Tuesday, June 29, 2010

2010 All-Star Game Predictions

Last year, I boldly (and erroneously) predicted the National League would prevail in baseball's legendary Mid-Summer Classic.  After all, I reasoned, St Louis was hosting the game, as its great player, Albert Pujols would probably hit a home run every time he came to the plate.  I mean, why wouldn't he?

Not quite.  In fact, Albert's first inning error helped produce an unearned run for the American League, while his bat remained dormant throughout the game.  Ironically, it was the other St Louis hero, Yadier Molina, who provided the early excitement for the St Louis fans, temporarily putting the senior curcuit on top with a run scoring single; or was it a double?  Whatever it was, it wasn't enough to prevent the inevitable from happening.

The American League won again; and guess what?  They're going to win again this year; and so on and so forth.  That's just the way it is.  I realize this now.  I'm so much smarter now than I was a year ago.

The final score of this year's debacle will, of course,  be 1-0.  I figure the game should be over by the 13th inning or so.  The run will, of course, be unearned.  In fact, both teams will muster maybe two hits between them.  Welcome to the New Year of the Pitcher:  2010.  You thought 1968 was dominated by pitching?  Ha!  After this year's in the books, they'll probably lower the mound once again; this time, the hurlers will have to deliver their pitches from a small ravine; maybe three or four feet deep.  Yeah, that sounds fair.

With that slight advantage, maybe next year the hitters will avoid being "no-hit" with the startling regularity we're seeing in 2010.  Thank God, Jim Joyce blew that call at first base; a third perfect game would've made the whole feat seem so pedestrian.

Of course, there's an entire second half of pitching heroics to unfold.  If Jamie Moyer throws a perfect game, don't be too surprised; after all, he's only a couple of years away from collecting social security.  He could go on for another few seasons.  After all, he's lefthanded.  That always seems to help prolong the life of any pitcher; especially when hitters can't hit much of anything these days. 

Think they miss their daily dose of steroids, kids?