MLB All-Star Game: Ichiro and Mays (Not Bonds) Shine Brightest

The 2007 MLB All-Star Game saw its share of "Holy $#@%!" moments, but none was more fulfilling than the pregame festivities.

Unfortunately for the National League, they decided to play the game afterwards, and the American League Legends continued their decade of dominance with a 5-4 win over the NL Youngsters.

In case you missed it, here's a quick recap of Tuesday night's highlights:

 

Best Homer: Not by Barry Bonds

Best Comeback: Not by Barry Bonds

Best San Francisco Ovation: Not for Barry Bonds

Reason for Watching: Not Barry Bonds

Now that that's taken care of, here are the actual highlights from the night's festivities:
 

On a night where anything was possible, the AL showed why the old and experienced can sometimes be better than the young and the restless.

Seattle's Ichiro Suzuki led the charge with the first-ever inside-the-park home run in an All-Star Game. Ichiro gave the ball—smudged with green and red paint—to the folks at the Hall of Fame. 

A close second for best homer of the night goes to Alfonso Soriano, whose two-out, two-run shot in the bottom of the ninth briefly gave the NL life.

Sorry San Franciscans, but Barry didn't do much in this game.
 
Best Comeback: National League

Though they lost the game, the Youngsters gave the Legends a scare in the ninth. Down to their final out, the NL found hope in the form of Soriano s blast...but the Angels' Francisco Rodriguez would eventually secure the victory.

Again, Bonds didn t have a single thing to do with the comeback.
 
Best San Francisco Ovation: The Say Hey Kid

One San Francisco legend did provide a moment to remember—but that moment came before the game even started. Following introductions that saw the crowd boo every California team outside of San Francisco, the fans gave the Greatest of All Time (no offense, Hank) his due praise.

Sorry, still not talking about Barry Bonds.

I'm talking, of course, about the Say Hey Kid—Willie Mays. With his godson Bonds by his side, Mays threw the ceremonial first pitch to the Mets' Jose Reyes, who got an autograph for his effort.

Appropriately enough, No. 24 played in 24 All-Star Games, one of the few records that Bonds hasn't touched.  Mays can now say—with a straight face—that he's the only man in San Francisco who can look downright fabulous in an old school Pink Cadillac.

(Bonus Award) Bonehead Move of the Night: Tony LaRussa

Simple Question: If you have one of the best hitters of his generation on your team, why would you keep him on the shelf?

Are you an idiot?

Obviously, Tony La Russa has lost his mind.  

During the announcement of starting lineups, one name was conspicuously absent: Albert Pujols. But even more conspicuous was Pujols' absence in the bottom of the ninth.

 
Tony, you messed up big time on this one. Don't make excuses, Cheech. The reason the National League lost the All-Star Game was because you, the manager, acted like a fool. If you were supposedly saving Pujols for an "emergency"...shouldn't a 5-4 game with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the ninth qualify as an emergency?

Managers, one piece of advice for the second half: Don't tick off your own players.