It's the entire American League versus the entire National League

Seriously, HOW many All Stars are there?
83?
There are really more than 2 entire 25 man rosters of elite players?

When they all line up on the foul lines will they reach the foul poles and wrap back around?

Forget each team having one rep. Each team can have TWO reps and still have 22 more roster spots!

I have to double check to make sure I'M not supposed to go to Phoenix.

So Bud... I don't think you are going to run out of players this year.
But next year, see if you can have the All Star roster reach 100.

Sammy Wegent and Joel Solomon join the Sully Baseball Show

It's a packed Sully Baseball Show tonight...
Wonderful San Francisco comic and sketch performer Sammy Wegent calls in from Phoenix where he is attending Fan Fest and interacting with Hall of Famers and baseball superstars.

Then comic Joel Solomon talks about the unlikely rise of the Pirates and his thoughts if they can hang on in the second half of the season.

It is the second half of the Seamheads radio block on Monday night.
Listen below.

Listen to internet radio with Seamheads on Blog Talk Radio

If the Playoffs Started today - 2011 All Star Break Version

It's the All Star Break and it is the first time during the regular season it isn't totally bonkers to take a look at playoff match ups.

Besides, the non waiver trade deadline is in a few weeks and not to get all Danny Ocean on you, but for some teams "You are either in or you're out... right now."

Teams like the Diamondbacks, Indians, Angels and yes even the Pirates could be playing in October with a properly placed move here or there.

As of this writing they are all within striking distance of a playoff spot but would be on the outside looking in.

I am guessing these match ups will change between now and the first week of October. But as of now, here is how the playoffs would be set up.

AMERICAN LEAGUE DIVISION SERIES

BOSTON RED SOX (American League East Champions)
Would have home field advantage over
DETROIT TIGERS (American League Central Champions)

TEXAS RANGERS (American League West Champions)
Would have home field advantage over
NEW YORK YANKEES (American League Wild Card)

NATIONAL LEAGUE DIVISION SERIES

There would be a one game playoff for the National League Central
MILWAUKEE BREWERS
versus
ST. LOUIS CARDINALS

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES (National League East Champions)
Would have home field advantage over
MILWAUKEE BREWERS or ST. LOUIS CARDINALS (National League Central Champions)

SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS (National League West Champions)
Would have home field advantage over
ATLANTA BRAVES (National League Wild Card)

So that's a lot of solid match ups and some big stars and some of the best baseball crazed markets. That being said, I wouldn't mind seeing Cleveland and Pittsburgh in this thing.

Just saying.

Pirates did THEIR job

Well my wonderful scenario didn't come true. No three way tie for first place in the NL Central.

And if Francisco Cordero hadn't blown two saves, you'd have four teams within 2 games of first. But hey! Don't blame the Pirates. They won and won convincingly today.

They are 4 games above .500 and tied with the Brewers and the Cardinals in the loss column.

I know the team is thinking Division Lead at this point... but think about it.
The Pirates have 72 games left.

If they go 35-37 the rest of the way, they will finish the season 82-80.

A winning season!

No more "They haven't had a winning season since Francisco Cabrera" stories.
The first step to a changed culture.

Come on Bucs!
Just be mediocre the rest of the way!

Welcome to the Red Sox Kyle Weiland

Quite a first game for the kid wearing #70.
He got to get rocked and then see the Red Sox tie the game.

And THEN he got ejected!

That's quite a first day.
And quite a job from the bullpen to hold on to the win and go into the All Star Break on an 10-1 run.

Let's update the tally.

DODGED BULLET GAMES - 28

April 8 - 9-6 win against the Yankees. (The Sox end their 6 game losing streak with a slugfest. John Lackey stinks but Phil Hughes stinks even more.)
April 10 - 4-0 win against the Yankees. (Beckett and Sabathia duel in a game that was 1-0 until the late innings.)
April 20 - 5-3 win in Oakland. (Red Sox survive a lead off homer and two bases loaded situations and facing the tying run at the plate to win their first road game.)
April 21 - 4-2 win in Anaheim. (The Red Sox stranded 15 men on base and Josh Beckett's went 8 strong with no decision. But the Sox rallied in the 11th to win.)
April 22 - 4-3 win in Anaheim. (Peter Bourjos makes a 2 run errors and the Red Sox survive a bizarre passed ball by Jarrod Saltalamacchia that let a run scored from second.)
May 1 - 3-2 win against the Mariners. (Ichiro loses a ball in the sun that turns into a 9th inning triple for Lowrie. Crawford singles him home for the win.)
May 8 - 9-5 win against the Twins. (Dice-K lets up 3 runs in the first but settles down as the Red Sox clobber Carl Pavano.)

