American League Conference Whomps National League Pros—Again

By Mark Hoerrner

They say 50,000 monkeys typing away on computers could eventually write the works of Shakespeare, but can a couple dozen highly-paid, athletically talented pro baseball players ever hope to end the National League’s losing streak in the All Star game? Maybe we should take away the typewriters and give the monkeys bats and leather mitts.

It’s truly a hard situation to get a sports-oriented mind around. The best of the best are in rare form, and the NL is actually up one run. On the mound is a stalwart master of smallball, San Diego’s Trevor Hoffman, leading in his league and rated in the top five by Major League Baseball. He’s a game-ender, the pitcher you call on to close out the last few batters and hit the showers victorious. So it’s truly baffling when the same pitcher allowed just two other hits in the 9th inning. Just one out to go. Fans were already headed to their cars.

Then came Michael Young. Not even ranked in the top ten in the American League despite being a solid hitter, Young smashed Hoffman’s fastball into the stands, driving home the final two runs – and the final two nails in the NL’s coffin – with a right-field triple.

No single hit since Texas’ Hank Blalock vaporized a ball off Eric Gagne in 2003 has meant so much to the AL, securing homefield advantage for the AL in the 2007 World Series.

For his batwork, Young was chosen as the game’s Most Valuable Player and will have bragging rights amongst his Texas teammates for the rest of the year.

"I'm not going to lie. This is a pretty big highlight in my career," Young said in a post-game press conference. "No one's really giving huge rallying calls to getting home-field advantage in the World Series, but we're all aware of how important this game is."

The defeat is part of a significant pattern of losses for the NL, including the past two World Series and more than 60 percent of all interleague games.

Fans will note that the NL had the game in the bag – in the bag – until that fateful ninth inning reversal of fortune. Phil "Scrap Iron" Garner’s management of the team had been world class, getting the most out of his players and effectively out-strategizing the AL cadre. Thus, the idea of a mummy’s curse on the team seems more likely than the NL choking for 10 straight seasons.

The game was not without meaning for the NL crews as the 5th inning saw a career tribute to the late, great right fielder Roberto Clemente. The star player was killed in 1972 when his plane crashed, while traveling to deliver relief supplies to earthquake victims in Nicaragua. MLB Commissioner Bud Selig was on hand to present a lifetime achievement award to Clemente’s widow.