ALL STAR GAME DOESN’T KEEP A-ROD FROM HIS BEDTIME STORIES

ALEX RODRIGUEZ isn’t the current American League MVP due to his brain power. But, for once, A-Rod made a smart move at Yankee Stadium last night. He left early.

Taken out of the All Star game in the fifth inning by AL manager Terry Francona, Rodriguez had better things to do than hang around until 1.37am to congratulate Michael Young on his winning sacrifice fly.

An occasion that started with a tumultuous fanfare ended in a damp squib with most of the 55,632 fans, some of whom had paid $725 for the privilege of being there, either on their way home or already in bed.

Nobody could have predicted that the game would go 15 innings, but Major League Baseball and host broadcaster FOX must take the blame for some bleary eyes this morning.

To say the opening ceremony was a massive case of overkill is an understatement.

Okay, so baseball is a sport steeped in tradition, a sport that doesn’t forget its heroes. But how many times do we have to pay tribute to the greats of the game?

I’m all for variety and I liked the idea of introducing the current players alongside the past masters of their positions.

Late start, late finish leaves baseball fans bleary-eyed

But by the time the wax model of George Steinbrenner had been driven around the ground, it was nearly 9pm before the main event got underway.

The game itself was an anti-climax. Nothing happened until the fifth inning and the pitchers dominated the hitters.

The entrance of Mariano Rivera, with one man out in the ninth inning, briefly stirred the crowd – and the script was set up perfectly when he induced a double play and then pitched a scoreless 10th.

With the bases load and nobody out in the bottom of the 10th, “The Sandman” was going to be the winner of the 79th All Star game. Sadly, it was not to be. His teammates blew it and the game went on…and on…and on.

Jonathan Papelbon, along with the other Boston Red Sox players, was predictably subjected to the Bronx Cheers.

But by the end of the night, or rather the early hours of the morning, nobody much cared what player from which team ended the show.

Neither did A-Rod. He’d had enough time to listen to the entire Madonna collection.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCKING ON HEAVEN’S DOOR

JOSH HAMILTON gave thanks to the Lord for his appearance in the State Farm Home Run Derby at Yankee Stadium last night.

Whether God was quite so pleased to have his peace disturbed by some of Hamilton’s towering fly balls is a matter of conjecture!

The Texas Rangers’ center fielder may not have actually won the competition. But with apologies to Minnesota’s Justin Morneau, his was the name on everyone’s lips leaving the Stadium after a very special night.

Hamilton’s 28 home runs in the first round eclipsed Bobby Abreu’s record of 24 and was a truly astonishing effort.

I don’t care how softly the ball is being tossed, you try hitting 13 straight homers, some of them over 500 feet.

Hamilton is having a phenomenal season for the Rangers. At the All Star break, he’s already hit 21 homers and has 95 RBIs.

You might think the Cincinnati Reds are kicking themselves for trading him to Texas last December, but one of the players they got in return just happens to be starting pitcher Edinson Vólquez.

Vólquez, like Hamilton, has been one of the finds of the season, going 12-3 with an ERA of just 2.29. So this was a trade that, for once, delighted both parties.

Let’s hope Hamilton doesn’t suffer from Abreu syndrome. Abreu’s home-run hitting markedly declined after his efforts in the 2005 Derby.

Who needs A-Rod after Hamilton's heroics?

Some players, notably the New York Yankees’ home run king Alex Rodriguez, repeatedly turn down invitations to compete because they feel it has a lasting and damaging effect on their swing.

Fortunately, Hamilton didn’t seem bothered by the consequences last night. He just let it rip – much to the delight of the fans.

The 27-year-old, the first overall pick in the 1999 MLB Draft by the Tampa Bay Rays, is a reformed character.

He turned to God to help him overcome addictions to both alcohol and drugs that blighted his early career. He didn’t play baseball at all from 2002 to 2006 after several unsuccessful attempts at rehab.

After a tortuous struggle, he finally managed to clean up his act when his grandmother confronted him.

He says he has been substance-free since October, 2005. That would appear to be the case as he is tested at least three times a week by Major League Baseball.

Hamilton is not shy to tell his story or share his faith. His appearances at the plate in Texas are accompanied by the song “Saved The Day”, performed by contemporary Christian rock group Phillips, Craig & Dean.

With the sport’s superstars turning their back on the Home Run Derby, Josh certainly saved the day at Yankee Stadium.

