The National League had nobody left except Brad Lidge, the loser. Manager Clint Hurdle even had to use Brandon Webb, who also pitched Sunday and, like Kazmir, wasn't supposed to work last night. Compounding Hurdle's dilemma: Tim Lincecum was unavailable, having been hospitalized with flu-like symptoms.
"The last two hours wasn't fun," said Red Sox - and AL - manager Terry Francona. "I was very nervous."
He should have been. He didn't have enough pitchers.
It's too bad that this was the focus of this marathon, because the main show was really the wonder ful pregame ceremony involving 49 Hall of Famers and The Boss, George Steinbrenner, who made an emotional appearance in a golf cart reminiscent of the Ted Williams tribute at Fenway Park in 1999.
Commissioner Bud Selig must resolve the pitching issue. If he wants this game to determine home-field advantage in the World Series, he can't risk having it end in a tie because the teams have run out of players. Ironically, the decision to base the World Series advantage on this game, reached in the wake of the '02 fiasco, seemed to have merit - until last night - because it had increased the intensity of the game.
These teams cared about winning, they just couldn't get a hit at the right time.
"You just never know what shape an All-Star Game is going to take," said Alex Rodriguez, whom Francona lifted with one out in the fifth so he could receive an ovation from his hometown fans. Rodriguez called it "a very classy move."
This night took all sorts of twists and turns, and like 1999 in Boston, all you really needed to watch was the memorable pregame ceremony. But you got a lot in between until the AL extended its unbeaten streak to 12 on Michael Young's bases-loaded sacrifice fly.
The pregame event was really the showstopper.
"It was very emotional, very overwhelming," said A-Rod. "That was the way it was in Boston. Whitey [Ford] was bawling. I went to hug him and he was bawling."
The living Hall of Famers on hand were introduced and took their positions on the field. The current All-Stars then took their places next to them. The most emotional moment and the biggest ovation came for center fielder Willie Mays, a "true Giant," according to Joe Buck, the master of ceremonies.
