{"id":3453,"date":"2009-07-12T07:00:28","date_gmt":"2009-07-12T06:00:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/baseballgb.co.uk\/?p=3453"},"modified":"2009-09-26T10:27:23","modified_gmt":"2009-09-26T09:27:23","slug":"weekly-hit-ground-ball-the-all-star-break","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/baseballgb.co.uk\/?p=3453","title":{"rendered":"Weekly Hit Ground Ball: the All-Star Break"},"content":{"rendered":"

There’s been lots of MLB news for me to catch up on since I returned from my trip to Rotterdam.\u00c2\u00a0 British baseball fans received further information about the future of ESPN America, while Jonathan Sanchez’s no-hitter on Friday night was a great way to end the working week.\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n

The mid-season break gives us all a chance to take stock, ready for the second half of a season that looks set to produce some exciting pennant races.\u00c2\u00a0 <\/p>\n

All-Star rosters released<\/strong><\/p>\n

This year’s All-Star starting rosters were released last Sunday ahead of the game this coming Tuesday night.<\/p>\n

The American League team infield is given over to the AL East.\u00c2\u00a0 Mark Teixeira won the closely contested battle of the four first-base choices (beating out Kevin Youkilis, Justin Morneau and Miguel Cabrera), while Red Sox Nation made sure Dustin Pedroia would be starting at second base ahead of arguably more deserving candidates in Aaron Hill and Ian Kinsler (the latter somehow didn’t even make the extended roster).\u00c2\u00a0 That does mean we will once again enjoy the fun sight of Pedroia working with Derek Jeter up the middle.\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n

If Kinsler’s omission was an unpleasant surprise for Rangers fans, Josh Hamilton’s start in the outfield was a welcome one.\u00c2\u00a0 He has made the lineup despite missing a considerable amount of the 2009 season so far and his performances have been less than spectacular when he has been on the field.\u00c2\u00a0 His astonishing Home Run Derby exhibition at Yankee Stadium last year has clearly left a lasting impression on the voters.\u00c2\u00a0 My selection for centre field, Torii Hunter, was listed in the extended roster but has had to withdraw due to injury, so the Rangers benefit yet again with Nelson Cruz (Mark’s pick) heading to St Louis instead.<\/p>\n

The starting lineup for the Senior Circuit mirrored my selections in all positions except for catcher, where Yadier Molina got the home town nod ahead of Brian McCann.\u00c2\u00a0 The curse of the All-Star centre field has struck the Mets’ Carlos Beltran as well and his roster spot has gone to Jayson Werth.<\/p>\n

MLB.com are certainly generous when it comes to allowing fans to get involved in the All-Star selection process.\u00c2\u00a0 Not only could you vote twenty-five times for the starting players, there was also an opportunity to add a final player to each roster.\u00c2\u00a0 The Tigers and the Phillies came up with a successful joint-marketing plan, called \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcBran Torino’, to win those final spots for Brandon Inge and Shane Victorino.\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n

All that’s left now is for the two managers, Charlie Manuel and Joe Maddon, to select who their starting pitchers will be.\u00c2\u00a0 Management of the pitching staff has been a key topic at All-Star games in the recent past, although it’s not so much who was pitching at the start that has made the headlines but who has nearly had to pitch at the end.\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n

And we can’t let this game pass without bemoaning the demise of Five’s coverage once again.\u00c2\u00a0 Jonny and Josh must be feeling pretty disappointed right now, knowing that in previous years they have been at the big event, giving us British fans a real sense of the atmosphere and the occasion.\u00c2\u00a0 Not for the first time, and far from the last, their absence will be keenly felt by many.<\/p>\n

ESPN America’s future becomes clear<\/strong><\/p>\n

With Five not showing the All-Star game, your choices are limited to MLB.com or ESPN America.\u00c2\u00a0 If you have access to the latter then this will be one of the final good opportunities to make the most of the channel.\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n

News reports this week confirmed that ESPN’s new sports channel, built around their recently acquired Premier League rights, will include North American sports content.\u00c2\u00a0 Nobody knew quite how ESPN’s plans would affect ESPN America’s output in the UK, but a story<\/a> on the Sky News website has clarified matters:<\/p>\n

“From 3 August, the new channel [\u00e2\u20ac\u02dcESPN’] will offer top-flight football alongside international sports and a wide-range of premium US sports previously provided on ESPN America, which will be integrated in the UK into the new channel”.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

So, ESPN America in its current form will no longer be shown in the UK, although it will continue to serve the rest of its territories in Europe and beyond.\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n

The biggest disappointment will be felt by Sky subscribers who suddenly found ESPN America was available via the News and Events package in the immediate aftermath of Setanta Sports’ demise.\u00c2\u00a0 However, that deal looked too good to be true and was really just a bonus until ESPN had sorted out their new strategy.<\/p>\n

Instead, Sky subscribers will need to pay \u00c2\u00a312 per month to get the new channel, or an additional \u00c2\u00a39 per month if they already subscribe to the Sky Sports package.\u00c2\u00a0 Full details for Virgin Media customers have not yet been released.\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n

The new channel will make MLB games available in HD to British viewers for the first time, although the major question now centres on how much air time will be given to the North American sports.\u00c2\u00a0 All eyes will be on the channel’s broadcasting schedule when it becomes available, with fingers crossed that MLB coverage in the UK is not reduced even further.<\/p>\n

Random thoughts and observations<\/strong><\/p>\n