zzzzzzzzzzz..........

If you're wondering about the title, that's the sound of me sleeping through the Home Run Derby last night. Home runs have their place in baseball, but taking them out of their game context and turning them into a stand-alone event is not something that has ever really turned me on. I don't really understand the appeal of seeing Bonds, Tejada, Palmeiro, and Berkman hit a bunch of batting-practice fastballs out of Minute Maid Park - I'd rather see them do it in a real game situation, even if it's on a wet Monday night in April against the Mariners.

What I do like to see, though, at the Home Run Derby and the All-Star Game, is the footage of the players just hanging out around the field watching the proceedings. My favourite moment from the Home Run Derby was seeing Manny Ramirez approach Don Mattingly to ask if he'd mind having his picture taken with Manny's son. Manny is a superstar, and one of the greatest hitters around, but at that precise moment he was just another fan trying to get Donnie Baseball's picture. Rivalry Row? Nah, this was all about a little r-e-s-p-e-c-t...