DO US A FAVOR AND STAY RETIRED, BRETT

FOUR MONTHS AGO, Brett Favre announced his retirement from Pro Football and the Green Bay Packers at a tearful press conference.

At the time, there was no reason to doubt the sincerity of one of the game’s all-time great quarterbacks and a true warrior of the sport.

Now, it seems, they might have been crocodile tears. Favre has reversed his decision to retire and wants to play at least one more season, for or against the team he represented for 16 seasons.

One of the most decisive players you could ever wish to watch, Favre’s indecision off the field has put the Packers in a difficult position, to say the least.

They insist they wanted Favre back. But when the man who led the Packers to the Super Bowl title in 1996 declined their overtures, they understandably had to move on.

Now committed to starting the season with Aaron Rodgers at quarterback, it appears there is no room for Favre. However, they don’t want to release him either and why should they?

Green Bay Packers in "no-win" situation

It was 38-year-old Favre who decided to call time on his career. Now the Packers find themselves in a no-win situation.

If they relent and let Favre return, they risk damaging the long-term future of the franchise, not to mention Rodgers’ development.

If they release Favre, then see him have a successful season playing for another team, they are sure to displease the Cheeseheads for letting a legend go.

Packers' fans are split right down the middle on the issue. According to a poll on the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s web site, 47.2 percent want him to play next season and 46.5 percent want him to stay retired. Just 6.3 percent would be happy to see him playing for another team.

Ted Thompson, Green Bay’s general manager, called the situation “gut-wrenching.” “We understand where the fans are coming from. This is a hot-button issue that surpasses anything I’ve ever gone through.”

Favre, of course, should have thought of all this before playing on the public’s emotions.

He’s acting like a spoiled child who wants to have his cake and eat it. And he’s in grave danger of tarnishing his saintly image within the sport.

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NEW YORK TEAMS ENTER ALL-STAR BREAK WITH CONTRASTING EMOTIONS

METS FANS believe in their team again after a nine-game winning streak. Yankees supporters can only hope for a similar run following the All-Star break to get them into contention.

Belief and hope. There’s a big difference between the two. A few weeks ago, there was little belief at either Shea or Yankee Stadium.

How things have changed over in Queens. The doom and gloom at the end of the Willie Randolph era have given way to a new energy and optimism under Jerry Manuel.

The Mets (51-44) already have one ace in Johan Santana. They could have another now the penny has dropped with Mike Pelfrey.

Palfrey, who started the year with six losses in eight decisions, pitched another shutout last night to record his eighth victory of the year. 

Suddenly, the Mets have a starting rotation to be feared. And with Wright, Beltran and Delgado finding the seats with their bats, the Mets now look like the World Series contenders I, for one, predicted before the start of the season.

They go into the All-Star break just half a game behind the Philadelphia Phillies. Who’d have thunk it a month ago?

Let’s keep things in perspective. Their last six wins have come against two of the worst teams in baseball – the San Francisco Minnows and Colorado Rocky – but then the Mets were losing to similar opposition under Randolph.

While things are buzzing again at Shea, the mood is distinctly somber over at Yankee Stadium – scene of this week’s All-Star festivities.

According to Derek Jeter, the Yanks (5045) are playing well, they just keep coming up against lights out pitching.

Well Derek, I think it’s time for a new pair of glasses to replace the rose-tinted spectacles you’re currently wearing.

The Yanks are NOT playing well and apart from a good road trip to Oakland and Houston, have been stop-start all season.

Yankees offense has been spluttering all season

Their much-vaunted offence has managed only 436 runs in 95 games. Six teams in the American League have done better than that. They have scored two runs or less in 33 of those games.

We’re not talking about the second half now. The Yanks have 67 games in which to overcome a six-game deficit on the Boston Red Sox and five and a half on the Tampa Bay Rays.

They can count themselves lucky that the Rays have hit their bad patch earlier than expected. A seven-game losing streak has kept the Yanks in contention.

Historically, the Yanks are a second-half team. They were in a worse position last year and still made the play-offs.

But unless general manager Brian Cashman makes a major trade, which looks increasingly unlikely, the resources at manager Joe Girardi’s disposal look pretty thin.

Girardi can only hope that his hitters hit with more consistency in the next two months. They won’t do that with Brett Gardner, Justin Christian, Wilson Betemit and Chad Moeller playing regularly.

