No matter how you're planning on celebrating the Fourth — I'm planning on seeing A's-White Sox tonight before doing a l'il roadtrippin' to Milwaukee on Saturday for Pirates-Brewers — make sure you celebrate safe. We'll see you back here on Monday.

The Orioles may not be what they once were and the place may occasionally get overrun by Red Sox and Yankees fans, but there is one thing you can never take away from Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Almost 20 years after it started the retro-park craze in baseball, not one stadium has come close to matching what the Orioles started in Baltimore.

Repeat: Not one.

And in the latest installment of the Big Ballpark Review, you'll see how much Baltimoreans still love the jewel that is their local ballyard. From Boog's BBQ in right field to the trains that roll right up to the stadium, OPACY is still the standard that all stadiums have strived to meet, but have never been quite able to match. 

For an insider's look at visiting Oriole Park at Camden Yards, follow the jump. To submit tips on your home ballpark, e-mail 'Duk at bigleaguestew@yahoo.com. Upcoming parks on the schedule include Miller Park, Dodger Stadium and Petco Park.

Fact and figures (More at Ballparks.com)

Address: 333 West Camden Street, Baltimore, Md. 21201

Opened: 1992

Capacity: 48,262

Cost: $100 million

Biggest moment: On Sept. 6, 1995, Cal Ripken takes a lap of the stadium after passing Lou Gehrig's record of 2,130 consecutive games played.

Fun fact: The 1,016-foot long B&O Warehouse in right field is the longest building on the East Coast and was originally slated to be torn down during the construction of Camden Yards.

Resources 

• Buy tickets ($8-$80) • Seating chart • Stadium info • Baltimore.org

How to get there

"I live just north of the city line, so I more often than not take the light rail to the games since it's only $3 and some change round trip and it drops you off right at the stadium; it's a deal you can't beat until the way home when it seems like the longest ride ever just to get back to your stop. 

"I have also driven to the O's games many times and I'll alternate between parking on the other side of the harbor and walking through harborplace and along the harbor, parking in Federal Hill and walking the few blocks over to the stadium, or — if I'm in a real hurry to get to the game — I'll fork over the $10+ to park in the garage. Before the 10-year losing streak began, driving was awful because you'd sit in the parking garages waiting for all the traffic to slowly make its way out. Nowadays, it's a quick trip out of the garages since there are only around 20,000 people who attend the games." — Bruce Voelker, Baltimore

"Car or light rail. Parking is  easily accessible, except for big series w/the Yanks or BoSox and I often park at the 1st Mariner Arena parking garage, which is only a few blocks away from the stadium on Howard Street. Cost runs anywhere from $10-20. (It's more expensive for those bigger series.) The light rail is also a very easy (and cheap) way to go. I catch it at the North Linthicum station (right off of I-695) and buy a round trip ticket for $3.20. It takes about 10 minutes to get downtown, although it can be a bit crowded on the ride home." — Lauren Thompson, Columbia, Md.

"Driving is fairly easy since the stadium is right off the highway and the interchange was built specifically for the stadium. Parking is ample, but expensive. If you don't mind a 10-minute walk, you can usually find on-street, metered parking in the neighborhood near the stadium. It gets sketchy a little sketchy when you go west towards the bus station. If you're coming from the D.C. area or a suburb, I would consider taking the MARC train, which stops right next to the stadium. It's a commuter train that's relatively inexpensive, especially considering gas and parking expenses these days." — Ben Silverman

Before and after the game

"Pickles Pub across the street from the stadium, behind homeplate, is always fun, particularly on Opening Day. Down the street from there on Pratt St. is a place called The Wharf Rat that has really good beer and outside seating. Federal Hill is a 10-15 minute walk away but is worth it since there are numerous bars and restaurants and that's where the 20-something young professionals live and play. 

"If you're willing to pay for a cab ride, go over to Canton Square on O'Donnell Street or Fells Point on Aliceanna Street for bars, food, etc. There's also an awesome microbrewery in Mt. Vernon (up Charles St. via taxi) called The Brewer's Art.  A beer they make called 'Resurrection' is very popular around here, but I prefer another one they make called 'The Ozzy', named after Ozzy Osborne." — B.V.

"If you're in from out of town, the National Aquarium in Baltimore is a must see. It's in the Inner Harbor and although it will most likely be packed on a weekend during the summer time, it is a great place for kids to enjoy and explore. I  would give yourself at least 2-2 1/2 hours to get through it. 

"Also great for kids are the Maryland Science Center (which includes an IMAX theater) and Port Discovery, the Children's Museum. While the Inner Harbor area can be crowded with tourists, both the Light Street & Pratt Street pavilions are nice to wander through (several restaurants, souvenir shops, other stores). Occasionally there is live entertainment around as well (comedians, jugglers, other performers). Check out the paddle boats in the harbor too!  If crowds aren't your thing, check out historic Fells Point, or beautiful Little Italy. Definitely visit Vaccaro's Italian Pastry Shop, the most amazing Italian dessert shop ever!" — L.T.

"Even if it's infested with tourists, walking through the inner harbor is fun - various boat tours, paddleboats, the malls, the ESPN Zone (for arcade games, NOT food), and a surprisingly decent movie theater called Landmark Theater.

"If the game goes late, a great place for a late meal is the Paper Moon Diner. It's not terribly far from the park, and it's 24 hours. If you end up visiting Paper Moon, bring an old toy you don't want for the restaurant (an action figure, matchbox car, Pez dispenser, etc.) You'll see what I mean." — Jon G., Baltimore

"The Babe Ruth Birthplace and Official Orioles Museum is only two blocks from Camden Yards. It's a definite must-see for any baseball fan."  — George Lauder 

What to eat

"Boog's BBQ on Eutaw Street, no question.  Pit beef or pork, it doesn't get any better than that. If you're lucky, you might just see Mr. Boog Powell himself, signing autographs and posing for pics. For a mid-game snack, visit Uncle Teddy's pretzels on the first base side.  Amazingly soft & delicious pretzels — with either salt, cinnamon & sugar, or plain butter." — L.T.

"The crabcake sandwich platter (that is, with fries) that can be had for $12 at the Pop Fly Pub or Third Base Pub on the lower level. The sandwiches are tasty, huge, and mostly crab meat with very little filler (a REAL Maryland crabcake!) that you can have broiled or fried (each person has their own preference, mine is broiled).  In addition, they provide Old Bay that you can dump all over your fries and sandwich if you like your food a little spicy." — B.V.

"There are stands located throughout the stadium that offer microbrews made by local microbreweries for the same price as a Budweiser. Find one of these stands and treat yourself to a Clipper City Gold Ale or a Backfin Pale Ale and you won't be sorry. The best part is you don't have to pay extra for quality beer!" — B.V.

"The beer selection is fantastic, but you have to explore all the various stands for Guinness, microbrews, or local beers. Don't settle for the lite junk the vendors hawk. If you want a hot dog , grab one across the street from the stadium in front of the bars for just a dollar. They taste better than the dogs inside anyway. Same goes for peanuts." — J.G.

Where to sit

"There's really not a bad seat in the house, though sitting on the third base side with a direct view of the warehouse makes for a special game experience." — B.S.

"The place I can tell you to avoid though is the upper deck in left field — if you're high enough up there in these sections, the left fielder runs out of your line of sight if he runs to the warning track to catch a ball; you're left to the mercy of hearing the crowd roar to determine what happened.  These seats are extremely cheap, but you definitely get what you pay for. 

"The other place I'd avoid is being in a section too far up underneath the mezzanine/overhang — you can see the field just fine, but you miss out on what's being shown on the jumbotron. The O's try to make up for that by providing 10" or 13" tv monitors hanging from above for you to watch, but you can't really see them unless you're right underneath them." — B.V.

