2014 ALL-STAR GAME

It’s a beautiful day in Iron City, PA as the American League faces off against the National League in the 2014 Mid-West Baseball League All-Star Game. The American League starter will be Hollywood’s Ace Clayton Kershaw who went 29-3 in the 2014 season, versus Tempe’s 31-game winner Hisashi Iwakuma. In a some wise shocking and disturbing revelation, The AL MVP, Miguel Cabrera was not on the All Star ballot, thus cannot start and since there is no DH in the NL park, must ‘ride the pine’ in favor of Josh Donaldson. Miggy nearly won the Triple Crown in the AL this year, falling 10 RBIs short.

First Inning: Just like in the World Series, Jayson Werth leads off for the AL, and he draws a walk from Iwakuma. Tempe Manager Chris Douglass was all too familiar with this battle and immediately went out to the mound. Making sure the translation is not lost, he asks Hyun-Jin Ryu to come out to the mound with him. With Ryu “mic’d up” you can hear the conversation.

Douglass: Come on Ryu, I need you to translate
Ryu: Dude, I’m Korean. You want Darvish.
Douglass: My bad…Darvish let’s go.

Douglass and Darvish head to the mound and you see Douglass yelling at Darvish as he yells as Iwakuma. What a sight this is. Well, whatever he said worked, because Iwakuma gets the next 3 batters easily. In the bottom of the first, Kershaw sleepwalks through it getting them 1-2-3.

Second Inning: Iwakuma is still on the mound, with Craig Kimbrel in the bullpen. Carlos Santana aces it into the gap in right … it’s a ‘tweener … to the wall and Santana pulls in to second base standing up. Iwakuma looks immediately to the dugout as Douglass heads to the top step. As he is heading out, you hear Troy Tulowitzki yell out, ‘Do you need me to translate?’ You can see the players cracking up as Douglass asks Iwakuma for the ball and calls on Kimbrel. The once Golden Boy of Tempe Iwakuma has fallin out of love in Tempe after going 1-2 with a 4.85 ERA in the World Series loss. After Kimbrel strikes out Jason Kipnis, Douglass makes another unprecedented move. He is removing Alejandro De Aza from the game before he bats in favor of Carlos Gonzalez. It seems Douglass caught footage of De Aza flirting with his wife before the game and seemed to be gazing the stands for her when Santana hammered that double. Had he been paying attention, it’s likely he would have caught it. You see a somber De Aza leave the field and head to the locker room as he flew his whole family in for the event, but never got to bat. After Adam Jones grounds out to short, Douglass elects to walk the light hitting Asdrubal Cabrera in favor of getting Kershaw out of the game. The strategy works as the pinch hitting Matt Holliday strikes out to end the inning. Hollywood Manager Steve Cutler opts to hand the ball to matt Scherzer in relief of Kershaw. Sherzer walks Adrian Beltre to start the inning. Douglass pulls Beltre in favor of pinch runner Ryan Zimmerman. Zimmerman immediately steals second base on Santana. With a runner on second, Freddie Freeman singles to right, however Zimmerman holds at 3rd as the throw comes in. With runners at the corner, Douglass pinch runs for the pinch runner, sending in Matt Carpenter. He then pulls Freeman and opts for the speedy Everth Cabrera at 1st. Robinson Cano flies it to Adam Jones… Carpenter’s tagging… now both runners are tagging…. Carpenter will score … the throw in to second … and he’s … tagged out…not even close. The NL gave up the out for the run and leads 1-0. Scherzer gets Jason Castro on a routine grounder. After 2-innings of play, the NL leads 1-0.

Third Inning: We think Douglass found a pitcher he likes, because he trots Kimbrel out there for inning number two. He does his job getting the AL to go down in order 1-2-3. AL Manager Cutler heads to the bottom of the inning calling on Jeanmar Gomez to relieve Scherzer. Gomez walks Carlos Gonzalez to start. With Michael Cuddyer up there, NL Manager Douglass, playing small ball, has CarGo steals 2nd base. After Gomez strikes out Cuddyer, for some unknown reason, Gomez starts from the windup and CarGo easily steals 3rd base. AL Manager Cutler is pretty perturbed by this and starts barking at Gomez. Gomez responds on Mike Trout, but hitting him! That’s enough for Gomez as he leaves with Trout staring him down. Kimbrel is pulled for pinch hitter Jose Bautista while Cutler opts for Joaquin Benoit to get them out of the inning. At the same time, Joe Mauer replaces the defense-deficient Carlos Santana. Trout though, promptly tests Mauer and wins the battle in stealing 2nd. Benoit strikes out Bautista with runners on 2nd and 3rd, which leads to Troy Tulowitski. Let’s listen to the call….. Gonzalez into a little shuffle at third … Benoit now … and it gets by Mauer! The ball goes to the backstop … he scrambles for the ball … Gonzalez races home … he scores and Trout hustles over to third … and they score that a passed ball. The NL now leads 2-0. Benoit gets Tulowitski to get out of the inning.

