All-Star festivies kicked off with the Old Timers game and the classic Homerun Derby contest. Sponsored by Century 21, participants had a chance to make some lucky fan go home happy by winning them a quarter of a million dollars towards a new home. It was a bash at PNC Park, the site of the 2006 All-Star game. After all the long balls left the yard it was the Phillies' Ryan Howard who walked away as champion. He even hit a sign (on his last homerun)winning a fan 500 plane tickets or rides on Southwest Airlines.
Of the slew of dingers hit, many crashed and bounced into the Allegheny River beyond the outfield in right-center. David Ortiz hit the longest bomb of all, estimated at 488 ft. The Red Sox slugger was hitting line drives like bullets. On the National league side Miguel Cabrera, David Wright, and Ryan Howard battled it out. Cabrera advanced to the second round after cranking 8 homeruns. David Wright launched 18 through the second round, but it Howard coming out the victor with 23 total homeruns. He hit 4 golden baseballs in the final round.
I thought that Ortiz was going to prevail in the end though he came up short. Jermaine Dye and Lance Berkman didn't get past the first round. The All-Star festivies will continue today. Due to a cut pinky Jose Reyes will sit out the All-Star game and Edgar Renteria will start. In the AL, the Twins rookie Francisco Liriano will replace Jose Conteras on the roster. This is a big break for Liriano who's 10-1 on the season with a 1.83 ERA. The kid deserves this opportunity, he's earned it.
Starting for the American league will be Kenny Rogers and for the National League, Brad Penny gets the nod. Some newcomers will also make an apperance in the starting lineup: NL- Carlos Beltran CF, Chase Utley 2B, and Jason Bay LF AL- Vernon Wells CF, Mark Loretta 2B. From the diverse crop of MLB talent it looks to be another thrilling All-Star game. Today marks the 77th game in baseball history.
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