2012 All-Star Game Recap

The National League wasted no time as they put up a 5 spot on AL All-Star starter Justin Verlander of the Tigers. It turned out that the NL only needed 1 run to win this game because their pitchers out shined the AL hitters and never conceded a run.

The San Francisco Giants had a tremendous showing in this year's All-Star game as Matt Cain started and pitched 2 scoreless innings, Pablo Sandoval hit a 3 run triple in the 1st off Verlander, and All-Star game MVP Melky Cabrera had 2 hits, one being a 2-run home run off of Rangers Matt Harrison in the top of the 4th.

What might have been the only notable occurrence for the Amreican League was when Derek Jeter lead off the game with a single, tying all-time great Willie Mays for the most hits in All-Star game history. Unfortunately for the AL, it didn't translate into a run as Jeter was stranded on base.

The combination of Matt Cain, Gio Gonzalez, Stephen Strasburg, Clayton Kershaw, R.A. Dickey, Cole Hamels, Craig Kimbrel, Aroldis Chapman, Wade Miley, Joel Hanrahan, and Jonathan Papelbon shut out the incredible lineup that was the American League offense. Many thought R.A. Dickey should have started over Cain, especially Met fans, and if you're going by sheer stats, he probably should have. Clearly NL manager Tony La Russa, who was managing his last ever game, didn't make his decision based on statistics.

To me, the All-Star game isn't all that exciting with players exiting almost every inning, but this game was especially uneventful with how lopsided it was from the get-go. It was nice to see the young phenoms on display, however, such as LA's Mike Trout and Mark Trumbo, Washington's Bryce Harper, Chicago's Chris Sale, and Cincinnati's Aroldis Chapman.

The biggest problem I have with the All-Star game is that the winning team takes home field advantage in the upcoming World Series. The mid-season classic and the fall classic are two totally separate entities and one should have absolutely no impact on the other. Hypothetically speaking, if the Tigers reach the World Series this season, Justin Verlander's performance in an exhibition game and the failure of players competing AL teams would be the reason they would be without home field advantage. With two drastically different sets of rules in each league, this is a huge factor. An exhibition game shouldn't have a bearing on such a thing.

The National League had struggled mightily against the American League in years past, losing 12 and tying once between 1997 and 2009. Now things have changed slightly in the NL's favor as they have won the last 3 All-Star games, outscoring the AL 16-2 in the process. 

Also worth noting was Chipper Jones' pregame speech he gave to his fellow NL All-Stars prior to the game. Jones is in the midst of his last big league season, and therefore, making last night his final MLB All-Star game appearance.

In his last ever mid-summer classic at bat, the 8-time All-Star singled to right in the top half of the 6th. The Kansas City fans gave him a standing ovation when he came up to bat and a warm applause after the soft single as well. It was a classy finale for one of the game's classiest players. Here's video of his speech, via Sports Grid.

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