https://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/article/mlb-all-star-game-2026-for-fans-and-players-alike-sandlot-tribute-makes-for-an-unforgettable-all-star-moment-055730269.htm

Sandlot recreation getting a lot of praise...albeit two mins too long.

Overlap with underdog Nats/JPL starter out of baseball...just as easily?could have been Tristan Peters or Riley O'Brian or Cade Smith （udfa covid pick).

https://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/article/mlb-all-star-game-2026-for-fans-and-players-alike-sandlot-tribute-makes-for-an-unforgettable-all-star-moment-055730269.htm

Sandlot recreation getting a lot of praise...albeit two mins too long.

Overlap with underdog Nats/JPL starter out of baseball...just as easily?could have been Tristan Peters or Riley O'Brien or Cade Smith （udfa covid pick).

11 hours ago, Snopek said:

The classic 101 mph slapped single.

Enjoy your hill death I guess.

Ah, the hard hit arguments. Isn’t that how they justified keeping Andrew Vaughn in the lineup with all his warning track fly outs?

4 minutes ago, vilehoopster said:

Ah, the hard hit arguments. Isn’t that how they justified keeping Andrew Vaughn in the lineup with all his warning track fly outs?

*screams in Ozzie*

8 hours ago, WestEddy said:

The same writers show up to the All-Star game, regardless of where it's played, right?

Yes and no.

Point one: I have to think the voting was very close between Vargas and Bellinger. My evidence is that on the post game show, an announcer said something like, “they’re bringing Vargas over for an interview.” Then he said something like “that seems to be a big clue to who’s about to be named MVP of the game.” He said that. Does anyone else remember him saying that? Strong evidence that the voting was probably close.

Point 2: I think (but I don’t actually know) that there are a large number of sports writers who would travel nationally, whether the game was in Miami or Seattle. But I have to also believe there were a ton of upper east coast sports writers who were local and don’t travel nationally, who would not be there if the game were played in Cleveland or St. Louis: that would radio guys, podcasters, bloggers. I would guess guys who would probably be from, let’s say, New York, Philly, or New York or Boston or maybe New York or Baltimore or say New York. It wouldn’t take too many of these local sports guys with their East Coast bias to swing that vote for Bellinger.

11 hours ago, southsider2k5 said:

You think a New York Yankee won the MVP because he was in Philadelphia? WTAF?

I don’t understand your logic. East Coast bias is East Coast bias.

Yes, a guy from Philly, Boston, or Baltimore is more likely to vote for a guy on an East Coast team, especially a player from the AL East division.

A writer from a Sox rival, say Minnesota or Cleveland, is more likely, even as rivals, to vote for Vargas from another AL central team. Writers take care of their regional own.

Look at the voting for the Heisman Trophy voting: a quarterback from Michigan will get every vote from Ohio rather than a writer from a Big Ten school vote for a guy from the SEC.

20 minutes ago, vilehoopster said:

I don’t understand your logic. East Coast bias is East Coast bias.

Yes, a guy from Philly, Boston, or Baltimore is more likely to vote for a guy on an East Coast team, especially a player from the AL East division.

A writer from a Sox rival, say Minnesota or Cleveland, is more likely, even as rivals, to vote for Vargas from another AL central team. Writers take care of their regional own.

Look at the voting for the Heisman Trophy voting: a quarterback from Michigan will get every vote from Ohio rather than a writer from a Big Ten school vote for a guy from the SEC.

With respect does it even matter who was MVP of a meaningless exhibition game based on popularity?

Chicago is just a cow town. They sign s%*# in Philly.

9 hours ago, WestEddy said:

The same writers show up to the All-Star game, regardless of where it's played, right?

It's hard to know who is given access to certain things or gets to view the game from the press box. There are probably a lot more NY guys with press credentials just because of having 2 teams and the Yankees being the Yankees in the most populated area in the US. However that doesn't mean they all get to vote for the MVP , fans voted too. I think Vile's loyalty to Vargas is fine but as others have said if you shut out the other team then the 1st 2 RBI's that broke a scoreless tie are the most important runs of the game. That's how they used to score some as a GWRBI but that is no longer a thing in the box score.

While the Vargas HR was fun and exciting to us because it truly was a special moment and a Big Ol' Bomb, it was just a run added on making the score go from 3-0 to 4-0. His other AB doesn't even enter the calculus nor do the 2 other outs Bellinger made.

54 minutes ago, vilehoopster said:

I don’t understand your logic. East Coast bias is East Coast bias.

Yes, a guy from Philly, Boston, or Baltimore is more likely to vote for a guy on an East Coast team, especially a player from the AL East division.

A writer from a Sox rival, say Minnesota or Cleveland, is more likely, even as rivals, to vote for Vargas from another AL central team. Writers take care of their regional own.

Look at the voting for the Heisman Trophy voting: a quarterback from Michigan will get every vote from Ohio rather than a writer from a Big Ten school vote for a guy from the SEC.

That's like saying a Sox fan is for likely to pick a Cub because he is from Chicago, which is complete fantasy. Philly HATES NYC, they would pick the crust in their asscrack over someone from New York.