all star game and Home run derby thread (watch, stadium, schedule)

[Grandstander]

122 pitches by the NL staff.....119 if you subtract game winner Tyler Clippard's contribution.

Clippard didn't actually retire a batter. He faced one hitter, surrendered a single, but Bautista got thrown out at home on the play to end the inning. That is our game winner.

I'm glad the NL won, that means that the Giants get to open the Series at home again.

[Tony22]

NL wins. The Mets are going get home field advantage =)

[jtur88]

Originally Posted by Grandstander

122 pitches by the NL staff.....119 if you subtract game winner Tyler Clippard's contribution.

Clippard didn't actually retire a batter. He faced one hitter, surrendered a single, but Bautista got thrown out at home on the play to end the inning. That is our game winner.

I'm glad the NL won, that means that the Giants get to open the Series at home again.

Clippard now has two wins on the season, one of them the All Star Game. In his two wins, he has faced 5 batters (all of them American Leaguers) and retired 3 of them.

[filihok]

Originally Posted by Grandstander

Clippard didn't actually retire a batter. He faced one hitter, surrendered a single, but Bautista got thrown out at home on the play to end the inning. That is our game winner.

1 Win and 0.00 ERA, 'nuff said. He was the best and most effective pitcher in this game

[Grandstander]

Originally Posted by filihok

1 Win and 0.00 ERA, 'nuff said. He was the best and most effective pitcher in this game

It was an outrage that the MVP went to Fielder instead of Clippard.

All three of his pitches were strikes, assuming Beltre swung at a strike when he hit his single.

[filihok]

Originally Posted by Grandstander

It was an outrage that the MVP went to Fielder instead of Clippard.

All three of his pitches were strikes, assuming Beltre swung at a strike when he hit his single.

http://www.brooksbaseball.net/pfxVB/cache/location.php-pitchSel=461325&game=gid_2011_07_12_aasmlb_nasmlb_ 1&batterX=&innings=yyyyyyyyy&sp_type=1&s_type=.g if (broken link)
*Brooksbaseball

The 3rd pitch looks pretty good. The 2nd pitch was borderline, but he was able to deceive Beltre into swinging at it

[Grandstander]

filihok

The 3rd pitch looks pretty good

.


That's what Beltre thought.

[filihok]

Originally Posted by Grandstander

That's what Beltre thought.

This is why Clippard is such an amazing pitcher. He was able to induce Beltre into hitting the ball such that Bautista and the 3rd base coach thought they would be able to score but actually allowing Hunter Pence to throw Bautista out easily at the plate.

Sure, Roy Halladay pitched 6 batters and retired them all and Clayton Kershaw didn't allow a baserunner while striking out 1/3 of the batters he faced. And he certainly pitched better than those AL chumps like Michael Pineda who struck out 2 of the 3 batters that he faced in a hitless inning.

But Clippard was able to give up a hit to the lone batter that he faced in such a way to tease and embarrass the American League's players AS WELL AS he was able to throw the last pitch before the National League scored 3 runs to take a lead they would not relinquish.

This is why, in a game of baseball's best players, Tyler Clippard shines brighter than most and is awarded the 'win'.

[jtur88]

With all the All Star talent of the Nation's Capital Baseball Team rolled into a middle reliever, and his participation in the game condensed into the focal point of a terse, pivotal 3-pitch interval, it is only fitting that the fans were not disappointed by a memorable and sterling performance. This is what the Selig All-Star Game Era is all about, and we are fortunate to be living in these historic times to see it all unfolding before our very eyes.

Just think about it. Some day, your grandchild will come to you with the box score of the 2011 All Starm Game, and look up to you from you knee, and say "Grampa, who the hell WERE those guys, anyway? Were all the great players gone to fight the war?"

It brings to mind the immortal Frankie Zak, named to the '44 ASG roster. Widely believed to be a shortstop,. 36 of his 123 career MLB appearances were as a pinch runner.

[Grandstander]

Originally Posted by filihok

This is why, in a game of baseball's best players, Tyler Clippard shines brighter than most and is awarded the 'win'.

I suppose now it is just a matter of where Clippard's heroics will rank in the panoply of greatest All Star moments. Musial's game winning homer, the Rose-Fosse collision, Reggies blast in Detroit...and Clippard's inducing Bautista into his ill considered attempt to score. We will probably get sick of seeing replayed again and again over the years.