Sports Redux: The World Series Will Start At Fenway*

*Provided, of course, that the Red Sox make it there.

Another All Star Game, another win for the American League. It's been 13 years since the Junior Circuit lost (not counting the tie game, which America lost); the 1996 game featured only one Red Sox player (Mo Vaughn) and two youngsters named Alex R. and Pedro M. making their ASG debuts. It was a long time ago. Last night, the AL used a lights-out performance by its bullpen to seal down a 4-3 win in St. Louis.

It almost didn't happen. It almost came to pass that Jonathan Papelbon was the goat. Tied at 3-3, Papelbon gave up a long long drive to Colorado's Brad Hawpe that was headed for the seats, until Tampa Bay's Carl Crawford leaped up and pulled it back in. Instead of a loss, Papelbon got the win, as Detroit's Curtis Granderson drove in the winning run in the eighth, and Joe Nathan and Mariano Rivera shut down the NL the rest of the way.

For the rest of the Sox contingent, Youk and Jason Bay got a hit apiece. Beckett didn't pitch because he threw a complete game over the weekend, and sadly, Wakefield didn't pitch because Joe Maddon wanted to hold him in reserve in case of extra innings. Which is why Wake needs to keep this up, and why Terry Francona needs to be managing the team next year. And that's all we have to say about that.

Old friends are turning up in new places. Matt Cassel is in Kansas City (we knew that), but now he's there for a long time, signing a six-year, big-bucks deal with the Chiefs. Pedro Martinez apparently will be a Philiie for the rest of the year, except for a few minor-league starts he'll need to get back into shape. And on a sadder note, Antoine Walker is showing up on some bad lists for running up debts to Vegas casinos and not paying them back. We're not sure if they mean in the gambling rooms or at the buffet.

Tonight is the longest night of the year for sports fans. Everyone's flying from St. Louis to wherever it is they begin the second half of the season. Football hasn't started yet; basketball and hockey are distant memories. Try to get through it as best you can.

Photo by Flickr's Kevin Ward and used under a Creative Commons license.