Manny and David Ortiz helped the AL secure home field advantage for the World Series by each hitting two run homers last night in the 75th MLB All Star Game. Gordon Edes looks at the Red Sox contributions to the victory. Dan Ventura looks at the Sox players staging their own version of home run derby last night. Jack O’Connell looks at the American League roughing up Roger Clemens for 6 runs in the first inning. Steve Buckley (subscription only) focuses on Clemens/Piazza, and can’t help but wonder out loud if the American League hitters in the first inning somehow knew what pitches were coming to them. He says Piazza would never tell them, he’s got too much class and respect for the game, but Buckley still brings it up anyway. Actually, if you want to read Buckley’s column, just read Dan Shaughnessy’s. They’re same, even down to the down to the Bull Durham/Crash Davis analogy. Shaughnessy has a little bit more about Clemens’ role in Houston this week as official spokesperson and welcoming committee in his article, but otherwise they same the same thing.

Alex Speier compares Curt Schilling and Roger Clemens. John Tomase looks at the leadership role that Schilling has taken with the Red Sox. Gordon Edes also has a look at Schilling as he gears up for the second half of the season. Steve Buckley looks at former Sox skipper Jimy Williams, likely facing the axe in Houston. Speier also has a feature style article on David Ortiz, a very good read on the Sox burly left handed slugger. David Borges looks at the Sox interest in another Twins prospect. Jim Donaldson says the PawSox are cursed. Mike Shalin looks back at Morgan’s Magic. Edes’ notebook has a look at Nomar being fined for not have the MLB logo visible on his batting helmet. Ventura’s notebook has more on David Ortiz thoroughly enjoying his All Star experience.

Steve Bulpett looks at possible interest around the league in Celtics restricted free agent big man Chris Mihm, but Danny Ainge says the C’s will match any offer made to Mihm. Shira Springer looks at what the arrival of Shaquille O’Neal in Miami means for the Celtics and the rest of the Eastern conference. Bulpett also has a quick blurb from Paul Pierce, who was impressed with what he saw from the Celtics youngsters in the Las Vegas Summer League last night.

ESPN debuts the Pedro Martinez “Sports Century” tonight at 7:00 in HDTV. HBO debuts “Hitler’s Pawn”, a fascinating documentary about a Jewish female athlete who trained to compete for the German Olympic team in the 1936 Summer Games. Her presence on the team was to show the world that Germany was not discriminating and so Berlin wouldn’t have to give up the Games. She was then bounced from the team a few weeks before the Games. CN8’s Sports Pulse will have NASCAR talk with Jeremy Mayfield and Kasey Kahne, and will also have “Chasing Steinbrenner” author Rob Bradford in studio.

Published by Bruce Allen

Automattician.