Let's just get the Favre news out of the way now...In case you haven't
heard (and if you haven't, really? Do you live under a rock?), record-setting quarterback Brett Favre confessed this week that he retired too early and that he would still like to play professional football. Then he got mad that Green Bay told him he'd be a back up quarterback. And now you can't turn on ESPN without hearing about Favre every 30 seconds. Granted, it would seem like blasphemy for Favre to play for another NFL team, but this is his own fault. Everyone knew this might happen. Now the drama remains where --if not Green Bay-- Favre will take the field. It's going to be awkward when his Madden '09 cover comes out and he's not in that uniform, haaa.***
Next up: Monday's Statefarm Home Run Derby, which drew the largest audience for the event ever as eight All Stars slugged it out for top honors...well, almost eight slugged it out...some of them didn't do so hot. Speaking of Chase Utley, though: If you missed him telling the NY faithful to f-off, check out this video below. Hilarious! Apparently there was only a five second delay in place for the competition, not the introductions.Anyway, back to the actual derby...The biggest story was Texas Rangers' centerfielder Josh Hamilton destroying Bobby Abreu's single-round HR total, hitting 28 in the first round (four more than Abreu did in 2005). [click here to watch video of the hitting clinic he put on]
Hamilton (left), Morneau (right)
Despite Hamilton's record-breaking performance, the title went to Twins' first baseman Justin Morneau. In total, Hamilton hit 35 homers, while Morneau hit 22 - which begs a re-examination of the way this shindig is run. Regardless, Hamilton's story of breaking records after breaking a drug addiction is the one fans will remember when looking back at the first--and last-- Home Run Derby at Yankee Stadium. (Betcha didn't hear them say that 17,000 times during the telecast!)
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Hand-in-hand with the derby is last night's All Star Game, which admittedly I watched about three minutes of. The game apparently didn't get exciting until the end (15th inning), which was 4 hours and 5 minutes into the game (or 1:37 a.m. for those of you on the east coast).
Michael Young hit a game-ending sacrifice fly to give the American League a 4-3 victory over the National League (Justin Morneau pictured (left) sliding in to score the winning run). It was the longest All Star Game in major league history (time-wise; it tied the most innings played) and it was the 12th game in a row the American League remained unbeaten (11-0-1).
(Justin Morneau pictured (left) sliding in to score the winning run)JD Drew was named the MVP after he hit a two-run home run in the seventh to tie the game 2-2. Both teams exhausted their lot of pitchers (11 for the NL and 12 for AL), bringing in aces to pitch innings they should not have been eligible to pitch. There's Uggla's multiple errors at second base; or Nate McLouth's one-hop throw to the plate in the 11th to keep the marathon alive; and AL manager Terry Francona's quote before the game, "Something will happen in this game that people will probably talk about for a long time," and him chugging Red Bulls in the dugout as the game moved into Wednesday morning.
A memorable game indeed --definitely worthy of being played in the House that Ruth Built-- but I think I'm okay with taking Sportscenter's condensed highlights of the game over a 2 a.m. bedtime.
***
And quickly...There may be evidence to prove that Roger Clemens lied under oath about knowingly taking steroids. Convicted steroid distributor Kirk Radomski handed over shipping receipts to federal investigators for a package of human growth hormone that he claims he sent to Roger Clemens' home in Texas in 2002 or 2003, according to The Daily News.
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