Voter fatigue

Red Sox fans are notorious ballot stuffers, but not this year.

I cannot believe it, but it looks like that no Red Sox will start the game that will determine whether the World Series starts in Philadelphia or Boston.

I guess I can't really complain because we've been a bit spoiled in recent years. (Jason Varitek, a manager/player/coach pick in 2008, is one of the worst selections ever.) And although I filled out a handful of ballots at the park, I haven't filled out any online yet. {Greg and I must have different definitions of "handful." We've filled out quite a few ballots at the games we've gone to this spring.}

That said, I can't explain some of these results:

Kevin Youkilis, the best first baseman in the game, is a distant fourth in the voting. Victor Martinez, who should not be ahead of Joe Mauer, also should not be behind Jorge Posada. David Ortiz's slow start and recent slump probably warrant his first vacation since 2003, but there's no way he should trail Hideki Matsui and the retired Ken Griffey Jr. (At least Papi has passed Pat Burrell in DH voting.)

If there's a silver lining, maybe it's a sign that some of the newcomers are jumping off the Red Sox bandwagon. Or maybe the real fans are just tired of stuffing the box.

Tonight's games: Both our teams are off, but we have baseball on: MLB Network's two-hour special on perfect games. Have I mentioned that I love this channel? Excellent - they showed Carl Everett break up Mike Mussina's shot at a perfect game as a pinch-hitter with just one out to go. I remember watching that game in my apartment. It was on ESPN.

Rest in peace: Oscar Azocar died. For some reason, he always stuck out in my mind. Probably because of his name, I always kind of liked him despite his Yankee-ness.

Like a kid on Christmas

I love the All-Star game. It brings back so many childhood memories. I used to tape the games and then replay them to keep score after I bought the game's program. As soon as the teams were announced, I'd load them into whatever video game I was playing at the time and play a game with the newly minted All-Stars. I'd even watch the celebrity softball game.

The other day, Christine and I were at the mall, and baseball card vendors had set up tables throughout the corridors. We stopped at one - reliving another childhood memory - and looked through the 10 cent bin for funny SoxandPhils cards. We found three and got a deal - a quarter instead of the marked price of 30 cents.

We pulled out a a Carl Everett "Glory Days" and a Shea Hillenbrand "Rising Stars." Before he went crazy and fought umpires, Everett was an All-Star for the Sox in 2000, his first year with the team. Before he went crazy and fought managers, Hillenbrand was somehow voted into the starting lineup as a Red Sox in 2002.

For the Phillies, all we could find was Brandon Duckworth. I know, not an All-Star. But his card proclaims him a "Star Rookie" even though he hadn't yet pitched an inning in the majors.


Real Phillies All-Star: Chase Utley, who always lets his play do the talking for him, responded in kind to the Mets fans who snuck into Yankee Stadium to boo the best second baseman in baseball during introductions tonight for the Home Run Derby. Channeling his inner Pat Burrell, Utley responded: "Boo? Fuck you."

Unfortunately, when it came time to hit, he couldn't channel his inner Ryan Howard and hit just five home runs without advancing to the second round. I thought he would have done better with the short right field fence, but I guess I forgot he doesn't elevate the ball enough.

[Video credit: IrwinRSchyster]