Reds to invite Pete Rose to the 2015 All-Star Game in Cincinnati
Next year's All-Star Game will be in the Great American Bandbox Ballpark* and Bud Selig said Pete Rose will be allowed to attend. Naturally, it's only appropriate that a local legend take part in the festivities (e.g. George Brett in Kansas City), and you know everyone will break out their "Put Pete in the HOF" signs. Maybe the new commish will do what Bud never did.
*Can you imagine the Home Run Derby in that place? It would never end!
MLB, FOX fail to recognize Gwynn, other baseball legends during ASG
Talk about dropping the ball! Nine innings go by, and not a single mention of Don Zimmer, Ralph Kiner, or Tony Gwynn, arguably the best hitter of the '90s. There really is no excuse for not mentioning them at all, but they tried anyway, issuing a half-hearted apology for not doing so.
Passan: MLB to blame for Wainwright's actions
The All-Star Game should not be about who wins; I find nothing wrong with what Adam Wainwright did. The only reason people have issue with him admitting to "grooving" one to Jeter in his final All-Star Game is the "home field advantage in the World Series" rule. Does anyone seriously think Ian Kinsler broke right instead of left by accident to give Chipper a hit in the 2012 game, or that Chan Ho Park wasn't trying to serve a meatball to Ripken in 2001? If that ridiculous rule is never enforced, none of this would be an issue.
Yasiel Puig says he's happy with All-Star experience
Who wouldn't be happy with being named an All-Star? It definitely sounds like a lot of fun, and I don't blame him. Taking an 0-fer in both the HR Derby AND the All-Star Game (0-3, 3 K) on the other hand, does not sound like fun and simply gives more ammunition to the anti-Puig crowd who might say he didn't deserve the selection. Fan voting is a joke anyway.
Matt Kemp is open to being traded
Staying on the subject of Dodgers outfielders, Kemp has been playing left field ever since Carl Crawford suffered an ankle injury in May. Now that Crawford's back, he wants to play center field, but there is currently a logjam in the LA outfield with Crawford, Kemp, Puig, Andre Ethier, and Scott Van Slyke, the latter two splitting time in center field. Kemp famously declared he could be a 50/50 guy, but his career has taken a left turn and is hitting just .269 with eight homers this year.
Huston Street traded to the Angels
Street was having a career year in San Diego with 24 saves and a 1.09 ERA, but he's shipped to the Angels to bolster the back end of their bullpen. He and prospect Trevor Gott head to Anaheim in exchange for four minor leaguers. Before San Diego's game Friday, he had this to say:
Losing is a miserable experience. I believe in the Padres' ownership. They want to win and they are not content with status quo.
I blame the players for what's happened here.
I would assume Joaquin Benoit to be the one to take over the ninth-inning duties for San Diego now.
Astros fail to sign draft pick Brady Aiken
5 p.m. Friday was the deadline for draft picks to be signed and Aiken, along with fellow draft pick Jacob Nix, was left unsigned. Apparently, there's an issue with Aiken's UCL, which is smaller than normal, and the Astros revised their initial offer as a result. Now the player's union could get involved, and now a whole can of worms may have just been opened.