All Star Weekend

PITTSBURGH- This season's All Star festivities were held on the grounds of the historic Pittsburgh Polar Bears. Fans were treated to the largest, most elaborate FanFest of any All Star Weekend. It truly was a party like atmosphere. Most of the Polar Bear players, even the ones not on the All Star squad, made time to make appearances throughout the weekend, and were very gracious about autographs and photos. The weekend kicked off with the always popular Home Run Derby. This year's event however, was tainted by technical difficulties, and the league's broadcast partner was unable to record or televise the event! Needless to say, the league office is very unhappy about that and is currently looking into severing its ties with its current broadcast partner and having a new network handle league events starting next season. As many fans will recall, this isn't the first time that the Home Run Derby wasn't televised due to technical issues. In Season 13, the league had the same problem. Regardless, Vancouver's JJ Haley was reported to have won the event, though there is no actual proof of this victory.

The main event went much smoother than the derby did though. It was quite an entertaining game too. The AL jumped out to an early lead, and was up 5-0 after 4 1/2 innings. The NL would storm back to win the game though, 9-7. Baltimore's 5-time Fireman of the Year, and normally rock-solid closer, Eugene Scott entered the game in the 9th inning, with a 2-run lead. He didn't record an out, and surrendered a walk-off, 3-run home run to a player he knows very well from multiple clashes in the World Series, Milwaukee's long time star player, Alberto Lima. It was Lima and San Diego's budding young star, Jeremi Henry who did most of the damage for the NL. Both players had 3 hits and 4 RBI, with Henry having a 3-run triple in the bottom of the 7th and Lima hitting the 3-run walk off in the 9th. SP's all time saves leader, Shin-Soo Nakamura, recently imported from the AL to the NL, locked up his former league for two perfect innings to end the game and pick up the save.

The Futures Game was quite a treat as well. Despite outhitting the World team 12-5, the US team was unable to put many runs across the board and the two teams went into extras tied at 4. It was an unlikely offensive hero for the US team, Cleveland's highly touted reliever Bernard Bagley who hit a walk-off single in the 10th in his only AB. Bagley also pitched 2 scoreless innings in relief to pick up the W.

Teams Represented: Norfolk Whiskey Jacks (7), Baltimore Revolution (5), Honolulu Rainbow Warriors (4), Minnesota Target (2), Houston Buushwackerz (2), Philadelphia Stomp (2), Scottsdale Camels (2), Salem Blues (1), Detroit Immortals (1), Monterrey Halcones Ambar (1), Anaheim Hitmen (1), Kansas City Krazies (1), New Orleans Jazz (1)

Team Captain: Cesar Diaz, RP, Minnesota Taget, 10th All Star Selection

Babe in the Woods: (youngest 1st time All Star) CL Jeanmar Martinez, MIN; 2B Luis Delgado, MON; both 22 years old

Old Man River: (oldest 1st time All Star) SP Davey Cornejo, SCO; 33 years old

Teams Represented: Vancouver Tragedy Twins (5), Chicago Gray Stockings (5), San Diego Wiley Coyotes (4), Pittsburgh Polar Bears (4), Milwaukee Titans (3), Richmond Rebellion (3), Cincinatti Red Bolts (2), Arizona Diamondbacks (1), Memphis Belles (1), Trenton Jersey Trash (1), Cleveland Lake Shores (1)

Team Co-Captains: Ramon Yamamoto, SP, Pittsburgh Polar Bears; Shin-Soo Nakamura, CL, Richmond Rebellion, both with their 10th All Star selection

Babe in the Woods: RP Kevin Jansen, TRE; LF Darwin Crawford, SD; both 24 years old

Old Man River: RP Yuuta Takada, VC; 31 years old