"The bleachers in centerfield are a pleasant surprise for their cheap price. However, if you go to a day game, you will roast like a turkey out there. Consider yourself warned from someone who's been there." — B.V.

"There really isn't a bad seat in the house, but I do love the Eutaw Street reserve bleacher seats. They're $15, it's prime home run territory, and it's close to Boog's BBQ. Try to get in section 98 though, cause then you'll be able to see the Jumbotron. (Otherwise it's a bit tough).  There's also a new thing started by the O's last year, the All-You-Can-Eat Left Field Club. You pay $40, get a quality seat and eat all the food you want at no additional charge. Friday nights are student nights, so tix are only $6 with a valid student ID. These will put you in the Left Field Upper Reserve seats." — L.T.

"I've truly never sat in a bad seat in the place. Once I was sitting in the top-most row on the first base side, yet I could still tell balls and strikes ... and the ump missed a lot of calls that night." — Chris Zimmerman, Stevensville, Md.

"There are $8 upper reserve seats on the first Tuesday of the month — a.k.a. T-Shirt Tuesday. A different Orioles player is selected every month for the gimmick, but their best player, Nick Markakis, has already had his shirt released." — J.G.

Misc.

"The rituals are unlike any other place I've seen a game and I've been to games in Boston, New York, Chicago, Cleveland, and Philly.  From the "OH!" that's shouted out during the Star Spangled Banner, to the crab shuffle on the jumbotron, to the 7th inning stretch sung to "Thank God I'm A Country Boy", Camden Yards is a place like no other. It's the only place I've been to where the jumbotron operators taunt the fans of the opposing club (primarily New Yorkers and New Englanders). In addition, Oriole Park was the first of the neo-retro stadiums and it hasn't lost a bit of its charm." — B.V.

"Camden Yards is a beautiful facility that every baseball fan should not only visit, but thank repeatedly for ushering in the modern era of great ballparks. The only problem is that you can typically hear crickets chirping at the game unless it's the Yankees or Red Sox in town." — B.S.

"My first MLB game was a game at Oriole Park when I was in the 7th grade, and I just fell in love with the park, the team, and baseball.  Come visit Oriole Park at Camden Yards. You're guaranteed to have a great time!" — L.T.

"Great ballpark in general, no doubt about it. Just watch out for the Oriole Bird; he ate my hat once." — C.Z.

Have an insider's tip for OPACY that you didn't see listed here? E-mail it with your name and hometown to 'Duk at bigleaguestew@yahoo.com for possible inclusion in the post.

Big League Stew's Big Ballpark Review will run all summer, will feature all 30 MLB ballparks and is based on recommendations from you, the reader. We welcome reviews for any ballpark. To do so, visit this post for submission guidelines.

A few weeks back, we did a C-a-C with Daisuke Matsuzaka as he sat in the visitor's dugout at the stadium of the Lehigh Valley IronPigs. Well, on Wednesday, Philadelphia's Brett Myers found himself sitting on the bench across the same diamond, but for very different reasons — he's serving a penance for being such a crummy pitcher, not rehabbing a nagging injury — than Dice-K. 

The thing I like best about this picture is that it seems as if Myers just discovered a photographer from the Associated Press made the trip and he's about to go Hollywood paparazzo-style crazy on the guy who's documenting his appearance in a jersey that says 'IronPigs.'

So, anyway, have at it, amateur Internet copywriters of the world ... How should this caption read?

Follow the jump for winners from Tuesday's C-a-C:

'Have you met my new Cabinet members?' 

1st — mdub84.

Hola Seniors and Seniorjuniors. Can I see your passports or greencards?

2nd — vaffancullo.

Say, aren't you Danny Almonte?

3rd — Missed Draft Defending Champ. 

"Mr President can you please tell your bestest oil friends to lower gas prices, so mommy can drive me to practice every day?"

"Uh-huh we got 6 months to go kido, gotta ride the gravy train

HM — Matt H.

"What PR genius decided to pose me, a Republican, with the evil Democrat blue team?"

HM — tinderbox2007 

These guys look a lot bigger on t.v. .

But before we can unveil our decade- and era-spanning 32-moment brackets, there are four play-in spots to be decided. Here's the fourth and final play-in matchup. Cast your vote below.

Gene Budig Regional play-in

8. Satchel Paige joins AL All-Star team, AARP

When: July 14, 1953

Where: Crosley Field, Cincinnati

What happened?: After being selected without playing in the '52 game, Satchel Paige of the St. Louis Browns became the oldest player — at either 46 or 47 years old — to appear in an All-Star Game. Starting the eighth inning, Paige rocked (on the mound, not in a chair) and fired at Gil Hodges, who lined out to Larry Doby. Enos Slaughter and Murry Dickson each had drove in a run against Paige, a longtime Negro Leagues superstar, who didn't reach the majors until after Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier.

One of the game's all-time entertainers, Paige retired at the end of '53 but returned 12 years later for the Kansas City Athletics. He allowed one hit in a three-inning start for Charlie Finley's A's. Afterward, Paige promptly retired again. "How old would you be if you didn't know how old you are?" Paige was famously quoted as saying.

9. Good seats still available for '36 All-Star Game

When: July 7, 1936

Where: Braves Field, Boston

What happened?: What if they had an All-Star Game and almost nobody came? Braves Field could hold some 42,000 fans, but only 25,556 showed on a sunny day— a season after Cleveland set a record with 69,831 fans — to watch the NL get its first win after three AL victories. Apparently, the media of the day mistakenly led folks to believe that the game had sold out. Those who ignored the fourth estate saw a home run by Lou Gehrig, along with six combined shutout innings by Dizzy Dean and Carl Hubbell, and the first All-Star appearance by Joe DiMaggio — who went 0-for-5 with an error.

So what's the more memorable All-Star memory? (Polling closes around noon on Monday CT)

But before we can unveil our decade- and era-spanning 32-moment brackets, there are four play-in spots to be decided. Here's the third. Cast your vote below.

Ban Johnson Region Play-In

8. Madlock whoops the Goose, meets Henry Kissinger

When: July 15, 1975

Where: County Stadium, Milwaukee

What happened?: Less than three months after the fall of Saigon and the completion of the U.S. evacuation of Vietnam, Secretary of State Henry Kissinger probably felt entitled to a check out a ballgame. He picked a great one, too — both athletically and politically — as two opposing members of vicious longtime enemies decided the outcome.

The Cubs' Bill Madlock — on his way to a batting title in '75 — broke up a 3-3 tie in the ninth with a two-run single against young White Sox closer and future Hall-of-Famer Goose Gossage. After being on the ropes in Henry Aaron's first home ballpark — Hammerin' Hank played for the AL squad in his 25th and final All-Star appearance, the NL won its fourth straight and for the 17th time in 21 games.

Madlock, named a co-MVP, was presented his award by commissioner Bowie Kuhn and, of course, Kissinger, who ignored a golden opportunity to save lives by mediating the Cubs-White Sox rivalry.

-- Vs. -- 

9. Don Drysdale starts two All-Star Games — in the same season.

When: Aug. 3, 1959

Where: Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles

What happened?: At a time when a double feature at a drive-in movie theater was as American as liking Ike, the baseball powers decided to double up the All-Star Game fun by adding a second contest. With 60 percent of the profits of the second game going to the players pension fund — somewhere, Marvin Miller was shaking his head — Don Drysdale let 'er rip against Pete Runnels and All-Star history was made in L.A. Three weeks earlier, Drysdale had started Game 1 at Pittsburgh, which the NL won. The AL took the nightcap, 5-3, and the leagues would play two for three more seasons.

