All-Star Tuesday
It’s been a nice 24 hours since the last post, as the Home Run Derby seemed to keep the masses entertained here and then a bunch of us headed over to the All-Star gala nearby. I’ve run into several former Dodgers over the last few days, including Eric Karros, who is working for FOX and Candy Maldonado, who is part of ESPN Deportes’ crew here. There’s never a shortage of ex-Dodgers around and here in San Francisco, everyone gets booed every time they step into public.
During BP yesterday, Russell got booed mercilessly, which he loved. He also had to hit right after Barry Bonds, which is a pretty tough act to follow. Then this morning, we helped set up the parade down Embarcadero with the players, as Saito and his wife and two daughters were in the same vehicle as Russ. According to Russ, they got booed the entire way down the street, which made me laugh.
Brad Penny was with his parents, brother and his girlfriend and said he got the same "royal" treatment here in San Francisco.
By the time we all got here for batting practice, the gates were open and fans were filling in. Eventually the NL took a team photo and it was cool seeing Saito and Barry Bonds interact despite the language barrier. I think Penny served as the interpreter, but his Japanese is about as good as Barry’s. Saito and Barry even hugged in front of the hostile crowd, which I’m sure got them all riled up.
Overall, it’s a hectic 72 hours for these guys, but I have a feeling that for first-timers like Russ and Saito, they’re really enjoying the experience. And for Penny, who was here last year, he can actually step back a little and enjoy it rather than the sensory overload that comes with the first time at an event like this.
The game starts in about an hour and a half and my spot is in the auxiliary press box. Brad told me he’s going to pitch the second inning and only go one, so I guess he and Peavy will start out for an inning apiece and then hand it over to the other guys. Hopefully Sammy gets in te game late, though I’d imagine if the NL has a small, it’ll be that guy down the freeway with 500 saves who gets the ball.
Inside the Dodgers 
Sounds like a great time Josh, enjoy every minute. Lets hope Bonds strikes out and either Russell, Penny or Saito makes those Giant Fans eat crow tonight by becoming the MVP with a NL WIN !!
Go Dodgers !!
GO MARTIN!
GO PENNY!
GO SAITO!
THE GIANTS AND THEIR FANS *****!
GO DODGERS!
Its nice to know that is pretty much the only game the Giants fans have to look forward to for the rest of the year….
It’s great to read what ex-Dodgers like Karros & Maldonado are doing. I’m looking at Allys Milano on TV at the moment. When the Giant fans boo our guys it’s a sign of respect. They hate us, We hate them and so the story goes. Fear & Respect. Well it’s time to watch the game LET GO NL.
haha at Penny holding his hat way high while getting booed hahaha.
Must be sad to only have 1 person to Cheer for at a Home Game….I Think I hate SF Fans more then I hate their team and atleast as much as I hate the Padre’s……
seeing our Penny, Martin and Saito in their uniforms representing Dodger Blue makes me so proud!!
Question: who has the better fro, dimitri young or russel? 🙂
That was a great tribute to a great player, Willie Mays. I always say I root against the team but not the players.
haha russell’s hair is awesome
I thought it was a boring tribute to Mays to be honest. I remember when they did that to Ted Williams back in the 1999 all-star game in fenway park, everyone seemed to enjoy it. Not today.
Nice Bang Bang DP!
Loney for 08′ 1B AS!
Com’on PENNY look good.
Great 1-2-3 inning for OUR BOY.
I’m suprised MARTIN didn’t go to right with a man on first. I like the fact that Joe Buck gave a good run down on his stats. Nice solid shot, too bad almost right at A-ROD.
Wasn’t Reyes hit weird. The way Bonds flyed out with the flick of the wrists. Whenever you get that man you got feel lucky.
Big Tag OUT! GO MARTIN!!!
Nice pick by Russ on that Griffey throw.
Proud of that pickup and tag by MARTIN at home on the throw by Griffey jr. What I meant before was, Ya gotta feel lucky when you get Bonds out, Get passed him.
martin is making us proud…big surprise
oh yeah, i heart martin haha
A Rod was runnin like a girl….no offence Zobiecakes or Graff.
C’mon Russ Big Knock!
Russ is getting some Great intel on SD pitching tonight.
I wish they would stop talking about steroids and performance enhancing drugs. Who wants to here it? Guys like Bonds are great hitters why they are? I personally don’t care. What a guy does outside the lines is his own business.
Buck and McCarver are both jokes!
The Sky is Blue….
and of course a madre had to ruin the game. Just like last year
Suzuki’s inside the park HR. Can you imagine something like that from PIERRE? I wonder if he has that much power.
Let’s Go NL!!!
PENNY chatting away with Peavy. That’s what I always loved about these games. One night everybody’s your buddy. Com’on ya gotta win. It might mean something in October or November for one of youse.
Juan Pierre has no where near the power Ichiro does. Ichiro could have won the home run derby. Have you ever seen him hit BP?
Joe Blanton should have beaten his tail!
looks like we will be on the road for game 1 of the world series!