May 9 - 2-1 win against the Twins. (A bullpen breakdown cost Beckett the decision but Cark Crawford ended the game with an 11th inning walk off hit.)
May 13 - 5-4 win in the Bronx. (Youkilis homers off of Joba and Bard and Papelbon make it more interesting than it needed to be.)
May 15 - 7-5 win in the Bronx. (Sox fall behind 4-1 but come back as Youk, Papi and Salty all homer.)
May 16 - 8-7 win against the Orioles. (Down 6-0 after 6 innings, the Sox rally and win it with a 2 run walk off double by Adrian Gonzalez)
May 18 - 1-0 win against Detroit. (With 2 outs in the 8th, Salty doubles home Crawford from first for the only run. Papelbon gets himself in and out of 9th inning trouble.)
May 19 - 4-3 win against Detroit. (Bard blows Beckett's lead but Carl Crawford wins it with a walk off hit.)
May 24 - 4-2 win in Cleveland. (Varitek throws two runners out and homers as the Red Sox win their first game against the Indians.)
May 29 - 4-3 win in Detroit. (The Red Sox blow an early 3-0 lead but David Ortiz wins the game with a pinch 9th inning homer.)
June 3 - 8-6 win against Oakland. (Buchholz lets up 4 runs in the first but the Sox come back thanks to Carl Crawford's 2 run single.)
June 4 - 9-8 win against Oakland. (Red Sox blow a 4 run 9th inning lead and trail in the 11th before Ellsbury ties it and Drew wins it in 14.)
June 7 - 6-4 win in the Bronx. (Papelbon strikes out A-Rod to end the game with a runner on base.)
June 9 - 8-3 win in the Bronx. (Down 2-0 to Sabathia in the 7th, the Sox score 7 runs as Papi exacts revenge after getting plunked. A 3+ hour rain delay pushed the game past 1:30 AM)

June 15 - 3-0 win in Tampa Bay. (Youkilis homers in the 7th for the only runs in Beckett's 1 hit masterpiece.)
June 16 - 4-2 win in Tampa Bay. (Papelbon wiggles out of a 2 on, nobody out jam in the 9th thanks to Youk's diving catch.)
June 26 - 4-2 win in Pittsburgh. (The Pirates make 4 errors and the Red Sox score 2 in the 7th to avoid a sweep by the Bucs.
June 30 - 5-2 win in Philadelphia.(An injury to Cole Hamels leads to the Red Sox bats waking up.)
July 1 - 7-5 win in Houston. (The Sox score 6 in the 7th inning to come back and win.)
July 3 - 2-1 win in Houston. (The Red Sox score a run in the top of the 9th on a walk to break a tie.)
July 5 - 3-2 win against Toronto. (Lester gets hurt but Darnel McDonald throws out the tying run at the plate to end the game.)
July 6 - 6-4 win against Toronto. (The Sox score 4 in the 4th to take the lead and Wakefield and company hang on for dear life.)
July 10 - 8-6 win against Baltimore. (The Orioles score 6 runs off of rookie Kyle Weiland in the second, but the Red Sox hit three homers in the bottom of the second to tie the game and hold for dear life.)

TEETH GRINDER GAMES - 23

April 1 - 9-5 loss in Texas. (The Sox tie Opening Day in the 8th with an Ortiz homer only to have Bard implode and the Sox let up 4 in the bottom of the 8th.)

