American League

Pride

"We need a place to pitch...we need a mound..."

Jay-Z - American Dreamin'

Its mid-July, and while it may not cause you to do anything other than turn the air conditioner up...it also means that baseball season is at the halfway mark, as the MLB All-Stars played last night in St. Louis.

National Treasure

The National and American League big names squared off in the mid-summer night classic as the AL defended their stretch of wins dating back to 1997, by defeating the NL 4-3.

President Obama was on hand to throw out the first pitch and Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Carl Crawford saved the game by stealing what would have been a homerun...Curtis Granderson scored the tie-breaking run in the 8th inning...which lead to the Yankees closing ace Mariano Rivera for his record, 4th All-Star save in the 9th.

Home field advantage stays with the AL for the World Series once again, which last season didn't matter as the Phillies captured the crown...and by the way Philadelphia signed Pedro Martinez last night too, so things could continue to repeat.

Photo: AP

Speed Limit

Speed

Power

"I used to run base like Juan Pierre...now I run the bass, high hat and the snare..."

Jay-Z - Deja Vu

Growing up where I did in Philadelphia...the only sports that mattered were basketball, football, and track. It wasn't until I moved to NYC that I was introduced to baseball. My cousin Donald lived in Queens, so naturally he was a Mets fan, so I decided to cheer for the Yankees.

History

The city that never sleeps is known for basketball, and its legendary point guards like Tiny Archibald, Kenny Anderson, Stephon Marbury, and Rafer Alson...however for those of you that don't know...it's more of a baseball town than anything else. It was once the home of three major teams and now it has two with the Yankees and Mets...nevertheless I learned everything I know about the game in the Empire State

In today's news Tampa Bay Rays left fielder Carl Crawford stole 6 bases against American League foe, the Boston Red Sox...tying an AL record, while breaking his previous club record of 4. He currently leads the major leagues with 17 stolen bases. The amazing feat helped to lead the Rays over the Sox 5-3, giving Tampa the weekend series 2-1.

I'm not only happy for him, but I understand that he accomplished something extremely rare, and in my eyes I'm proud that he is an African American baseball player, as the black ball players have been on the decline in recent years. 

At one point in this country the sport was a way for black Americans to earn a living, entertain one another, and share one another's pride and history...nowadays a lot of that is lost. And as we approach the dog days of June, July, and August...tune into to our national pastime...you just might enjoy it.