Girardi better hope Hideki Matsui and Johnny Damon return shortly; he better hope Chien-Ming Wang, Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy are back pitching again by early September; he better hope that Jorge Posada can catch; he better hope there are no more injuries.

That’s a lot to hope for. But, unlike the Mets, hope is all Yankees fans have to cling to at the moment.

WHO’S SORRY NOW?

JASON GIAMBI is hoping his 70’s style mustache and renewed popularity will earn him a late invite to the All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium next week. Barry Bonds can’t find a Major League Baseball club that will take him. 

Andy Pettitte recorded his 10th win of the season against the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday. Roger Clemens has reportedly been forced to sell his Bentley to pay mounting legal costs.

Such is the fall out from the great baseball steroids scandal.

The “good guys” who admitted the error of their ways have been given a pardon by both the fans and the League. The “bad guys” who protested their innocence and hid behind a shield of self-righteousness are no longer welcome among the fold it would seem.

There are plenty of teams in need of a left-handed power hit – the Arizona Diamondbacks being the perfect example. Who better to fill the role than the man who holds the MLB home run record with 762?

All free agent Bonds will cost is money. But he comes with baggage, not to mention the media circus.

The 43-year-old faces charges of perjury and obstruction of justice following his testimony in the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative (BALCO) investigation.

Bonds, apparently, is desperate to get back in the game. With the trading deadline now three weeks away, it will be interesting to see whether any club is desperate enough to take him. For the moment, the risk outweighs the reward.

In stark contrast to Bonds, Giambi is enjoying a renaissance year in the Bronx.

Jason Giambi's popularity has never been higher

Not so long ago, rumor had it that the New York Yankees were looking for ways to terminate his seven-year, $120 million contract due to his admission that he took performance-enhancing drugs.

After a slow start to the season that prompted him to grow his now famous mustache, Giambi is among the American League’s leading home run hitters with 18 and there is talk about him coming back for another year.

The official Yankees website is leading a campaign to Support the ‘Stache’ and win “The Giambino” the final place in the AL All-Star team. 

Many of the players, along with thousands of Yankees fans, wore novelty mustaches at The Stadium yesterday in support of their team-mate.

At a time when Bonds is the forgotten man of baseball, Giambi’s popularity has never been higher. It almost brings a tear to your eye.

“It’s really a humbling experience, to think of everything I’ve gone through and the things that I’ve battled back from – to have that closeness again with the fans in special,” he said.

Even the boos that greeted Giambi’s appearance at the plate during away games seem to have dissipated. 

His fellow Yankee Pettitte has also been embraced by the fans and the steroid revelations in the Mitchell report forgotten.

To quote from the bible, be sure your sin will find you out. How Bonds and Clemens must be wishing they had come clean now.

FEDERER FACING HIS BIGGEST CHALLENGE

IS THE ROGER FEDERER ERA in tennis over and can he truly be regarded as the greatest player of all time?

These are just two of the questions raised by Federer’s five-set loss against Rafael Nadal in an epic Wimbledon final.

Nadal is the nemesis to Federer’s domination of tennis. He has won 12 of their 18 meetings and the damage he inflicted in the final of the French Open, and now Wimbledon, could be lasting.

The swashbuckling Spaniard simply destroyed the Swiss on the clay court of Roland Garros last month.

That he was then able to end Federer’s 65-match winning run on grass suggests that tennis could soon have a new number one.

Suddenly, Federer’s aura of invincibility is gone. And now that Nadal has proved he can win on a court other than clay, Federer faces a real challenge to win his fifth successive US Open (August 25-September 7) and defend his one remaining Grand Slam title.

Federer is still only 26, yet in tennis terms, he’s almost in the twilight of his career. Nadal is four years younger and riding the crest of a wave.

Nadal now the rising star of men's tennis

The first man since Bjorn Borg to win the French Open and Wimbledon titles back to back, Nadal’s star is in the ascendancy while Federer’s could be on the wane.

It may be premature to write-off a man who has won no fewer than 12 Grand Slam titles, but passing Pete Sampras’s record of 14 may not be the formality it seemed at the start of the year.

Three-time Wimbledon champion Boris Becker believes there has been a shift in the balance of power.

Writing on the BBC website, Becker said: “The rankings may still have Federer as number one but it’s only a matter of time before Nadal takes over.

