Odds & Ends, All-Star Edition

- “Game 7 of the WS will be played in Japan this year.”

- “Ortiz is done with rehab by now.”

- “I'm just going to shower after this game is over so as not to miss my car pool.”

- “All this baseball must be torture for Joe Buck.”

- “Leyland's probably dying for a smoke right now.”

- “Pete Rose was just reinstated.”

- “I think the new stadium should be ready for the 16th.”

- “We found Osama Bin Laden.”

- “Jeter and Tito laughing in the dugout. I like to think it's because they're telling filthy jokes about A-Rod and Madonna.”

- “Rock, Paper, Scissors between Hurdle and Tito.”

- “Home field advantage in the upcoming World Series, which starts later tonight only here on FOX.”

* Yep. It was a long game. Really, really, really long. But, as much as I usually like Jeff Passan, I’m not ready to blame Tito. At least our own J.D. Drew aquitted himself rather well. (And, yeah, I would’ve loved to see him pitch.) But how about that poor Dan Uggla? I felt bad for him. Really bad. But, in fairness. He played really badly. A SoSHer crunched the numbers:

Uggla's batting WPA:

8th inning K = -.067
10th inning DP = -.325
12th inning K = -.181
15th inning K = -.061
Subtotal = -.634

WPA for Uggla's fielding errors:

10th inning (Young): -.073
10th inning (Quentin): -.222
13th inning (Drew): -.055
Subtotal = -.350

Total WPA = -.984

Uggla basically singlehandedly lost an entire game. If he were a pitcher, it'd be as if his opponents were down three runs in the bottom of the 9th and he came in to relieve, loaded the bases, and gave up a walkoff grandslam.

Other WPA of note: Drew's MVP .583 was more than eight times the next highest AL batter (Young)'s .072.

* It was great seeing so many All-Stars on the field last night. But where was Pudge? Yaz? (And where was the Red Sox hat that should have been hiding Wade Bogg’s hair plugs?) The game’s had a dozens of dugouts full of astounding players and amazing characters over the years. And The Baseball Project’s Frozen Ropes and Dying Quails (Yep Roc), the debut record from a sorta-supergroup feauturing Young Fresh Fellows’ Scott McCaughey, Dream Syndicate’s Steve Wynn, and R.E.M.’s Peter Buck is a funny, tuneful listen, paying proper tribute to players past and present, great and small. Read my review here. Download a “Ted Fucking Williams” here. Buy a copy here.

* I’ll admit: I was a little bit sad to see Steinbrenner in the state he’s in. I have no problem giving Stade Fasciste its proper send-off last night. And, yeah, it was all really well done. But that doesn’t mean I’ve got anything even close to affection for that toweringly arrogant, entitled, and self-absorbed team and its fans. A big FU to all those who booed Papelbon. He was on their team last night. And if they hadn’t rattled him, maybe that run wouldn’t have scored, and maybe the game would’ve ended in nine tidy innings. Which is all way of saying that this is a very important correction.

Onward to the second half...