So what's the more memorable All-Star memory? (Polling closes around noon on Monday CT)

But after a reported incident on Tuesday night when one man in Anaheim was arrested after trying to go after Oakland reliever Huston Street and his wife, perhaps that perception is starting to change.

From MLB.com:

Tim Mead, the Angels' vice president of communications, confirmed that a man identified by police as Jeffrey Coles, 26, of Anaheim, was arrested on suspicion of assault and battery in the incident.

According to Mead, the episode began when Coles, standing near A's family members and friends waiting for players to depart the stadium after the game, started getting verbally abusive toward A's players.

A security guard who requested anonymity described the scene: "He was out of hand, all kinds of terrible language ... and I guess Street heard it or saw it ... so he asked us to get the guy out of there. We did, and that should have been the end of it."

It wasn't.

The article says that Coles attempted to break through the security that was holding him back to get to the Streets. He was then detained and arrested. Last season, a fan was ejected and arrested at Angel Stadium for throwing a half-full water bottle at Mike Piazza, so it's not like this is the first questionable incident with an A's-Angels series in SoCal.

On Wednesday night, it was the actual baseballs doing the mug-messing, though it's unclear exactly what Barrett did to our little seamy friends. 

Perhaps he rubbed them the wrong way?

(Yeah, it was there ... Had to take it.)

Anyway, head on over to The Fightins, where Meech has some of the most gruesome video goodness (MLB.com also has it) that you'll ever see. While I've seen thousands and thousands of players foul the ball off their shins and feet, I can't say that I ever remember someone doing something like this. (Anyone?)

As for Barrett's status. He obviously left the game with a bloodied schnozz and it appears that he has a fractured nose. Apparently the worst kind of luck, too.

Game of the Day: Rays 7, Red Sox 6

How do you say "sweep" in New English? Listen to the voice of Dewayne Staats crack on Longoria, who had the biggest hit, a go-ahead two-run double in a six-run seventh. B.J. Upton made the biggest catch, a cross between Jim Edmonds and Willie Mays — call it "JiMayzin'!" — in the ninth. Later, Dioner Navarro had the biggest throw, to nail the potential tying run at second base.

Let's talk about something important: Since baseball went to three divisions, the outcome for any team's season is like that of the salesmen in Mamet's classic cursefest, "Glengarry." Either you win the El Dorado motor car (the division) the steak knives (the wild card) or you get fired. Now that the Rays lead the Sawx by five games in the loss column (not to alaaahm anyone) their chances of taking home the cutlery or the coupe are pretty good.

Ichtheology: Eric Wilbur of Boston.com recently noted, with the help of these scientists, that the Rays have a 74-percent chance of making the playoffs, and a 53-percent chance of winning the East. Why so conservative? Morning Juice puts the Rays chances at 100 and 100, respectively.

A bag too far: Dustin Pedroia missed the cycle by one base — too many. His eighth-inning double, were it a single, would have made for the 278th cycle in big league annals. On its face, a double is better than a single. Twice as good, in fact. Yet, Pedroia somehow misses history (there have been 256 no-hitters, to compare) because he hit the ball too well. It's kind of like Powerball. Twenty-three might be your number, it might be the coolest number, it might be the smart number to play. But if the No. 23 ping-pong ball don't come up, you're still working at Sears tomorrow.

* * *

Feelin' Rundown (Wednesday's other games):

Twins 7, Tigers 0 — Nick Blackburn says, "Back in your cage!"

Marlins 4, Nationals 2 — A-mez-a-ga, A-mez-a-ga, God shed his grace on thee, and crown thy good with brotherhood, from sea to shining sea.

Angels 7, Athletics 4 — Bobby Thigpen in 1990 set the major league record for saves in a season with 57, but did it without the X-ray shopglasses (hey, K-Rod, you throwing splitters or splitting 2x4s out there?) that give Francisco Rodriguez an unfair competitive advantage.

Cubs 6, Giants 5 — Cubs announcer Bob Brenly says Carlos Marmol is in love with his slider; lemme tell ya, kid, she'll only break your heart.

Orioles 5, Royals 2 — God, it looks like Daniel Cabrera pitched a great game; must be the clouds in my eyes.

Brewers 4, D-backs 3 — Battle stations, people, we have a division leader under .500 in July, move it, move it, move it.

Yankees 18, Rangers 7 — Hank Steinbrenner probably thinks he's like Albert Brooks in "Broadcast News" ("I say it here and it comes out there") now that he demanded more runs one minute and received them the next.

Rockies 8, Padres 1 — If Joe Buck and Colin Cowherd were talking about this game being an example of baseball being hard to watch, one certainly could see their point.

Cardinals 8, Mets 7 — Game-winning homer in the ninth for Troy Glaus — so, was THIS game good enough for you two dipthongs?

White Sox 6, Indians 5 (10 inn.) — C.C. gets an N/D in what could be his next-to, next-to, next-to, next-to last start with the Indians.

Dodgers 4, Astros 1 — Come back soon, Clayton Kershaw!

Mariners 4, Blue Jays 2 — The sun will come out to Morrow, Brandon.

Phillies 7, Braves 3 — Brett Myers made his first start for Lehigh Valley — wait, did they send him all the way back to high school?

Pirates 9, Reds 5 — The bursa sacs in Matt Capps' shoulder are jacked.

Ooh, that's bad.

But the Bucs bullpen pitched 6 2/3 scoreless innings!

That's good.

Jay Bruce came in batting .218 in his past 26 games.

That's bad.

But he hit two home runs and drove in four!

That's good.

About two dozen friends and family saw John Van Benschoten get rocked in his first hometown start in Cincinnati.

That's bad.

Xavier Nady hit two homers and had four RBIs.

That's good.

Nady contains potassium benzoate.

(?)

That's bad.

Can we go on vacation now?

* * *

Photo of the Day: And ... boom goes the fireworks!

"Designate Vinnie Chulk for assignment, will they? I'll show those no-good so-and-so Giants."

* * *

Fantasy Freaks

Blackburn (Twins) 7 IP 3 H, BB, 4 K, Win

Jason Giambi (Yankees) 2-4, 2 R, HR, 6 RBI

A-Rod (Yankees) 2-3, 4 R, HR, 3 RBI

Daniel Cabrera (O's) 9 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 2 K, Win

Nady (Bucs) 3-5, 2 HR, 3 RBI

Bruce (Reds) 2-3, 2 HR, 4 RBI

Pedroia (Red Sox) 4-5, 3 R, HR, 2 RBI

Hiroki Kuroda (Dodgers) 7 IP, 5 H, BB, K, Win

Grady Sizemore (Indians) 3-4, 4 R, 2 HR, 3 RBI, SB

A.J. Pierzynski (White Sox) 2-4, 2 HR

Glaus (Cards) 2-4, 2 HR, 4 RBI

* * *

Fantasy Flakes

Sidney Ponson (Yankees) 5 IP, 9 H, 7 ER, 3 BB, K

Randy Wolf (Padres) 4 IP, 6 H, 7 ER, 4 BB, 4 K, Loss

* * *

Words of Mouth

"We do expect to win on a nightly basis." — Rays manager Joe Maddon

You can disagree with me if you want, but I believe that if it weren't for who his father was, Joe Buck and his droning, monotone, haughty and easily-outraged-by-Randy Moss style would be somewhere in rural Minnesota, announcing the details of that day's ice fishing contest.

Well, if there were any broadcasting justice and any chance to make my dream come true, rural Minnesota is where Joe Buck would end up after the comments he made on this morning's Colin Cowherd Show. Apparently not only does Joe Buck not enjoy baseball as much as he used to, he says would rather watch "The Bachelorette" instead of the game that, for some reason, has made him its preeminent voice.

