Tonight's the MLB All-Star Game, and you know the deal -- Chris Sale, Jake Peavy, Paul Konerko and Adam Dunn are representing the White Sox. I'm putting Sale first because he appeared on The Late Show for a line (and some fake sneezes) on the Top Ten list:
Trying to play off David Letterman when he's in one of his "Ya got any gum?" tangents must be difficult, especially with the satellite delay, but he did OK for himself. Joe Mauer had it worse.
And for some related reading, as somebody who enjoys the All-Star Game for what it is, I pretty much agree with Eric Freeman's piece at The Classical:
For the most part, appreciating the best baseball players in the world requires prolonged observation and careful study. A young superstar like Pittsburgh’s Andrew McCutchen is worth as much attention as anyone on the Red Sox or Yankees, but fans watching him for the first time in the All-Star Game might not see anything especially impressive. The vagaries of pitch selection, batted-ball luck, and all the other contingencies of baseball provide too many variables. Apart from a grooved pitch to a retiring legend, there’s no way for baseball players to approximate giving LeBron James an open lane to the hoop without looking like incompetent idiots.
The game can still be fun to watch, of course, and I fully intend on tuning in tonight. But it’s worth noting that most people who like the All-Star Game don’t expect to be dazzled. Their expectations are muted: they just want a well-played baseball game with a bunch of very good players on the field at once. There is hope for highlights but not the assumption that the assembled talent wills memorable moments into existence. Again, it’s not so different from a normal everyday baseball game. And while that might not be Carl Hubbell striking out six future Hall of Famers in a row, it can be a nice way for friends and family to pass a few hours.