Person to Be Named Later

1. It's a boy! E is 4.5 months pregnant, and last week, we went in for ultrasound and it's a boy! Yay! Now, he needs a name. E has already ruled out "Ambiorix" as a possiblity, dang. Anyone have any good suggestions from baseball? Nothing too common, but nothing that sounds wierd. For example, C's name is "Cora." This is a picture of the little guy:

2. All-star game. First, read Bat-girl's comments on Fox. I agree with everything, starting with Ernie Harwell (who was more intereseting than Buck O'Neil). Makes you wonder if the local team could do it, or at least add their color guy or their Clay Matvick. I watched the opening of the Legends and Celebrities softball game that ESPN played yesterday, and I'm pretty sure they were mocking Zelasko with the opening train-of-consciousness segue-forced metaphor-segue-bad pun verbage.

2a. Fox is making me rethink my support of Republicans with its baseball coverage. Surely a Democrat network like PBS could do a better job. Ken Burns and Ernie Harwell. Sponsored by Archer-Daniels Midland and made possible by a grant from the McKnight foundation and viewers like you.

2b. I wish the game would have been closer throughout. Instead it felt like a blowout. As it was a blowout, I have to argue with Francona's use of the bullpen. Apparently Joe Torre got a little pissy about use of Rivera, so Francona only used him to get the last out. But he should have started splitting innings before the ninth. Give Rogers 2 outs in the 7th. Joe Nathan the next 2 outs, etc. That way, Wickman can get in more than one walk (which I think was insulting, especially because he was the only Indian all-star). Save Rivera and Ryan for bleeding-stoppers and extra innings. Even save Clement for extra innings as he was a substitute. Let Denys Baez and Justin Duchscherer pitch in the 8th and 9th, as they were the only representatives from their teams.

2c. Give Francona credit for Final-Man Podsednik as a 9th inning defensive replacement, La Russa kept Bay on the bench in the 8th, when he could have been a defensive sub. So Bay's ASG experience sums up: 0 HR in the Derby, did not play in the game. Ouch.

2d. NL partisans must be kicking themselves for electing Oswalt to the ASG.

2e. The box says that Buehrle got the win. I thought you had to pitch 5 innings to get the win as a starter, which would make, uhm, maybe Matt Clement the winner.

2f. If I hadn't been so riveted to the broadcast that I couldn't get to my computer, I would have voted for Lidge as the MVP: 3 batters, 11 Pitches, 3K. Can the losing team get MVP? My AL MVP would have been Buehrle. Just because.

2g. Santana and Nathan didn't look super, but they did allright, although Nathan gave up another run in a non-save situation, and that was from Moises Alou, a Giant (remember the 7-run 9th?).

2h. I hope they threw out those schmucks who interfered with Roberts' double in the 4th. Dudes were prancing like they did something good.