Via Awful Announcing:

If he really thinks America is too busy to watch baseball during the week, then I would suggest Buck is completely out of touch from the millions who fill the parks Monday through Friday, those who blog about it endlessly with their own free time without ever getting paid and the people who hang on every pitch like he's announcing it without much interest during October.

What's even worse is that he doesn't even seem to believe that he and Fox might seem to be part of the problem. If people weren't being subjected to non-stop commercial breaks, dozens of in-game robot advertisements for Malcolm In The Middle and hundreds of fan reaction shots between each pitch, maybe more would be interested in tuning in.  

Look, I never thought I'd agree with both Rob Parker and Skip Bayless, but Bud Selig and his people should be making phone calls this afternoon to ensure that someone else is tabbed to do the rest of Fox's schedule through the World Series. If Joe Buck no longer enjoys watching baseball, then it's time to confine him to his precious NFL and find someone else who does.

The Rays and Rays Village (a term I rather enjoy) go for the sweep tonight and if they're successful, I expect we'll see a lot more displays like the one to your right ... only this time it might be toward 'B'-cap wearing dudes on the field.

Elsewhere in the baseball blogosphere ...

• Ken Rosenthal thinks the Red Sox should consider dumping Manny ... yes, again. [Fox Sports]

• If you don't have any Fourth of July plans, watching the Cubs-Cardinals game might not be a bad idea. According to my boys at Cardinals Diaspora, a very lovely young woman is planning on streaking the field. If you DO have plans and this actually happens, don't worry. It'll be on every baseball blog before the end of the inning. [Cardinals Diaspora]

• Baseball blogger breaks toe. Another baseball blogger blogs about it. Someday this media revolutionizing moment will be studied in a journalism class. [Walkoff Walk]

• Here are six GMs who might be dodging bottle rockets at the team picnic soon. [Biz of Baseball]

• Melky Cabrera, go to your room! [Yankees Chick]

• Peter Abraham is the man and if he introduces me to Jenn Sterger during All-Star week, I will consider him even more so. [LoHud Yankees Blog]

• Does Kansas City's tradition of yelling "and the home of the CHIEFS" at the end of every National Anthem hurt the Royals chances of signing free agents? If you believe one former player, it does. [BallStar]

• It makes sense if you think about it, but the Padres give away quality beach towels. [Gaslamp Ball]

But before we can unveil our decade- and era-spanning 32-moment brackets, there are four play-in spots to be decided. Here's the second one. Cast your vote below.

Leonard Coleman Regional Play-In 

8. Randy Johnson nearly decapitates John Kruk with pitch, '93

When: July 13, 1993

Where: Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Baltimore

What happened?: Kirby Puckett won the MVP in '93, but as we've already seen in the comments section on Play-in No. 1, the game's lasting memory came in the third-inning, when Randy Johnson threw a 98-MPH fastball just over John Kruk's head. Never one to pass up a ham-it-up moment, Kruk backed out of the batter's box, clutched his heart and smiled back at the fellow left-hander.

"I was praying Bobby Cox would pinch hit for me, but then when he didn't I thought this was stupid," Kruk told the NY Post last week. "I kind of had an inkling something was going to happen because Pudge Rodriguez was catching and he just said, 'Let's have some fun with this.'"

-- Vs.--

9. NL's Stu Miller gets "blown off mound" at Candlestick, resulting in a game-changing balk for AL, '61

When: July 11, 1961

Where: Candlestick Park, San Francisco

What happened?: As legend would have it, San Francisco pitcher Stu Miller was literally blown off the mound by a big Bay gust in the ninth inning with American League runners on first and second. The movement the wind caused in Miller resulted in a balk that moved the runners up a base and allowed the game-tying run to score on a subsequent RBI single by Rocky Colavito. However, the National League would win 5-4 in 10 innings, when Roberto Clemente singled home Willie Mays to end a game that involved 18 future Hall of Famers.

Despite the NL win, Miller's balk continued to grow in legend, even if the gust wasn't as dramatic as it has sometimes been made out to be.

"I don't think any of the fans knew what happened," Miller told MLB.com in 2006. "They were probably wondering why did those runners move up. Anyhow, the next day in the papers the headline says, 'Miller Blown Off Mound' ... I didn't move a hell of a lot. The papers made it sound like I was pinned against the center-field fence."

So what's the more memorable All-Star memory? (Polling closes at 11:59 a.m. CT Thursday)

No, Virginia, there is definitely not a Santa Claus, at least not in a world where Rance Mulliniks, a sergeant in Tom Henke's Army, ditches his specs and opts for the all-corrective vision surgery that is LASIK.

From the interview, conducted by a fellow from Peace Magazine, who looks a little like Rance — the cooler, bespectacled version, anyway — himself:

Interviewer: Are you wearing contacts?

Rance Mulliniks: "No, I actually has LASIK surgery about 5-6 years ago."

Like I said, we might as well have just seen Slash shed his top hat, Mike Tyson remove that face tattoo or Flavor Flav ditch his neck clock.

But at least Rance says there's no shot he'll ever get rid of the Rance 'Stache.

All the fashion goodness starts to come around the 4:15 mark. 

The Peace Magazine folks have a couple of other decent, if somewhat odd, sports interviews up, from Jesse Barfield rambling on about his broken jock strap and the grease runoff from George Bell's Jheri curl 'do  to Dusty Baker reminding us all for the 7,456th time that he played with Hank Aaron to J.P. Ricciardi saying he was never a Red Sox fan, then saying a few seconds later that he rooted for them when he was eight or nine years old.

But before we can unveil our decade- and era-spanning 32-moment brackets, there are four play-in spots to be decided. Here's the first one. Cast your vote below.     

Chub Feeney Regional Play-In

8. Michael Young's triple off Trevor Hoffman wins '06 game

Date: July 11, 2006 

Where: PNC Park, Pittsburgh

What happened?: Michael Young may not have been a well-known name before arriving in Pittsburgh, but he earned headlines across the country with a two-out, two-run triple, off future Hall-of-Famer Trevor Hoffman. The hit gave the AL a 3-2 lead they would not relinquish and it earned Young MVP honors.

"I'm not going to lie. This is a pretty big highlight in my baseball career," said Young. "I think everyone dreams of having a big All-Star Game. Even coming to the All-Star Game is humbling enough, but to be in this situation now where I have an All-Star Game MVP is pretty exciting." (MLB.com) 

-- Vs. --

9. Lou Whitaker forgets jersey in '85, buys one from a store, ends up in Smithsonian

Date: July 16, 1985 

Where: Metrodome, Minneapolis

What happened?: Lou Whitaker forgot his jersey on the way to the All Star Game, so the Tigers arranged to have one flown in. That jersey, however, was lost in transit, so Sweet Lou had to go out and buy a jersey and write his number in black marker on the back. He ended up going 0-for-2 that night , but all was not lost because the Smithsonian asked for Whitaker's jersey. (Pic and more from Uni Watch.)

According to Wikipedia, the jersey is still part of the Smithsonian's collection today. A year later, Whitaker would hit a 2-run homer off Dwight Gooden.

What's the more memorable All-Star memory? (Polling closes at 11:59 a.m. CT Thursday)

But at least I knew what I liked. 

Anyway, I digress. If you haven't read Dodger Dogs, the book is a must for any baseball fan and it's also available for only 83 cents on Amazon. In short, it's Mr. Wood's tale of visiting all 26 big league parks — that's all there were back then — long before everyone and their uncle started doing the exact same thing with their summers. 