Fourth Inning: Jesse Crain relieves the very effective Kimbrel. Josh Donaldson walks to lead off the inning as this is the third time in four innings the AL has had the leadoff batter on. Donaldson is removed for Lorenzo Cain. With Cain leading off against Crain, the AL calls for the hit-and-run with Mauer up. Here’s the call: Cain bluffs going … Cain’s off and running … the delivery … base hit right field…Cain’s running hard … he rounds third … he’s headed for home … Cano’s relay…here’s the play at the plate … he’s out! … Perfect throw by Cuddyer and Mauer takes second on the play! That brings up Jason Kipnis, who is the tying run. Crain hits him! WOW folks, this is supposed to be a friendly game and now there is a bit of melee going on here. Players start on the field as you see NL Manager Douglass pump his fist (he actually did that in my office and said ‘yes’) with Kipnis hit! Both sides are warned and Douglass immediately removes Crain for Yu Darvish. Darvish is mic’d up so let’s listen to the conversation:

Douglass: Hey Yu, see if you can get us out of here without getting me tossed. It was pretty sweet to see Kipnis hit after they hit our guy huh?
Darvish: Yeah skip. BTW, if you intend to bring someone out to translate to me, could you make it that sweet blonde with the hot dog hat on?
Douglass: <looking over> Yeah she is pretty sweet.
Darvish: I was talking about the guy next to her. Have you not seen my highlights?
Douglass:  <uncomfortable> Uh that’s what I meant, ‘he’….

AL Manager Cutler calls on Allen Craig to hit got Adam Jones and he pops out to CarGo. With 2-outs, Chris Johnson is called upon to hit for Asdrubal ‘Don’t call me Ass-to-Ball’ Cabrera. Johnson grounds out to Cano to end the threat. Trailing 2-0 still, Mike Minor is called upon in the fourth to face the NL lineup. Matt Carpenter reaches on a Kipnis error as Kipnis is still feeling the after effects of being plunked. Chris Davis reaches on a fielder’s choice then moves to second on the Cano groundout. With 2-outs, Carlos Beltran grounds out to Jed Lowrie to end the inning.

Fifth Inning: The AL goes down 1-2-3 once again and the AL is retired in order for the first time.

Sixth Inning: With 1-out in the top of the 6th, Lowrie reaches on a Matt Harvey walk. With the hit-and-run on, Joe Mauer lines out to Matt Carpenter, he tosses to first for the double play and to end the inning. In the bottom half, Ryan Webb walks T2 with 1-out. That leads to Matt Carpenter. They’re holding Tulowitski … the pitch … pulled hard … down the line to right…into the corner … Tulowitski racing for third … Carpenter headed for second… Tulowitski digging … he will score … Choo plays the carom … the throw to third…the relay … the slide … and he’s … safe!…the leather missed him…triple and an RBI for Carpenter. 3-0 lead for the NL. Webb is pulled in favor of David Price. Price gets Chris Davis on a shallow fly and Cano on strikes to keep the deficit at 3-0.

Seventh Inning: With 2-outs, Manny Machado legs out a single which brings up Miggy Cabrera. Miggy walks to put the tying run at the plate in Jayson Werth. Werth pops up softly and slams his bat down as the NL escapes yet another potential rally. Anibal Sanchez comes in for the AL and walks Yadier Molina to lead it off. With 1-out, Yadier attempts to steal and is thrown out. With 2-outs now, Sanchez walks Cuddyer & David Ortiz, back-to-back. Jose Fernandez is lifted for Michael Brantley. he runners take their lead … he lets it go … on the ground to deep short…Lowrie can’t get there … it’s through for a base hit … Bruce running in … still coming…Cuddyer is well around third … Ortiz is rounding second…. they’re waving Cuddyer in…. Ortiz’s headed for third…. the throw home… and Brantley’s headed for second on the throw… here’s the play at the plate … and he’s … safe…ahead of the throw…and there’s a play at second … the throw and he’s … in standing! NL leads 4-0.

Eighth Inning: Both teams are retired in order 1-2-3

Ninth Inning: C.J. Wilson is brought in the game to finish off the AL. Joe Mauer leads if off. Wilson into his motion … delivers … Mauer slaps one to the right side … Davis moves for it…and he spears it! … Waves off Wilson … and he steps on first for the out … one away. Brad Ziegler is next out. Neil Walker pinch hits for Kipnis. The pitch … ooooh, that looked good … but the ump doesn’t budge … and Walker draws a walk…Ziegler shakes his head. Mr. “Not Lost in Translation” Hyun-Jin Ryu comes in to face Wilin Rosario. They’re holding Walker … to the plate … Rosario shoots it toward short….Tulowitzki stops it on the first hop … flips it to Cano for one … and on to first…no, he’s taken out by the runner … no throw … but they get the lead runner. AL Skipper Cutler walks the bench and calls on Michael Bourn to hit for Mark Melancon. It also seems like he is taking a poll of who is left to pinch run for Rosario….He doesn’t seem to have any players left. Wait, the bullpen phone is ringing into the dugout – this is unusual. Skipper Cutler looks perplexed. He shrugs his shoulders and mouths “why not?” He walks toward the plate to tell the umpire the change. It looks like Koji Uehara is running in from the bullpen to run for Rosario. Rosario seems to be laughing that a pitcher is pinch-running for him. This prompts a visit from NL skipper Douglass. He’s calling on Mr. Reliable – Greg Holland to get 1-out. Holland pitches…..STRIKE ONE!……STRIKE TWO!!!!! STRIKE THREE!!!!… Bourn’s called out on strikes … and that’s the last out of the game.

FINAL SCORE: NL ALL-STARS 4, AL ALL-STARS 0

WP: Craig Kimbrel
LP: Matt Scherzer

MVP: Craig Kimbrel (2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 7 BF, 4 K)