“Losing to Nadal at Wimbledon is a serious blow to Roger. He’s never been in that kind of situation and I’m curious to see how he handles this summer.

“He wants to go to the Olympics and defend his US Open crown and we’ll see his true character.

“I’m convinced he can win Wimbledon again and I wouldn’t be surprised if the two met again in the final.”

What happens in the next two years or so will determine Federer’s legacy.

Some say that without winning the French Open – he has lost the last three finals – Federer cannot be regarded as the greatest. That accolade can only be bestowed on a player capable of winning on any surface.

By winning his fifth and most significant Grand Slam title, Nadal has thrown down the gauntlet. Now we’ll see whether Federer picks it up.

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WHY THE YANKEES COULD BE SELLERS THIS SUMMER

ARE THE YANKEES done for the year? It may only be the start of July, but the chances of them winning the division – or even the wild card – are looking increasingly unlikely.

On the evidence of the first half of the season, only a blind optimist could see the Yanks (44-40) catching the Tampa Bay Rays (51-32) and the Boston Red Sox (50-36).

They went into the current nine-game homestand knowing 5-4 wouldn’t really be good enough.

Now, after successive one-run reverses against the Texas Rangers, they are in real danger of dropping out of the pennant race completely before the All-Star break.

Even if Sidney Ponson saves them from a sweep against his former team tonight, they’re going to be under enormous pressure to win the following series against the Red Sox, then the Rays.

Even if the surging Rays cool off in August and September, the Yanks will have to play .700 baseball or better for the rest of the year.

Even though they did it last year, there are plenty of good reasons to doubt that they can do it again.

Rays, Red Sox setting a scorching pace

For a start, they only had Boston to contend with in the American League East. They didn’t have three pitchers on the DL, their catcher wasn’t playing with a shoulder injury that will require surgery in the winter and their bats weren’t quite as silent as they are now.

They also had the calming influence of Joe Torre at the helm. Torre had seen it all before. His successor, Joe Girardi, is already showing signs of feeling the strain.

His decision not to bunt with a runner on first and no outs in the bottom of the ninth inning last night was baffling to say the least.

You could perhaps have understood it had A-Rod been coming to the plate. But, no, it was Melky Cabrera, who had not managed a hit in his previous 18 at bats.

Cabrera took two strikes before hitting into a double play and the Bronx cheers could be heard above the sounds of New York, New York.

That whole inning was symptomatic of the Yankees’ problems this season. They haven’t been able to come up with a big hit when they’ve needed one.

The pride and the power usually associated with the pinstripes have been sadly lacking. Even when they’ve managed to paper over the cracks in their pitching, the hitters haven’t been able to do the job they are handsomely paid for.

Tampa payroll a fifth of the Yanks

It’s hard to believe the current team was built on a payroll in excess of $200 million (compared to Tampa Bay’s $43 million).

Forecast to score between 900 and 950 runs this season, they have managed just 388 in 84 games so far. Even the Baltimore Orioles have hit more home runs (90 against the Yanks’ 83).

Jason Giambi has accounted for 17 of those but has now had around 40 at bats since going deep.

It’s going to cost the Yankees a lot to bring him back next year and after his slow start, you have to question whether he’s worth it.

In Giambi, Johnny Damon, Derek Jeter, Bobby Abreu, Hideki Matsui, the Yanks have too many aging players whose careers are heading in the wrong direction. That's not including Alex Rodriguez and Jorge Posada, who both signed new, long-term deals last winter.

Matsui has the best on-base percentage of any Yankee (.404) and he is being sorely missed in the middle of the order.

The bottom of the line-up has been nothing short of disastrous. Robinson Canó (.245 average) is an out waiting to happen. He has taken a massive step backwards this year. His stance looks awkward and his technique suspect.

Back-up catcher José Molina (.228) was not signed for his batting and Cabrera (.240) has not turned into the every day player the Yanks had hoped for.

The trouble is they need his arm in the outfield – he’s the only one who can throw – but they also need more production from him at the plate.

The Yanks don’t have a good bench and their pitching problems have been well documented. Chien-Mien Wang might not be back until September and Phil Hughes has yet to start throwing.

It all adds up to a scenario unimaginable at the start of the season. Unless the Yanks turn it around against the Red Sox and Rays later this week, they should be a selling club rather than a buyer when trading starts in earnest.

It will be time to clear the decks … and start planning for 2009.