Through Wood, I got to visit faraway (Cleveland's Municipal Stadium!) and exotic (Toronto's Exhibition Stadium!) locales. I got to see which parks had the best food and which had the best fans. At the time, it was pretty much the only book of its kind out there and its influence on me is  still evident, both through the book I wrote a few years back and through the Stew's Big Ballpark Review we're currently running. 

It was a pleasant surprise, then, to see Baseball Musings catch up with Bob Wood on the 20th anniversary of the book's publication and to find that people out there still like the book as much as I did/do. The piece is an enjoyable read and although it was a bit surreal to learn that 22 of the 26 parks featured in Wood's book are either no longer or scheduled for the wrecking ball, it got me looking around for my library card. Hopefully it won't be checked out by the time I get there.

Anyone else out there as big a fan of this book as I was?

A big BLS head nod to JoePo for the timely link.  

With Challis in New York to see a Yankees game on Tuesday, A-Rod went out of his way to make sure that his visit was first class all the way. 

From the New York Post:

A (Challis) family friend got tickets and a hotel reservation was made near Newark Airport. John's father Scott put a call into the Yankees on Monday to tell them John was coming to last night's game against Texas. He wanted to know if anything could be done about getting a ride to the famous ballpark in the Bronx.

No problem, he was told, arrangements were made, and a midtown hotel was reserved. And, by the way, your driver's name is Alex.

On a day Madonna rumors swirled around Alex Rodriguez, the Yankee slugger deftly made his way through a wall of media camped on his Park Avenue doorstep. He had a promise to keep. He had to get John Challis to the game.

A-Rod wasn't the only Major League giving of his time on Tuesday. Here in Chicago, Nick Swisher hosted 8-year-old cancer survivor Adam Bender, who you may have seen playing Little League on only one leg earlier this year. While there are those who will be cynics and say that athletes only do such thing for the publicity and cameras, I will never go down that path. Doing so, I think, shows you're missing the point entirely.

Follow the jump for a great photo of Bender catching Tuesday's first pitch from Swisher.

AP photo 

Game of the Day: White Sox 3, Indians 2 (10 inn.)

1-900-555-DEAL: "Hey there, it's Mark —I mean — "Kimberlynn." Why don't you call me anymore? It used to be that we'd talk about anything — and I mean anything. I hear you're looking for some pitching; a nice, strong, muscular arm that can whip balls through the zone. You know — high and tight? We've got exactly what you're looking for. Sure, C.C. is available. Everyone's available. But all the boys call for C.C. Why do you want to be like the other guys? Why not deal for someone with experience? Paul Byrd's been to the playoffs three times and he's sworn off porn. And you know what that means. He'd be all yours — mind and body."

$2 first min./$20 million each addi. yr.: "Sure, we'd like a couple of your stud prospects. That sounds hot. And I love that one of them swings both ways, too. You know what I think of switch hitters, Jim Hendry — I mean — 'Lex.' You think you can keep up with C.C. and his agent? They're pretty pricey. We might just let him go for a couple of draft picks if we can't come together with someone on a deal. So, about Byrd. ... What? Oh, I'm wearing a red Chief Wahoo golf shirt and khakis."

WHIP: "OK, Jim Hendry — I mean — Lex. Need some attention in the back end ... of your bullpen? I've got a guy for you. He saved me 45 times last year and his last name is long and hard. He's... Yeah, it's Joe Borowski [click]. Hello? Hello ... Lex?"

* * *

Feelin Rundown (Tuesday's other games):

Rays 3, Red Sox 1 — Better luck next year, Boston. Use oven mitts to handle Matt Garza. Hard to believe: This Longoria link leads not to a dripping wet babe, but to a funktacular defensive gem. This link, on the other hand...

Rangers 3, Yankees 2 — Three steals and the go-ahead run for Ian Kinsler, whose name sounds like that a British guy who writes suspense novels. Here's an excerpt: Billionaire body artist/surfing champion Jules-Jeff Jeffers works hard and he plays hard, but when his own brother turns up dead near the outskirts of Macao, "3J" puts away his needles and his board, instead stocking his '37 Woodie with an arsenal that only a SWAT team could love. You will never forget the unforgettably memorable "Tic-Tat-Bro," the riveting sequel to "Dye, Baby, Die" by novelist Ian Kinsler, who also brought you the thrilling "The Velveteen Gambit" and the unhinged "Hair of Samson."

Angels 5, Athletics 3 — Garret Anderson continues to go about himself in a Harold Bainesian sort of way. Not that he's as good as Harold was. Strike me down for implying it, in fact. But he's quiet, humble and left-handed. That's Harold. ... Says in the A.P. story that Francisco Rodriguez has 33 saves, one away from John Smoltz's record for most saves at the All-Star break. What? There's no such thing as a record for having the most anything at an All-Star break.

Brewers 8, D-backs 6 — It seems to me The Big Unit is living his life like a candle in the wind. Upon exiting another bad outing, he flipped his glove, his mustache and his mullet to a young lad in the second row.

Giants 2, Cubs 1 — Drats. Jason Marquis' next strong outing isn't scheduled until late August.

Orioles 7, Royals 5 — After a couple of late meltdowns, the O's couldn't lose with 10,000 orange George Sherrills rooting them on at Camden Yards. The Greeks might have won the Battle of Thermopylae if they wore No. 52 orange Ts.

Twins 6, Tigers 4 — Craig Monroe's three-run deep was the key hit. He's one of those guys who'll always be a Tiger, no matter where he plays. First Michael Jordan starts hitting jumpers against the Bulls, and now this.

Mariners 7, Blue Jays 6 — They celebrated "Canada Day" at Safeco which means they should have let the best curling team decide who won. Instead, they played baseball and Willie Bloomquist hit a game-winning single. He's usually the worst player on the field at a given moment, but he's got one of the 10 best names in baseball.

Pirates 6, Reds 5 (11 inn). — The blog commenter fella from last week who said that Volquez was due for an ERA correction, you were correct, sir! Matt Capps, go to your room!

Nationals 9, Marlins 6 — Collin Balester said he was awed by his surroundings on his first day in the big leagues. Winning your major league debut in Dolphin Stadium must be like being born in a men's room. Yeah, it's great to be alive, but yiiick.

Dodgers 7, Astros 6 (11 inn.) — Dogs blew a five-run lead but pulled it out to stay hot on the D-backs tracks. Nothin' was rhyming for Wandy. Conversely, Clayton Kershaw will win 250 games if he keeps this attitude: "I was just glad I pitched good," Kershaw said. "Statistically it won't look good. But I pitched better, I pitched kind of the way I want to and we got the win."

Mets 7, Cardinals 4 — Wellemeyer — not so good. The Cards are running low on pitching options, even for them. What about a program where Duncan and La Russa round up the homeless and work one or two into the Cards' rotation? They also said the airplane would never fly.

Rockies 4, Padres 0 — Complete game in 79 pitches. Aaron Cook, you're ridiculous!

Phillies 8, Braves 3 — Shane Victorino's homer whizzed by Kelly Johnson's knees at second base and made it over the wall in right by millimeters. Wasted no altitude whatsoever. Chipper 1-3, .393.

* * *

Photo of the Day: I love charades!

Baltimore's Adam Jones uses a scoring opportunity to impersonate Tom Cruise from his favorite movie, "Mission Impossible." 

