The American League has won nine of the last 10 All-Star games (the other game was the infamous tie).....put your money on the National League tonight.....they will win....

What a great photo of AT&T Park that appeared on ESPN.com yesterday (above)...

MLB started having honorary captains at the All-Star Game beginning in 1975....Mickey Mantle and Stan Musial were the first honorary captains....

Willie Mays holds the All-Star record for most hits with 23....Mays played in 24 All-Star Games....Stan Musial has hit the most All-Star homeruns with six....

With 51.6% of the baseball season complete, here are my mid-year awards.....
American League
MVP
1. Alex Rodriguez, New York - he has elevated his game to another level and has single-handedly won the Yankees at least 5 games....
2. Magglio Ordonez - Detroit - a few years ago it looked like his career may be kaput after a serious knee injury.....
Cy Young
1. Chi Chi Sabathia, Cleveland - those red beans and rice have packed on even more pounds, but finally the big guy is fulfilling his potential....
2. Josh Beckett, Boston - with Schilling’s bum shoulder, Beckett has stepped up to be the #1 pitcher in Boston....
Manager of the Year
1. Mike Hargrove, Seattle - who would have “thunk” that the Mariners would be in contention....has the award ever gone to a manager who quit in the middle of the season?....
2. Bob Geren, Oakland - the A’s have not missed a beat with Geren....

National League
MVP
1. Jose Reyes, New York - he is the most dynamic and exciting player in the game....he is a game changer....
2. Orlando Cabrera, Florida - New York stud David Wright gets all the glory at third base, but Cabrera is the better player....
Cy Young
1. Jake Peavy, San Diego - people are starting to recognize him as the best young arm in the game....
2. Brad Penny, Los Angeles - Penny has been so consistent the last two years, but he gets zero respect....
Manager of the Year
1. Ned Yost, Milwaukee - finally the Brewers young talent is being harvested by Farmer Yost....
2. Grady Little, Los Angeles - the Dodgers are right on track for another playoff run....

In other tidbits, what is wrong with Fox football analyst Bill Maas?....the 45-year-old Maas was arrested this weekend in Peoria, Illinois and charged with drug possession and weapons charges....Maas was pulled over for a routine safety check and police found a .22-caliber revolver, 5 grams of suspected marijuana, 6 grams of suspected cocaine and 28 pills of Ecstasy....isn’t it time that Maas grew up and stopped acting like Pacman Jones or some other 20 something year old athlete....Fox Sports did the right thing by canning the loser....what a freaking waste....

Did I miss something, but I thought war protestor Cindy Sheehan said she was done protesting and was going back to her home in the northwest?....then why is she now giving House Speaker Nancy Pelosi an ultimatum that she better bring impeachment charges against President Bush or Sheehan will run against Pelosi for her House seat.....Sheehan is another whacko who says it’s not about her, but in the end, it is always about her.....also, Sheehan is back down in Crawford, Texas planning another protest.....well, maybe she would be a good politician since she flat out lied about not being involved in anymore war protests....

Finally, the mayor of Los Angeles, Antonio Villaraigosa admitted to having an affair with Spanish-language TV anchor Mirthala Salinas (photo).....on June 8th, the mayor announced that he was splitting from his wife after more than 20 years of marriage.....the news was announced on Telemundo by none other than Salinas who was the anchor that night....