We’re down again and it’s getting late, but I think it won’t happen again. The NL has to have a big inning. there got to be an AL pitcher with an off night.
i think Saito is coming in next inning.
Man Russell just missed tying up the game, instead he popped it up.
That was more like MARTIN too bad it was foul. That cop felt it didn’t he?
Nope never seen Ichiro hit in BP. But I know he can hit. I’m not familiar with his Power.
Somebody must have corrected Buck, He was pronouncing SAITO (SIGH EEE TOE) before the game now it’s (SAIGH TOE) another GREAT innning for our guys. (the Dodger pitchers)
ATTA WAY SAITO.
The Mets Reyes, Wright & Beltran are having a good night making my daughter proud. I’ll be hearing from her later. I’ll tell her of the importance of the play at the plate, if we win.
Wagner blows
That HR by Victor Martinez off Billy Wagner will slow down the bragging by the Met fans. This game looks almost like last year’s now.
Aaron Rowand might look like CEY when he bats but I bet he doesn’t look like the Penquin when he runs. Nobody looked like the Penquin when he ran except a Penquin. Is this game over already??? NO IT’S NOT.
WOTTIYAGONNADO?
Bruce Freming got more hits than the NL.(I’m not sure of the spelling of his name) but he’s been around a long time.
JJ walks JJ and the Putz is gone. This game is having a lively finish.
Franky looks LOST!!! HAHAHAHA
The entire NL is as Pathetic as The Dodgers with Risp……and fold to the Angels…
the bases are loaded two outs in the bottom of the 9th and the best player in baseball is left on the bench. Pathetic.
yep, pujols should have gotten an AB…..damm grady!!! 😉
Looked like K-ROD almost became W-rod until he gave up on that big wicket curve. So I guess it was CLOSE BUT NO CIGAR. Looks like quite a losing streak for the N.L. but remember it didn’t effect the Cards last year.
apparently Puljos left the stadium early.
i just realized that penny and saito were the only two NL pitchers not to give up a hit in their innings of work.. IMPRESSIVE.. way to represent boys~
now the report is that Pujols was in the locker room in street clothes when the 9th inning started.
That was a great game everybody did well and had a lot of fun and the fun is proberbly still going on. Our guys did a good job pitching MARTIN’S scope at the plate on Junior’s throw really got me. I know we get to see him play everynight but tonight he had a bigger audience. That’s where the pride comes in. PENNY & SAITO both look sharp. I’ll never forget the All-Star night when GAGNE blew it. It was during his big streak, and it didn’t interupt the streak because this is an exebition game, but it felt humiliating. Well it’s back to the feast for me for the next 6 days. I always manage to catch enough of the game since the games start at 10:10PM & 10:40PM on friday.
I could’ve swore I saw Pujols in uniform in the bottom of the ninth…anyway good game, Penny and Saito were excellent. Penny didn’t over throw and they combined for 16 pitches. Martin just missed a clutch double before popping out, but had a sweet pick of Griffey’s throw which of course ESPN doesn’t care about, just the throw from Griffey. Also, we’re #1 in the N.L with RISP, it’s bases loaded we’re awful. Back to business…Sweep the Giants! Bills, Penny and Lowe lets get it done!
GO DODGERS!
Boy I feel like a chatterbox what would you call this a Typybox? But it’s great to see all those guys in the same game. I can never watch that MLBTV MOSAIC even the sound stinks. That is___ How can someone watch 5 games and the Baseball channel at the same time?
Excuse me 20 pitches 13 from Saito and only 7 from Penny.
I think if the game went into extra innings that would have gotten Pujols out of his street clothes(as someone said) and get him back in the game. Wow that would have been something. Ya know losing itself doesn’t hurt at all, ONLY WHEN THE DODGERS LOSE IT HURTS.
I think it feels ok because 3 playoff hunting team: the Padres (Chris Young), the Brewers (Francisco Cordero) and the Mets (Billy Wagner) gave up all 5 of the runs. The other team hunting for the postseason (Dodgers) went two scoreless innings!
So all in all we did good and as far as I’m concerned that’s all that mattered. The Padres, the The Brewers and Mets lost the game and not the rest of us?_____SO WE WON….I always say when there is no game__catch up on some sleep…
fyi..just read an article on realgm that said pujols was made at La Russa for leaving him on the bench…
I’d be mad too, Some guys got multi ABs. How the heck did he forget one of his own players? That La Russa is hanging out with that Vic Damone too much.
Before I go I’d like to mention something. In the last series against the Marlins the coaching staff was wearing jackets that only had the LA symble on it. Not DODGERS. I don’t think that’s right since those were home games. You can show everybody you’re from LA when you’re on the road. BUT AT HOME YOU’RE THE DODGERS. GOOD NIGHT FROM BROOKLYN.
what the **** was Tony LaRussa thinking!? “these games count!!” man!.
comforting Ken Gurnik read: http://tinyurl.com/2dy433
It’s nice to see Ned is on the same page as most die harders.