* * *

Fantasy Freaks

Brandon Phillips (Reds) 3-5, HR, 4 RBI

Matt Garza (Rays) 7 IP, 5 H, 3 K, Win

Shane Victorino (Phillies) 2-5, HR, 4 RBI

Ronnie Belliard (Nats) 2-4, 2 R, HR, 4 RBI

Hanley (Marlins) 2-4, HR, 5 RBI

Carlos Lee (Astros) 4-5, 2 RBI

Lee (Tribe) 8 IP, 6 H, ER, BB, 3 K

John Danks (White Sox) 8 IP, 4 H, ER, BB, 8 K

Wellemeyer (Cards) 5 IP, 12 H, 6 ER, 2 BB, 2 K

Cook (Rockies) 9 IP, 5 H, 4 K, Win

Cain (Giants) 8 IP, 2 H, 3 BB, 10 K, Win

* * *

Fantasy Flakes

Mark Hendrickson (NBA) 6 IP, 10 H, 6 ER, 3 K, Loss

Nate Robertson (Tigers) 4 IP, 11 H, 6 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, Loss

Unit (D-backs) 3 2/3 IP, 8 H, 7 ER, 3 BB, 6 K, 3 HR, Loss

* * *

Words of the Day

"He has a lot of heart. I was going to say something else, but that might not make it to print." — Dmitri Young, on his first impression of Balester.

If you're planning a summer road trip to Cooperstown to see Barry Bonds' record-breaking 756th home run ball — and, really, why wouldn't you be? — you're better off just saving the thousand or so bucks in gas money. 

The l'il white orb, which is believed to be marked with a giant asterisk by owner Marc Ecko, won't be there. Or so say the fine people at Baseball's Hall of Fame, who are in the middle of stalled negotiations with the fashion designer. 

From the Associated Press: 

The Hall said Tuesday recent talks with fashion designer Marc Ecko, who bought the souvenir for more than $750,000 last September, had “unfortunately reached an impasse.”

“The owner’s previous commitment to unconditionally donate the baseball has changed to a loan. As a result, the Hall of Fame will not be able to accept the baseball,” the Hall said in a statement.

“Should the owner choose to unconditionally donate the ball to the museum at a future date, we would be delighted and of course, accept his offer,” it said.

Nearly all of the Hall’s 35,000-plus artifacts were presented on a permanent basis. The shrine does make exceptions, especially when it has nothing else to illustrate a story — Willie Mays loaned the glove he used to make his famous, over-the-shoulder catch in the 1954 World Series.

Bonds donated the batting helmets he wore when he hit his 755th and 756th home runs last August, breaking Hank Aaron’s career record.

Frankly, I don't think any of us are at a loss here, because I've never understand the allure of wanting to see "famous" baseballs from history. Mostly because they all look EXACTLY THE SAME.

Want to display the jersey from a famous game? The glove? The bat? A pair of spikes? The lineup card taped to the dugout wall? Yeah, I'd be interested in seeing all of those, because they're all unique and can tell different parts of the story. You can tell how big the bat is, what the jersey was made out of in those days, etc ... 

But when it comes to baseballs, they could slip any ol' Rawlings in there and we wouldn't know much of a difference, sort of like when the Olsen twins were on Full House. I can't see Barry Bonds' No. 756 ball? Well, I'll go look at any of the other thousand baseballs the Hall of Fame has just like it.

All of that is to say ... I won't be struggling to sleep tonight. I'm betting you won't be, either. 

Back in the summer of 2001, President Bush started holding an annual t-ball game on the White House lawn to promote health and fitness among children. On Monday, he led his last Little League contest, leading the LA Times to wonder if the game might prove to be one of his lasting legacies.

Regardless, it appears that a good time was had by all, from the President who once donned a LL uniform himself to the teams from the poorest sections of New Jersey and Puerto Rico who played each other.

So have at it, amateur Internet copywriters of the world. How should this caption read?

('Duk ducks and runs for cover, realizing he may have just created a bad political thread monster instead of the fun juxtaposition between serious Presidential politics and innocent Little League Baseball.)

Follow the jump for winners from Monday's C-A-C:

'Watch it! Jeremy's had quite a day!"

1st — Decapitated Mr. Redlegs.

Andino please, we are trying to phase out the hip bump.     (A comment after 'Duk's heart.)

2nd — mdub84.

Don't you have some equipment to pack up Andino? Outta the way!

3rd — Lazer Eyes. 

"Did you miss the team meeting? High fives are out, hugs are in." 

It is powered by BLS contributor Nick Friedell and does its work every Tuesday.

Randy Johnson, Diamondbacks

Data: 4-6, 4.94 ERA

Malfunction: The Big Unit is in the middle of a five-game losing streak. Over that time he has given up 23 earned runs and 41 hits over 30 and 1/3 innings.

Diagnosis: Johnson hasn't been locating his pitches as well lately. "One of his big pitches is that slider to the back leg, that left-on-right slider down and in," D-Backs pitch coach Bryan Price said, referring to the pitch the left-handed Johnson often uses to strike out right-handed hitters. "That's probably been the pitch that he's had the hardest time getting where it needs to be on a consistent basis over the last three or four starts."

"He's been throwing it really good on the side and in the pregame ... Lately, in game situations, it hasn't been as sharp.  But it's certainly still there. He hasn't lost it. He just hasn't put it where he needs to put it as often." (Arizona Republic)

Reboot Directions: Johnson has to pitch better at home. He is 3-2 on the year at Chase Field with a 6.23 ERA. He'll get his chance to start turning things around tonight, as the D-Backs host the Brewers. Johnson is 18-8 in his career against Milwaukee with a 3.46 ERA.

* * *

Jeff Francoeur, Braves

Data: .239 average, 8 HR, 41 RBI

Malfunction: Since June 20, the Braves right fielder is 3-for-29.

Diagnosis: "The hardest thing for me, especially when you're young and you're going through a slump, is knowing who to listen to and who not to listen to," said Francoeur, referring to the formidable likes of Terry Pendleton, Bobby Cox and Chipper Jones, along with former Parkview High baseball coach Hugh Buchanan and Francoeur's father, David. (AJC.com)

Reboot Directions: Francoeur recently made the interesting move of getting fitted for a contact lens in just one eye, to wear just during night games. It makes sense, considering he is hitting .301 during the day, and just .206 at night. He is 4-for-11 against the Phillies' Kyle Kendrick, whom he will face tonight.

* * *

Michael Bourn, Astros

Data: .229, 4 HR, 15 RBI

Malfunction: Since June 21, Bourn is 6-for-36 with a home run, and two RBI

Diagnosis: Bourn ranks third in the NL with 31 stolen bases, but what good is that if you can't get on base consistently? He is hitting an anemic .189 in road games this season, compared to .268 at home.

Reboot Directions: This is only Bourn's second full season in the big leagues, so you can't write him off just yet, but you would have to think the Astros are beginning to lose a little patience with him. He was one of the centerpieces in deal that sent Brad Lidge to the Phillies.

In the short term, don't look for things to get much better. Bourn is a combined 1-for-6 this season against the Dodgers' Hiroki Kuroda and Chad Billingsley, whom he will face on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively.

* * *

Brian Fuentes, Rockies

Data: 1-4, 3.94 ERA

Malfunction: Over his last two outings, Fuentes has pitched just 2/3 of an inning, earning two losses, and a blown save, while surrendering seven hits, and seven earned runs.

Diagnosis: Fuentes might not have as much focus right now, because he is probably thinking about where he will be traded in a few weeks. Speculation out of Denver, is that Fuentes is on the trading block.

Reboot Directions: There is probably no way that Fuentes won't be traded. The Rockies could get some quality prospects in return for him, and the team has another option in former closer Manny Corpas.

In the mean time, Fuentes is probably just in the middle of a bad stretch. Before he blew the save on June 28, Fuentes had not given up an earned run since May 21.

* * *

Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Rangers

Data: .215 average, 3 HR, 16 RBI

Malfunction: Since June 18, Saltalamacchia is 5-for-35 with 0 HR and 2 RBI.

