Home Cookin', Capriati, and Bonds

As New York Yankees' Manager Joe Torre and New York Mets' Manager Bobby Valentine announced the remainder of their rosters for the 2001 All-Star Game, one thing comes to mind: home cooking.

Torre, who will manage the American League squad, named seven Yankees to the roster. Pitchers Roger Clemens, Andy Pettitte, Mariano Rivera, and Mike Stanton were given spots. SS Derek Jeter, CF Bernie Williams, and C Jorge Posada also were named. This might cause some critics to accuse Torre of playing favorites. What's worse is that when you look at the numbers, you can't argue with him.

Pitchers

Player W-L ERA SV

Clemens 11-1 3.59 --

Pettitte 8-4 2.95 --

Rivera 2.32 26 --

Staton 6-2 1.91 --

Position Players

Player Avg HR RBI

Jeter .292 7 39

Williams .323 14 38

Posada .310 13 61

(Statistics in the above two tables are according to ESPN.com.)

Surely All-Star numbers by all those mentioned. However, it sparks debate when any team has more All-Star players than the team with the best record in the league. Mariners' pitcher Jeff Nelson echoed this sentiment. Seattle has six players on the roster. New York has seven. What exactly is the big deal? There is none. Nelson has a bone to pick with Torre for being left off last year's team when he was a member of the Yankees. Memo to Nelson: grow up.

On the other side of the coin, Bobby Valentine is facing heat for who he ignored rather than who he selected. Names like Ken Griffey, Jr., Mark McGwire, and Greg Maddux jump out among those who were left off the team. You can justify passing over McGwire and Griffey, they've been hurt all year. But how do you explain leaving Maddux off, the best pitcher of the present era? And what's more, he's having a typical Maddux year on a Braves team that has underachieved until recently. Maddux is 9-5 with a 2.38 ERA. His Braves teammate John Burkett made it with a 6-6 record and similar 2.39 ERA. Burkett is no Maddux and regardless what bad blood there is between the Mets and Braves, Maddux should have been chosen.

Another curious omission was that of Marlins Outfielder Cliff Floyd. Earlier this year, after a case of bean ball between the Mets and Marlins, Floyd came out and said he would never play for a Bobby Valentine managed team. While Valentine denies this had anything to do with it, you can't help but not believe him. Why would it be wrong for that to be the reason? If I came out in the papers and said I'd never work for such and such a company, then later try to apply for a job at that company, chances are I wouldn't get the job. Memo to Floyd: you sleep in the bed you make.

All this controversy could be avoided by letting the fans choose the entire roster. However, that would just lead to a new and bigger controversy. There is no answer to this debate. People will get looked over and unfairly kept off the team. The only thing a player can do, is be consistent year after year. Which is what they're supposed to do anyway.

Kudos to Jennifer Capriati and her attempt to continue her comeback at Wimbledon. After being on the brink of defeat to Serena Williams, she battled back only to lose in the semifinals to 19-year-old Justine Henin. Capriati, halfway to completing the first Grand Slam in women's tennis in 13 years, collapsed after winning the first set 6-2. Henin took over after Capriati went up 2-1 in the second set, winning the final two sets 6-4 and 6-2.

Capriati says she won't let this loss ruin her great year, and she shouldn't. A teenage phenom at age 14, she became the youngest player to ever play at Wimbledon. She burned out and dropped out of sight, which was followed by a shoplifting arrest and a trip to a drug rehab center. Events that might forever derail even the most mature person. The mere fact that she is back on her feet competing at this level makes her a champion, and deserving of our respect.

Don't expect this nine game home run drought by Barry Bonds to last very long. Even if the streak lasts until the All-Star break, the Giants next three games after the break are at Seattle, where the All-Star Game is being played this year. Bonds will be plenty rested and have time to clear his head by the time the regular season starts again. And a late July trip to Coors Field won't hurt either.