Phillies Notes: All-Star Roundup

It was a rather quiet All-Star Break for the Phillies involved in the festivities.

The Big Guy could muster only 3 dingers in the Home Run Derby, though the one to deep center was pretty impressive. The Derby used to be a lot more fun to watch when there was no shortage of "enhanced" sluggers hitting 50 homers per year. Nowadays, they're so short of participants that they throw line drive hitters like Magglio Ordonez out there and they get guys like Garret Anderson winning the title. Lame.

It's time to either turn the contest into an exhibition of surrogate DHs--the Adam Dunns and Jack Custs of the world, regardless of whether or not they are "All-Stars"--or take the pageantry and prestige of the Derby down a notch.

Believe it or not, I find that the Celebrity Softball Game is doing a better job of giving the TV viewer more bang for his or her buck. What started out as a goofy cavalcade of pudgy former pros and wannabe Hollywood athletes has year by year escalated into an Armageddon of massive celebrity egos and barely veiled disdain in the grand tradition of Battle of the Network Stars. This year was a major turning point. James Denton gave a smug sideline interview. Kenny Mayne absolutely robbed Jimmy Kimmel of a home run. Even Rob Scheinder brought his A-game, for Christ's sake. And Mayne's team just kept piling on the runs in a manner reminiscent of an epic beer league mismatch. Fantastic television--why doesn't it come on until after midnight?

And the game itself? Ho-hum, another American League victory, but for once the AL's closers were almost as shaky as the NL's. Take that, Billy Wagner.

It was a rather inauspicious showing for the Phillies as well. Cole Hamels pitched an inning and avoided giving up a run thanks to Russell Martin's ungodly agility behind the plate. Enjoy those knees while they last, Russ!

Neither Utley nor Rowand collected a hit, though Chase made a nifty defensive play on Carlos Guillen in the 6th inning. Rowand, one of the best in the league with runners in scoring position this season, came up with a chance to win the game in the bottom of the 9th and promptly flied out, thus introducing a nationwide audience to the basic tenets of Phillies baseball.

Not that the Phils needed that World Series home field advantage anyway.