After wasting our time last night watching the Home Run Derby and having to listen to the awful antics of Chris Berman, Joe Morgan and Steve Phillips, the 2009 MLB All-Star Game is upon us today. Of course that means the announcing won’t be any better with Joe Buck and Tim McCarver on the call for the game.
But we’ll watch because our favorite team will have some players there and we want to see how they do. For us fans in Red Sox Nation, we have five representatives there in Tim Wakefield, Josh Beckett, Jonathan Papelbon, Jason Bay and Kevin Youkilis. Dustin Pedroia was selected as the starting second baseman for the AL but decided to pass to be back in Boston with his wife Kelli.
It will be most intriguing tonight to watch Wakefield pitch in his first All-Star Game as it’ll either be Joe Mauer or Victor Martinez catching him. Mauer has caught a knuckleball before from R.A. Dickey but his is nothing like Wake’s. Wake gave the best advice yesterday when asked how to catch his knuckleball saying to “call George Kottaras.”
Remember Kottaras is catching Wake for the first time this year. How’s that for high praise for the young rookie catcher.
Wakefield all aflutter [Boston Globe]
Wakefield Still Unique After All These Years [Hartford Courant]
First-time All-Star Wakefield is reveling in the moment [Providence Journal]
No urgency in Red Sox’ talks with Jason Bay [Boston Herald]
Smart money is on a short stint [Boston Globe]
Sox’ dominance of the Yankees was the top story from a memorable first half [Providence Journal]
Glove story for Tim Wakefield [Boston Herald]
Return flight for this Jay? [Boston Globe]
Listen closer to Jonathan Papelbon [Boston Herald]
Motives behind Buchholz’s start may not be so innocent [NESN.com]
A most valuable player – on and off the field [Boston Herald]
Pop Mart: An All-Star Look at Where the Sox Might Shop for Power [Alex Speier – WEEI.com]
Cinco With Cinco: The MJ Edition [Jonathan Papelbon – Wicked Good Sports]
Ortiz on their minds [Boston Herald]
Papelbon Already Eyeing The Hall [Rob Bradford – WEEI.com]
Buchholz vs. Halladay on Friday; what does this really mean? [Batter-up With Bruno]
For more slices of Boston Red Sox goodness, head over to the Boston Globe, Boston Herald, and Providence Journal websites.