Diagnosis: Big things were expected from Saltalamacchia when he was obtained from the Braves for Mark Teixeira, but so far he hasn't delivered. Like Bourn, though, more than anything he needs time. He only played in 93 games last season for the Braves and Rangers combined. In that time he hit 11 home runs and had 33 RBI, so he has proven he can hit, he just needs to do produce on a consistent basis now.

Reboot Directions: Saltalamacchia must cut down on his strikeouts. He has struck out at least once in 9 of his last 10 games, 43 times on the year. He also needs to find a way to hit left-handed pitching. He is hitting just .133 against lefties this season, compared to a .263 clip against right-handers.

After leading the U.S. team in the All-Star Futures Game on July 13, Johnson will cut down his pool of about 60 potential American players and head to Beijing to participate in what is currently scheduled to be baseball's last Olympics hurrah. BLS contributor Nick Friedell recently met with Johnson and the lunchtime conversation went everywhere from gold medal dreams to whether or not Barry Bonds or Rogers Clemens were ever considered for the Olympics to the very familiar circumstances of Willie Randolph's firing.

Q: Is there a question you haven't been asked yet about the Olympics or its selection process?

DJ: (Smiles) It's not as easy as people think because you have to get permission from a club, they can't be on the 25-man roster, and they also probably can't be (the team's) five closest prospects to the big leagues, so you're looking at about the 31st guy in each organization.

Pitchers move up and down the system real quick. Take David Price from Tampa, He's in Double-A in his first year. (The Olympics) would be a great experience for him, but (the Rays) don't want to take a chance with him going out of the country. They may call him up this year, so that's the problem you run into.

Q: Do you have a good idea, though, of the guys you want to take to Beijing?

DJ: Yeah, well, I can tell by the numbers, I can read the minor league stats, and tell who is playing better than who ... What you end up doing is comparing guys' records in Double-A against the guys in Triple-A, and you try to project what his ceiling will be when you make this pick. Basically you want guys that are very experienced that are really one step away from the big leagues, that have a higher ceiling. Sometimes a guy can be just tearing it up in Double-A, but he goes to Triple-A and may have trouble making it. We'll have a bunch of scouts putting input into each player before we make our final picks.

Q: You're managing the U.S. team in the Futures Game. What impact, if any, will that game have on your decisions?

DJ: A lot. All of those guys are on my 60 (person roster of possible players for the U.S. team) See, I haven't seen any of these guys play (in person). If I have question marks on some of the other guys that may be in Triple-A, that may be more of a journeymen player, I'll weigh the pros and cons and make a pick. We'll have discussions on players right after the game.

Q: Who do you think is the favorite going into Beijing?

DJ: Japan, because they're using big-league guys. It used to be that we (the United States) were the favorite, no matter if we had minor leaguers. Now the whole world plays a good brand of baseball.

Q: Speaking of Japan, has Fukudome's success surprised you at all this year?

DJ: No. I played two years for the Tokyo Giants back in the middle 70s. Back then, you only heard of Americans going over to the Japanese league. I was asked back then, could some of those (Japanese) guys play on big league clubs, I said most definitely.

I haven't done a study on this, but I would say back then 15-20 percent in the 70's, those guys in that (Japanese) league, could play in the big leagues. Now, it's probably more like 50 percent.

Q: Beijing will be the last Olympics, for the time being at least, that will include baseball. Do you think that baseball needs to be in the Olympics to have that platform, or do you think the game has gotten so big, that it doesn't really matter at this point?

DJ: I think (baseball) still needs (the Olympics). More countries have leagues. Russia, Spain, France, these countries in Europe all have leagues (now). I know people are going to be asking some questions, why baseball didn't get re-upped, that and softball. I think both those sports should be back in the Olympic Games.

Q: In terms of your participation in the Olympics, where does it rank among all the other things you've accomplished?

DJ: There's just something special about representing your country. More so than the city, or state, in Major League Baseball. I've been a fan of the Olympics for as long as I can remember. I was lucky, I had the opportunity to help the Dutch team get into the '04 Olympics in Athens ... I was a coach over there, stayed in the Olympic Village, and it was wonderful. But, I longed to have the USA on my chest.

I've really enjoyed winning the World Series, as a player and a manger, but winning a gold medal would be right up there with the best of it.

NF: How did your experience with the Dutch team —where you briefly took over as manager while Bob Eenhorn tended to his family — help re-invigorate you?

DJ: Well, I love baseball. It's no secret I got really burned out in 2000. After (managing for) the New York Mets, big market. Marge Schott in Cincinnati, Peter Angelos in Baltimore, Rupert Murdoch in L.A. I was burned out, I didn't have anything left, I needed to get away from (managing), recharge my batteries.

The only reason I got back was because I got a call that the Dutch needed a manager, Bob Eenhorn (then the Dutch manager) had a very sick child. I couldn't say no.

I love managing. So after I finished working for the Dutch team for about three years, Bob Watson (USA Baseball GM) called me and asked if I'd like to manage the U.S. team. I said I'd love to, no question. It was almost like (I said) "What can I pay you to have that opportunity?"

Q: What is the biggest difference in your mind, now that you have had this experience, managing in an international format and managing in the major leagues?

DJ: It's very similar. You can't just throw some names out there, you have to match up ... It used to be when I first got with the USA team, everybody would throw a left-hander at us.  Why?  Well, the team we had over in Panama in the ('04 Olympic) qualifier, it was like 80 percent left-handed. You can't just do that.  You have to have a lineup that can score runs, against both left and right-handed pitching, and high quality left and right handed pitching. You have to have a lineup that can score runs, against both left and right-handed pitching, and high quality left and right handed pitching. It's no longer you can just say "Well, he's playing good in Triple-A, gimme him, gimme him, gimme him ...

Even if you look back at the World Baseball Classic two years ago ... It was put together more like an All-Star Game and run like an All-Star Game. I knew that was going to be that way. That's why I didn't want to have anything to do with managing, because I couldn't manage that way.

If I'm going to put the USA uniform on, I'm going to try to win the ballgame. I'm not going to worry about somebody's agent's feelings.

Q: Were Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens ever considered for this year's Olympic team?

DJ: Not really. I had several requirements that I wanted to see in players. Number one, I wanted them competing in a league. Sure, I'd like to have Clemens, he's very professional, he could probably handle it, but he hasn't been competing. He's not stretched out. (Let's say) I gotta start him, and maybe get three innings the first game, I mean we only play nine games. Barry could probably come up, but he's got a lot of other commitments and things going on, and I don't want that distraction for a bunch of young guys.

I don't want just names. Performance is going to dictate who wins or loses those games. Just because you were on my team a number of years ago, if you're not one of the league leaders in your league offensively and defensively, I'm not taking you, no matter how much I might like you.

Q: Did you, or anybody within USA Baseball ever have any conversations with either Bonds or Clemens? Did they come to you at all?

DJ: No, they did not. I was asked by our administrators if I would (consider) Biggio, Clemens ... and my feeling is if they're not playing, I don't want 'em.

Q: What was your reaction to the way the Mets handled the Wilie Randolph situation?

DJ: Well, (chuckles a little bit), A lot of times I think big organizations in New York, that's part of the way they like to do business. I remember when I was fired, and I was very successful. We won a World Series (in 1986).

We were on the road, I'm not even sure where it was, Philadelphia I think, and Frank Cashen came in, he wasn't on the road trip, and at the time we had like three GM's, Al Harrison, Joe McIlvaine and Cashen. I was getting ready to go to the ballpark. I think it was about two o'clock.

