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Fargo’s **8** WNBA NON-CONFERENCE GOM *86% ANGLE*
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CONNECTICUT
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Re: 7-14-09
Chris Jordan
All-Star Winner
NATIONAL LEAGUE
NATIONAL LEAGUE ALL STARS - It’s hard to side against the American League, when it literally closed the first half with some of the hottest teams in the league, and some of the most explosive lineups in the bigs.
Think about it, out of the American League East alone you’re talking about the Yankees, Red Sox and Devil Rays – all three of which have turned this division into the exciting race we'd hoped for. Add in the annual intensity of the Central Division and the explosive lineups of the Angels and Rangers out of the West, and it's not hard to see why the junior circuit has dominated the midsummer classic in the past decade.
But this year, something is eerily different. It's a feeling, but with reasoning, that tells me the National League will finally win this thing.
With the roster changes taking shape, I still can't help but buy into the hype that Albert Pujols is in the right spot to stake claim to Major League Baseball in the most exciting game of the season, on his own stage.
Think about it ... Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Alex Rodriguez, and finally, Manny Ramirez - they all broke our MLB-loving hearts and put a damper on how we look at them. So who's left?
Pujols.
He's arguably the best player in baseball, he's certainly the most prolific slugger and he's yet to be tied to any talk of P.E.D.'s. So on a night when all the spotlight will be on St. Louis, and when the fans and baseball can celebrate the donning of a new era with some fresh young faces, and several noteworthy veterans.
I think guys like Jayson Werth, Ryan Howard and Shane Victorino of the Phillies will have a good game, Prince Fielder might get ahold of one, I believe Ryan Zimmerman will look good and I expect some timely hits at some point in the game by guys like Orlando Hudson, Freddy Sanchez and Justin Upton. And those are all the reserves.
Joining Pujols on the starting lineup there's fellow Cardinal Yadier Molina, Philadelphia's Chase Utley annd Raul Ibanez, Florida's Hanley Ramirez, New York's David Wright and Milwaukee slugger Ryan Braun.
If I were to rattle off the American League All-Stars, it would take up space too much space and I am conceding that it would look much more impressive with names like Mauer, Teixeira, Jeter, Longoria, Bay, Hamilton, Morneau, Youkilis and Crawford jumping off the page.
But again, something about this year, this stadium, the atmosphere in MLB ... and Albert!
Take the Senior Circuit. -
Re: 7-14-09
IndianCowboy
Tuesday's Comp Selection
14-8 (64%) Comp Winners after Angels Plus Money Yesterday
I liked a prop that I came across. 'Over 15.5' in Total Players to throw a pitch in the ballgame. Long story short, the AL wants the streak to keep rolling while the NL is desperately trying to stop the bleeding over the last 12 years as they are 0-11-1 against the AL. It is getting embarrassing. Both managers have the best in the game at their disposal, so why not use anybody and everybody within their arsenal. From selecting specific pitchers for specific hitters late in the game, I wouldn't be surprised if both teams used essentially everyone they had to help them win tonight's contest. Just as an example of how specific managers can use pitchers in their matchup, here is a link to the 2008 All-Star Box score. If you notice there, there were a total of 23 pitchers were used. Certainly, that many will likely not be used today, but it is possible for at least 16 to be used given the previous track record of Summer Classic.Comment
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