All Star Game

All Star Game

I found a tape of the 1998 All-Star game in a box when I was moving. I've been watching a little bit of it over the last couple of nights.

A few things I've noted:

Gloria Reuben sang the Canadian National Anthem, and Faith Hill sang The Star Spangled Banner.

The game was played in Coors Field, home of the Rockies. Larry Walker and Dante Bichette get huge ovations.

In this age of free agency, trying to think of how many uniforms a player has worn since this 1998 All-Star game. We have the single changers, like Tom Glavine, who's playing in a Braves uni and now plays for the Mets. Greg Maddux, in 1998 likewise with the Braves, now with the Cubs. Griffey is in the Mariners uniform, as is Alex Rodriguez, who's since worn the Rangers and Yankees colors.
Ivan Rodriguez was a Ranger in 1998, and has since been a Marlin and is now a Tiger.

I don't know how many teams Kenny Lofton has played for since 1998, without looking it up, but he may have everybody in the game beaten. He's wearing an Indians uni here. He's with the Yankees now. He was with the Cubs and Pirates last season, and the Giants and (I think) the White Sox in 2002. Off the top of my head, I can't think if he played with Atlanta before 98 or after.

Then there are the dregs of the league, the teams that have just the single representatives for their teams. Edgar Renteria is the Marlins sole representative, in the season following their World Series win. Devon White is the Diamondbacks only player in their inaugural season.

Then, there are players playing in the game who have since retired. Walt Weiss is the starting shortstop for the National League. He played with the Braves at the time.

Then you've got huge names, like Mark McGwire, Tony Gwynn and Cal Ripken Jr. McGwire, according to announcer Bob Costas, is on pace to hit 70 home runs this season. Do you think he has a chance? Gwynn's chugging along with a .340 lifetime batting average, at this point. Ripken's consecutive game streak is still intact at this point. He'll sit on the last game of this season.

Oh, and there's that other guy who retired, the one who's starting this year's game for the National League. Roger Clemens played for the Blue Jays in 1998.

Also, outside of the game, I notice old commercials. Like that little girl who wants Pepsi, and talks in other people's voices? The Joe Pesci version (Do you think I donknow the dif'rence between a Coke and a Pepsi? What's with this guy?) played in the second inning.

Also, the movie ads. So far, we've had spots for The Negotiator, Baseketball and the really, really horrible movie Mafia, starring Jay Mohr.

But mostly what I noticed?

Barry Bonds is tiny. He looks human. I could squash him like a bug. Now, he could break me. In 1998, he's three years yet away from his year of 73 home runs.

As I write, the game is in the top of the fourth, and Tommy Glavine has just walked in the go-ahead run. Manager Jim Leyland has just called in Kevin Brown (then of the Padres) in for relief. Juan Gonzales just sacrificed in another run for the A.L.

Maybe I should just watch this instead of going to work today. Do you think they'd understand?