Frank Cashen knocks on my door. I said that's not a good sign, what are you doing here? I know what he was doing here, he was going to make a change. So he fired me, and asked me if I would leave quietly and not talk to the press.

I said if that's what you want I would have liked to have the opportunity to speak to my players, and tell them thank you for all the effort and the good times, and wish them luck in the future. But (Cashen) wanted me to sneak out of town and have all the emphasis on the new (manager).

I think that's what they were trying to do with Willie Randolph. I don't agree with it. I think the manager should have a chance to talk to his troops before he is dismissed. It was a big regret of mine that I just didn't say no at the time (to Cashen), but at the time I was hurt, and I figured if that's what (the front office) wanted I would do it. I think that's basically what they tried to accomplish with the firing of Willie.

Q: Would it be fair to say you had some flashbacks to your experience with the Mets when you heard the Randolph story?

DJ: (Smiling) Oh yeah. No doubt, no doubt. That's their modus operandi. They had a car waiting out back for me, they rushed me to the airport, they had my flight already arranged, and I was on a plane like that. I think that was before cell phones, so nobody had a way to reach me until they got me at home, two or three days later.

Q: So apart from the cell phones, the more things change the more they stay the same.

DJ: Exactly, exactly. They say that's just part of baseball, you get fired, I never wanted to get fired anywhere I was ever at, I always wanted to solve the problems. When you're hired as a manager, really, in reality, you're a problem solver. The field manager is responsible for solving the problems on the active roster, and creating the atmosphere in the team that he wants to go to battle with every day. The general manager gets him those weapons. If he's not successful, he should go. Willie wasn't successful. He didn't finish the last year on a good note, and he was struggling a little bit this year. That's a criteria to get fired.

Q: If Omar Minaya called you after the Olympics and said, "Davey, we need you back, we need you to turn this thing around ... "

DJ: First of all, it's not going to happen. I respect Omar Minaya as a good general manager, but I haven't had a working relationship with him ... but as far as do I want to pursue a career in the big leagues again? No.

I'm really looking forward to managing the Olympics (team) and if it turns out I could manage the World (Baseball) Classic (team) I would be happy.

I love the game of baseball. I know I'm good at what I do. I know every club I've been with, I've left them in better shape, and they managed to mug it up right after I left, change the direction that I had them going in.

Q: Have you pictured in your mind what it would be like to win the gold medal?

DJ: When we won the World Cup, all the participants got on the field at the end. It was a pretty long ceremony. The organizers gave us all our gold medals. They weren't (Olympic) gold medals, but the gold medals for that tournament, and they played our song, the National Anthem.  I can imagine on a much bigger scale, much bigger audience, the goosebumps that everybody would be getting.

Continuing on that tradition, Alex Rodriguez  will carry this year's title of "Hometown Star Who Can't Be Bothered To Participate In Something Fun, Even Though The Fans Want Him To," when the All-Star event is held July 14 at Yankee Stadium.

And just like Bonds, he's citing that the event will mess with his swing, even though he's 11 years younger than Bonds and wouldn't be facing the same sort of wear and tear.

From the  NY Daily News:

Even with the All-Star festivities taking place in his home ballpark, A-Rod said he would not participate in the Home Run Derby, which takes place the night before the All-Star Game.

"I try to stay away from that," Rodriguez said. "My responsibility is to the New York Yankees. I need my swing to be at its best."

Like many players, Rodriguez insists that taking part in the Home Run Derby can have a damaging effect on his swing.

Rodriguez has participated in the event three times in his career, most recently in 2002. A-Rod has finished tied for sixth place each time, so his poor showing in the Derby may have just as much to do with his reluctance to take part in it as anything else.

To be fair, it's possible that A-Rod may simply be too exhausted from fending off questions about his US Weekly-reported relationship with Madonna (no, that's not her above ... that's Babe Ruth's daughter) from New York's tabloid reporters at the media session earlier in the day to participate. Avoiding the everpresent jackals from Page Six can do that to a slugger.

In happier news, Jason Giambi's mustache said it would participate if it earns a spot on the AL team. 

A big BLS head nod goes to BBTF for the tip.  

Now meet their signature superfan, the Cowbell Kid, as he battles the invaders from Beantown during Monday night's 5-4 Tampa win.

(Warning: Seeing as how this video actually features a packed Tropicana Dome, repeated, loud chants of "Tampa, Tampa," and a signature superfan for the Tampa Bay Rays, this may be a little bit like viewing some sort of strange Bizarro World. Children and pregnant women be advised.)

Cowbell Kid is no pink gorilla, but a good effort nonetheless, especially for Tampa.

After the jump, watch a local news segment on the Cowbell Kid. Plus, find more of his videos here.

Game of the Day: Tigers 5, Twins 4

Grrreat, just great: They started the season 0-7, improved to 2-10 and were sparkling at 24-36 in early June. Now, the Detroit Tigers are 42-40 and relevant to the pennant race after winning their sixth straight, a comeback against the Minnesota Twins. Meanwhile, a few Great Lakes away, strict deconstructionists started to demolish Tiger Stadium, which took Pharaoh Ty Cobb and his slaves two decades to build.

Michigan, Mantle and Maris: A state historic site since '75, and on the National Register of Historic Places since '89, the 96-year-old Navin Field/Briggs Stadium/Tiger Stadium has stood mostly empty since the Tigers moved to Comerica Park in 2000. A notable exception, the New York Pretend Yankees called it home in Billy Crystal's made-for-TV masterpiece "61*."

Zoom: Closing the door instead of Todd Jones — or, as he apparently should be known, Master Po — was Joel Zumaya. Zumaya didn't invoke memories of '84 Willie Hernandez or '88 MIke Henneman, but he wriggled from a couple of jams. Jones was resting his Ordonez wig after having thrown 40 pitches the previous couple of days. "Jonesy came in and tapped me on the shoulder and said ‘Hey, we need you tonight,' " Grasshopper said. "I'm not going to let the guy down that taught me all this stuff, who took the time to teach me about the bullpen, and be a closer in the future."

Deep-fried Twinkie: Minnesota came in even hotter, having won 11 of 12, and they led this one 4-1 in the seventh. Curtis Granderson's single capped a two-run eighth. No supper for Matt Guerrier!

* * *

Feelin' Rundown (Monday's other adventures):

Cardinals 7, Mets 1 — It places the Lohse in the basket or it gets the hose again. ... Mark Mulder, who hasn't pitched in anger since 2005, got the final three outs. Dave Duncan will have the late Dizzy Dean up and throwing in no time. ... Someone could be trying to send a Sicilian Message to umpire Brian O'Nora. O'Nora, who this past week was bloodied by one of Van Helsing's Vampire-Killing Stakes Miguel Olivo's Maple Bat Splinter from Hell, was struck in the ribcage by a ball that "glanced off the mitt" of Mets catcher Brian Schneider. Suuuuuuuuure it did, and Luca Brasi sleeps with the fishes because he caught a nasty cold. ... "We didn't do too much of anything right," manager Jerry Manuel said, giving a title to the season's video yearbook.

Marlins 6, Nationals 5 (10 inn.) — Oh, Hanley

Well you homered in the ninth to tie it

just like you did on Sunday, oh Hanley

Well the Marlins they showed that they don't quit

Did anybody come to the game? Oh, Hanley

Reds 4, Pirates 3 — Griffey scoffs at Matt Capps' lucky NHL playoff mustache. Redlegs phenom Jay Bruce, in his past 24 games, is batting .194 with one homer and eight RBIs. One of you jumped the gun on this guy. Who was it???!!!

Astros 4, Dodgers 1 — Consider it solved, the Mystery of Eric Stults. Oswalt was cruising until Jack Ruby a hip injury got him.