Wow! What an All Star Game!!!

AMERICAN 4
NATIONAL 3

FINAL 15 INNINGS

This was arguably the craziest, zaniest, and possibly, the greatest All Star Game ever played!

Michael Young, who won the All Star Game in 2006, won it again, with a sacrifice fly in the 15th inning to bring home Justin Morneau of Minnesota to give the AL home field advantage once again for the World Series.

Unfortunately, that is not the whole story.

This was a classic night that started with Hall of Famers from all ages, standing at their respective positions with the All Star starters. Hall of Famers included Whitey Ford, Ralph Kiner, Gary Carter, Reggie Jackson, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Cal Ripken Jr., Wade Boggs, George Brett, Willie McCuvey, and many more.

However, it was the emotional tribute to Yankee Stadium that was most memoriable, as an visibly ill George Stienbrenner was driven on a golf cart around the park to meet Ford, Jackson, Goose Gossage, and Yogi Berra, handing them baseballs to throw out the first pitch to A-Rod, Derek Jeter, Manager Joe Girardi, and Mariano Rivera.

As for the game it was a tight contest from start to finish. It was scoreless until the fifth when Matt Holliday of Colorado went yard to give the NL a 1-0 lead.

In the sixth Justin Duchscher of the Oakland A's got into really big trouble, giving up three hits to load the bases, and finally gave up a sacrifice fly to Lance Berman of the Houston Astros to give the NL a 2-0 lead.

But this game quickly turned, as J.D. Drew of Boston hit a two-run homerun off of Edison Volquez of Cincinnati to tie the game. The homerun drew cheers from a Yankee Stadium crowd, which was kinda wierd to see - considering the great rivarly between the Yankees and Red Sox.

Suddenly the game became a game about the closers. Jonathan Papelbon of hte Red Sox, who questioned his manager's decision to use Mariano Rivera in the ninth and not him, blew it up. He gave up a single to Miguel Tejada of Houston, and later allowed Adrian Gonzalez of San Diego hit a sac. fly to bring Tejada home - drawing boos from the crowd, all aimed at Papelbon.

But the NL gave it back as Billy Wagner of the Mets exploded once again in the spotlight, surrendering a single to Grady Sizemore of Cleveland, and a double by Evan Longoria of Tampa Bay to tie the game at three. The NL staff was so nervous to have Wagner on the mound, that they made two visits to the mound to check on the erratic closer.

The game stayed tied for the rest of the night basically. Mariano Rivera pitched two terrific innings in front of his delighted home crowd.

It got to a point that AL and Red Sox manager Terry Francona had to use Scott Kazmir of Tampa Bay on a strict pitch count, with the fear that he would have to conceed to a tied game. Yes another tied game!!!

Yet the AL was able to load the bases up again, and finally get the run home, on a Michael Young sac. fly, something they had trouble doing all night in the extra innings. Boxscore.