One Last Look at the All-Star Game
It's All About Being Hot

The first half of the season is in the books, and it ended with Eric Gagne blowing home-field advantage in the World Series for the Braves, the Giants, the Cubs, or whoever winds up winning the NL pennant. Should the Dodgers pick up additional offense and find themselves in the World Series, they would at least have only their own player to blame, but it must be bitter for other NL teams, particularly Atlanta. The Braves, who boast the best record in the majors, were relegated to watching the AL take the lead while John Smoltz, arguably this year’s top closer, remained in the bullpen, waiting for a save opportunity that never came.

I don’t want to blame Dusty Baker for not turning the game over to Smoltz, but it’s worth asking whether Bobby Cox would have called on Smoltz in the eighth inning with so much at stake and Gagne struggling a bit. We’ll never know… but thanks to tough managerial decisions such as this one and solid play on the field, the fans were the true winners of this contest. I can’t remember another All-Star game having been quite as entertaining in recent years.

From a fantasy viewpoint, would it be a good idea to add the All-Star game to the fantasy season, giving the best players an extra game, now that “this game counts”? Probably not, but on the other hand, every fantasy owner roots for his players whenever they take the field, and this one is no different. Every single hit given up by one of my pitchers feels like a disaster. It may not count in the fantasy standings, but it’s all about being hot, and therefore a good or a bad game, particularly in the national spotlight, may well have an impact on a player’s confidence and future performance.

And it was Hank Blalock, rather than one of the game’s biggest stars, who received the biggest confidence boost by providing the final blow of the day in what turned into an embarrassment for the best group of relievers in the world, the National League bullpen. A Texas Ranger, playing solely for pride, gave the Yankees, Red Sox and A’s something to celebrate. Blalock hasn’t had quite as superb a fantasy season as many other All-Stars, although his numbers were a welcome addition at 3b for his owners. Will he now perform even better in the second half following this emotional home run? It’s hard to say, but I think there is a good chance he will. Remember: it’s all about being hot.

On the other hand, his victim, Eric Gagne, might have a tough time in the following weeks. If he really has a “closer’s mentality,” he will get through it (as I expect him to), but this loss is definitely tough to swallow, simply because a win could have been the key to the Dodgers’ championship, should the team get that far.

Apart form that, it was nice to see a few players show that they belong among the league’s elite. Esteban Loaiza, who probably wouldn’t have gotten the start if the game had been anywhere but Comiskey Park, had a maginficent first half of the season; yet in spite of his success, his ability is still often questioned, and several commentators felt the AL was wasting its chance for home-field advantage by starting Loaiza and leaving Pedro Martinez at home. Loaiza dispelled those doubts, however, by giving the AL two very solid innings, and proving that he can pitch when the pressure is high. His fantasy owners should now feel a little more confident about his prospects for the rest of the season.

Another surprise of the first half of the season, Giants ace Jason Schmidt, also delivered when it counted. Schmidt should be a safe bet for the season’s second half, assuming his tendinitis doesn’t give him further trouble. Among hitters, the biggest surprise of the All-Star game was the well-deserved MVP, Garret Anderson, who stole the spotlight from the likes of Alex Rodriguez and Alfonso Soriano. Despite playing for the defending World Series champions, Anderson is still often underrated in fantasy drafts. Perhaps that will change now.

Another slugger who also showed he can produce under pressure was Blue Jays outfielder Vernon Wells, who provided the key hit, a two out, two run double against Gagne that set the stage for Blalock’s heroics. Wells also won’t slow down in the second half of the season; you can count on that.

All in all, this latest All-Star game was one of the most entertaining in recent memory, and also provided a few fantasy insights. Hopefully the home-field advantage rule will be retained for a while, and hopefully we’ll be treated to more mid-summer classics worthy of that name, and be spared seeing any more tie games…

 
Dan Spazierer is a lifelong Braves fan. While he would have liked to see John Smoltz pitch in the All-Star game, he’ll settle for Andruw Jones’ solid performance.