As we sit down and prepare to be entertained by the biggest stars in the sport of baseball, the event just doesn’t feel complete with both Alex Rodriguez and Manny Ramirez missing in action.
While neither has been able to put together what we would call an ‘all-star effort’ due to injury and suspension, these guys are two of the greatest players in the game and have been a fixture in All-star games for more than a decade.
Rodriguez is a 12-time All-star and is missing his first game since 1999. And while he has been hot as of late, he doesn’t deserve to be an all-star this year as his numbers don’t come close to matching what he has given us over the last decade.
Ramirez is also a 12-time All-star and is missing his first all-star game since the 1997 contest. Due to suspension, Manny missed 50 games during the first half of the 2009 season and certainly does not deserve a roster spot this year. But still, he is putting up incredible numbers and had he been able to compete in 80+ games like the rest of the field he would certainly be on his 13th all-star roster.
While I am happy to see a ton of new blood get ready to hit the stage tonight, a part of me would really like to see both ‘A-Rod’ and ‘Man-Ram’ suiting up for the AL and NL teams too!!
I understand that the card companies had little to work with when it came to showing Rickey in a New York Yankees uniform for this traded set. And to be honest, I oftentimes have been surprise by the amazing photos they get for these secondary issues since the number of available photo opportunities of these guys in their new uniforms is minimal.
But with all of that being said, this card really does stink. The 1985 Fleer design may be that company’s best work from the 1980’s, but this card is certainly not the reason. Again, it has nothing to do with the design, as they certainly do get across the message that this is a card for guys from ‘The Bronx’. But to use a picture of a baseball superstar that offers nothing to the fans was a terrible move by Fleer!!!
By contrast, check out how nice their base card was from the ‘85 set.
Amare Stoudamire is a monster of a man. Standing at 6 feet and 10 inches tall and weighing 249 pounds, it would be very intimidating to be standing 60 feet and 6 inches away from him as he prepares to fire a baseball in your direction.
Luckily for Chris Young and the Arizona Diamondbacks, Amare was at the game to just throw out the ceremonial first pitch!!
Ah, one of my favorite White Sox players of all-time is celebrating his birthday today. As a Cubs loyalist, it’s hard to even admit, verbally or written, that I like some of the players on the ‘pale hose’. But, truth be told, when I first moved to Chi-town in 1988, it was much easier to get tickets to see the Sox so I enjoyed several games at Comiskey Park. And of the players I got to see regularly, Robin Ventura became one of my favorites. You see, I was a third baseman too and I was also a much better contact hitter than power hitter. The similarities between myself and Robin Ventura in regards to our baseball successes stops there…
What I enjoyed most about Ventura was watching him get better. He was not a rookie that came into the league and took baseball by storm. He was a worker and over the first few seasons we got to watch him get better. He got better at hitting, driving in runs, and defense and Sox fans took him in as their own because of his dedication to the team and the game. It was nice to see him blossom and he churned out a very solid 16-year career.
By the end of his playing days, Ventura was a 2-time All-star and 6-time Gold Glove award winner. He tallied 1,885 career hits and slammed 294 home runs.
For his birthday, I would like to give Robin Ventura one more season of perfect health during his prime. Having seasons of 140+ hits became routine for Ventura and I ‘d like to see him eclipse the 2,000 career hits mark. And while he’s at it, go get 6 more home runs which would land him in the 300 HR club!!!