April 5 - 3-1 loss in Cleveland. (The Sox drop their 4th straight as the bats are dead in Cleveland.)
April 7 - 1-0 loss in Cleveland. (Sox blow a great Lester performance on a squeeze bunt and Darnell McDonald overrunning the bag to end the game.)
April 12 - 3-2 loss to Tampa Bay. (A solid Lester performance is wasted as Kyle Farnsworth of all people shuts down the Sox.)
April 15 - 7-6 loss to Toronto. (Bobby Jenks implodes with a 4 run seventh inning as the Red Sox waste Pedroia and Youkilis homers and a clutch RBI double by Scuatro.
April 19 - 5-0 loss in Oakland. (Pedroia gets picked off, the Sox bats go dead and waste a solid Lackey start.)
April 26 - 4-1 loss in Baltimore. (Buchholz pitches tentatively and the Sox let Kevin Gregg of all people to close out the 9th.)
April 27 - 5-4 loss in Baltimore. (The Sox tie the game with a 3 run 8th only to have Bard lose it in the bottom of the 8th.)
April 29 - 5-4 loss to Mariners. (Bobby Jenks blows a 7th inning lead, wasting 2 Mike Cameron homers.)
April 30 - 2-0 loss to Mariners. (The Sox strand 11 runners and let Milton Bradley double home the go ahead run.)
May 4 - 5-3 loss to Angels. (7 hours with rain delays and stranded runners. Marco Scutaro was thrown out at the plate in the 12th)
May 10 - 7-6 loss in Toronto. (8th and 9th inning heroics, including a homer by Adrian Gonzalez, are undone by a walk off sacrifice fly by David Cooper.)
May 21 - 9-3 loss to Cubs. (Up 3-1 in the 8th inning, the bullpen and defense implode. The Cubs score 8 runs while both teams wear their 1918 uniforms.)
May 23- 3-2 loss in Cleveland. (The Sox blow a 2-1 8th inning lead when the Indians rally with 2 outs. Crawford ends the game on a double play.)
May 29 - 3-0 loss in Detroit. (Verlander keeps the Sox off base and prevents the sweep.)
June 1 - 7-4 loss to White Sox. (Konerko drives in three, spoiling a game tying Ortiz homer.)

June 14 - 4-0 loss in Tampa Bay. (Wakefield's solid outing is spoiled. Longoria scores on a passed ball.)
June 18 - 4-2 loss to Milwaukee. (The Brewers hit three homers early off of Lester and hang on.)
June 21 - 5-4 loss to San Diego. (Ortiz hits a double play in the 9th to stifle a potential winning rally.)

June 24 - 3-1 loss to Pittsburgh. (The Red Sox strand 7 runners in scoring position.)
June 25 - 6-4 loss to Pittsburgh. (The Red Sox fall out of first as Pedroia's error leads to a Pirates run.)
June 29 - 2-1 loss in Philadelphia. (Vance Worley duels John Lackey and slumping Raul Ibanez drives in both runs.)
July 4 - 9-7 loss to Toronto. (John Lackey's miserable start puts the Sox in too big a hole to climb out of.)

All the way up to +5.

The Red Sox go into the All Star break in first place, with the best record in the American League and the second best record in baseball.

And oh yeah... the magic number is 74!

How many saves does Cordero have to blow before he's replaced?

Seriously Dusty. Have you seen a pattern developing here?

Maybe find another arm to close.

If only they had a fireballer in their bullpen...

Oh wait.

What should we do if Jose Bautista hits 62?

Jose Bautista has 31 home runs before the All Star Break.
He may have more if he gets a hold of one today.

Remember how having 31 homers at the All Star Break used to have people buzzing?

"Man, he has a shot!"

You know what "the shot" is, right?
A shot at 62 homers and maybe pass Roger Maris.

The suddenly "the shot" had a whole new meaning.

As in "a shot of supposed B12 by Alex Rodriguez's cousin in a bathroom stall."

So here we are and Jose Bautista is making a run at 60.
What are we supposed to do?

Are we supposed to celebrate like it is 1998 all over again?
Are we supposed to ignore some warning signs?

Like, oh I don't know the fact that he never produced like this before and suddenly became a 50 home run hitter?

And he did so without a change in environment (like Curtis Granderson heading to homer happy Yankee Stadium.)

And the fact that he is from a country that has relaxed laws about steroids and HGH and plays his home games outside of the United States.

Is it fair to be suspicious of Bautista? Was it fair to be suspicious of Albert Pujols and his speedy recovery?

Probably not.

Is it out of line?

Not at all.

As I wrote about the burden of proof with Barry Bonds, our guard is up now. It is the result of being burnt so often. Sure Bautista is paying for the sins committed by a previous generation of sluggers, but this is normal.

Like anyone who has been dumped, you start to get defensive when your next romance starts to go down old paths.

The pendulum has swung the other way. We used to celebrate without asking questions. Now we say "Hold on a second. I'm not going to be a little tempered in my euphoria this time."

We have grim reminders with Bonds' trial earlier this year and Clemens being grilled now. Are supposed to just take it on faith that Jose Bautista is clean?

He could hit 62.
I'm not sure how I'm going to react.

I jumped up in the air when McGwire hit HIS 62nd.
I did a dance when Sammy Sosa hit HIS.

Not sure I would do that with Bautista.
It's not fair, but the truth isn't always fair.