding and is a huge part of their success. But imagine if Cashman went into ST declaring Aardsma as the Yankees closer. He just can’t do that.
joe from long island-
i guess it’s a matter of how many things a gm has to do right to do a good job .
i agree it’s hard to quantify.
there’s a restaurant next door to me that used to be the best breakfast place on this end of cape cod, but a new owner and years of mismanagement have made it the least popular with locals of any place in town.
they still do a lot of things right. great pancakes and waffles for example. for lunch ,great oyster stew, but overall that place has really gone downhill. they stay in business because with their location , the fish jump in the boat.
i look at cashman in that way. the fish really do jump in the yankees boat. to not win with the location they have and the good will from the tradition is just shoddy management as far as i’m concerned.
yeah cashman does some things right, just not enough.
Trisha-
I think all that clam chowdah is making the memory of the Sox fans mushy
Let’s just say that Boston fans cheered Garciaparra louder than they boo Rodriguez and not as loud as Yankee fans boo Rodriguez.
GB7
That is QUITE an ovation then.. wow. I take it back. Their brains aren’t mushy from the chowdah… they are liquified!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I hope I don’t jinx the A’s, but right now I will say that the Yankees offense is without question better than the Red Sox offense.
The Red Sox have a couple of gritty hitters that work good AB’s (Youkilis, Pedroia) but their lineup is pretty shallow. I know Lowell is on the DL, but Bay is finally coming back down to earth, Varitek is hitting in the .230′s and their SS is a platoon of scrubs.
For most of the season the Sox offense struggled to score on the road (their last series in Atlanta was the worst) and now they’re even struggling to score at home.
I’m not bashing the Sox, because I know every team goes through slumps. I’m just saying that their offense doesn’t deserve the worship that is sometimes given upon them.
randy – thanks for the response.
It sounds like we’re talking about varying shades, as my wife likes to say.
From where I am, it’s hard for me to tell certain things. Like how much input any one person had on any one decision. Or just what instructions one gets from on high. For instance, we know how much the Steinbrenner Family has approved for the major league roster. Do we know how much they’ve approved for minor league coaching and instruction? I’ve read that the scouting staff, under Billy Eppler, has improved over the past 1-2 years – is that because the Steinbrenners have finally approved a larger budget for that? Same for conditioning. We all remember the fiasco with hamstrings, and the quick turnover in leadership there. If Cash orchestrated all that, he deserves to be nailed on it; if it was one of George’s or Hank’s cronies who was ordained, that’s a different story.
Anyway, we all have our frustrations. Mine lately have to deal with Cano hitting 5th and Swisher starting on an almost regular basis (Brett and Melky, please, or now Hinske).
Have a good night, buddy.
“Ashanti, Ginuwine, Nelly and Chingy will be there, too. So at least they did OK with the music celebs. ”
Um…ok.