Tim Lincecum: more prepared this year than last: With tonight’s temperatures expected to reach a humid 86 degrees, Tim Lincecum knows from experience how to get ready for his first All-Star Game appearance — drink lots of liquids. The San Francisco Giants’ ace, picked to start for the National League, missed last year’s event in […]

Somewhere along the line Heath Bell knew there’d be girls, visions, everything; somewhere along the line the pearl would be handed to him: Bell was among the last All-Stars to arrive at their hotel, checking in at 10:17 a.m. Monday after he, Padres teammate Adrian Gonzalez, Gonzalez’s wife, Betsy, and batting practice pitcher Ray Krohn […]

I sat and read the USA Today while eating my turkey sandwich, so the next few items of the day all come from there. First up, Roy Halladay — who is not going to be traded — on where he’d like to go if he were traded: Halladay, 33, who has a full no-trade clause, […]

Things to read as you wonder whether heckling the kids trying to catch the fly balls during the Derby makes you a bad person . . . If you only read one butt-headed, xenophobic comment from a former MSM columnist who is unawre of geography and demographics today, make sure it’s this one. A very […]

Note: due to the All-Star break, we now bring you a special “Classic” version of “And That Happened.” The following originally ran on July 14, 1956. Glad that All-Star break is over. Man, Griffith Stadium leaves a lot to be desired! Only 28,000 in attendance? Maybe they’d draw more people if they stretched the event […]

I read this the first time and laughed. And then I looked up at the humorless picture at the top of the column and realized that this is no parody. Greg Doyel is Very. Very. Serious. The Home Run Derby is tonight, and it’s the perfect advertisement for baseball. Busch Stadium in St. Louis will […]

Unfortunately, it will only be the morning, as I have to leave in about five minutes to go to a hearing in beautiful Jackson, Ohio. Johnny and June Carter weren’t singing about that Jackson. Neither was Lucinda Williams. In fact, I think the only notable thing about Jackson, Ohio was that they filmed a big […]

We knew this was going to happen, we just thought it was going to happen sooner: In the middle of his third season as manager, Manny Acta has been fired by the Washington Nationals, a source with knowledge of the situation said tonight. Asked in an e-mail about his job status, Acta replied, simply, “Thanks […]

Why do we need an All-Star break? I’m not even tired . . . Tigers 10, Indians 1: I listened to this game on the radio while painting the railing and trim around my front porch with ShysterFather. ShysterFather is great, if for no other reason than he’ll help me paint my porch, but he’s […]

I’ve never felt more loved and cared for in the world than I do right now. No less than 25 people have emailed, Twittered, Facebooked, and/or smoke signaled me to give me this glorious, wondrous news: Two National League East foes swapped outfielders on Friday, as the Mets traded Ryan Church to the Braves for […]