2031 All-Star Game

[Borealis]

Jose Trejo of Duluth is coming out of the 'pen to pitch for the SL and 2B Mario Menendez of Kalamazoo is on to replace Kaufman... on Deck for the IL is German Lima, who will hit for Lujan...

Facing Trejo is Shimizu, probably his last action on the night... and he starts the 6th for the IL with a walk on a 3-2 pitch... Many a rally haas begun with a lead-off walk...

Here comes the top of the order and Amsterdam's Bill Jones... He lifts one towards the RF line... Chris Jensen chases it down for out number 1...

German Lima - the fierce Trendsetter battles Trejo to a full count, but strikes out swinging on a fastball that he can't catch up to...

Bartolo Mora, the Thoroughbred outfielder patiently takes two balls before lining a ball into center for a two-out single - Shimizu thinks about heading to third, but Jason Box is quick to the ball and a strong throw shows that Shigie's instinct to hold was the right one - Box fires a strike to third...

But that's all for the IL as Maxime Plamondon over-swings at the first pitch and dribbles it to Menendez at second and he makes the easy play...

On to the 7th...
SL - 4
IL - 0

[Borealis]

Jin-hyun Chon, the Arlington reliever comes on for the IL in the 7th, and Christian Webb, the Florida infielder who is no stranger to these games, runs out to second, and Jose Aguilera, the London outfielder heads to right and Miguel Angel Galvez squats behind the plate...

Jason Box, the Akira outfielder steps into the box... and he rolls one to short, where slick Bill Jones makes the play to first for the out...

It's the 'Gorilla's turn against Chon, and its a rinse and repeat moment - except its a roller to second, with Webb easily making the play - two down...

That brings up Steve McDonald, who just stands there - the bat never leaves his shoulder as Chon walks him on four pitches...

Chon struggles with the 'Gnats Tony Parker, as the count goes full, then Parker swings - and laces the ball down the right field line... McDonald rounds second... the ball gets stuck in the corner so Jose Aguilera has to go dig it out as McDonald races home... Parker rounds second, on his way to third...

Aguilera with the long, strong throw - the slide - SAFE!!! Tony Parker has the 2-out, RBI triple and it's 5-0 SL!!

Chris Jensen is also able to work a full count - but he swings and misses for the third out...

What excitement here at the 25th All-Star Game!!

Heading to the bottom of the 7th - it's the 7th inning stretch! And with the score, SL 5, IL 0, we have a special guest!

[Borealis]

Now pitching for the SL, Toyama reliever Takahiro Takaki... and he'll face DH Lorenzo Gonzalez of London...

Takaki get's Gonzalez to lift a popup to right on a 3-2 pitch he'd have done better watching...

Next up, Vito Valkenburg, Manchester's 1B, and he does better than Lorenzo, by watching the full count ball four go by - the IL has a runner!

And the IL has a rally - Aguilera hits a hard grounder up the middle - just out of the reach of 'Jester' for a base hit - with Vito stopping at second...

Miguel Angel Galvez - a longtime vet of many a war pops the ball into center for out number two, and out comes Aurora's manager Kumanosuke Oshima and he's calling for the 'pen and Shin Seiki's 'Weasel' - Jesus Lopez...

And the current Eva, pitching to the former-Evas - Webb, who wastes no time - but grounds it right to Fuentes for the third out - and the rally fizzles...

Off to the 8th...
SL - 5
IL - 0

[Borealis]

Racing to the mound from the 'pen is 'Zippy' Brown... and he'll face Mario Menendez..

And he walks the Kzoo second basemen...

Here comes the Yuman, Jose Barajas... And Barajas swings and misses at a 1-2 pitch...

And it looks like that's all for 'Zippy', as 'Eagle Eye' Nakagawa, the Scottish pitcher (who is not Scottish, fyi), comes on to pitch...

Nakagawa's All-Star time will be brief - he throws two pitches, and he get's the 'Jester' to hit into an inning ending 4-6-3 double play...

On to the B8...
SL - 5
IL - 0

[Borealis]

Kalamazoo's Miguel Vega will start the 8th for the SL, with Fargo's Lucio Rodriguez warming up in the 'pen...

Bill Jones leading it off for the IL.... and he rolls a 1-0 pitch to short for the easy play by Raines...

Here comes the Aurora manager, and he's calling for the Dino's closer...

And it's the Trendie's German Lima to great him... And with the count full, Rodriguez walks Lima...

Bartolo Mora comes up and with the count 1-2 he fights off a tough pitch, which he inadvertently loops over third - it's a Duck Snort, and the IL is in business against one of the best in the SL... Runners at first and second...

But unfazed, Rodriguez fires strike three past Maxime, bringing up Lorenzo Gonzalez and... Boy, the IL needs a hit...

But not today, as Lorenzo swings at the first pitch and rolls it to Menendez at second to end the inning...

It's the Top of the Ninth...
SL - 5
IL - 0

[Borealis]

To start the 9th - are you ready for some 'R' Action? It's Alfredo Aranda, the Kentucky ace reliever and he's facing Adrian Fuentes to start the 9th...

'R' blazes the ball past Fuentes for strike three and before the ball even finishes being whipped around the horn, 'Puddi' comes running in from the bullpen to finish the 9th...

Ricardo Perez, the Havana closer faces off with Jason Box first... and Box hits a 6-hopper to Webb at second for the second out...

And the 'Gorilla' hits a sharp 1-hopper to short, but it's cleanly picked by Jones, whose throw beats Armando with plenty to spare...

It's the bottom of the 9th - last chance for the IL...

SL - 5
IL - 0

[Reg]

Geez ... rough evening for the IL

[Borealis]

Coming on for the SL is Aurora's favorite 'Toast' - Mark Powers, who has made quite a name for himself since his arriving on The Front Range - and he'll face Vito Valkenburg to lead off the ninth...

And Vito greets Powers rudely, with a 2-2 pitch that is ripped to the left-center wall for a lead-off double...

Powers gets ahead with a strike on Aguilera, who then chops one to the right of the mound - Powers fields it, takes his time, and throws out the Londoner...

Miguel Angel Galvez, trying to get the IL on the board, swings hard at a 1-2 pitch - trying to hit that 5-run homer, but all he does is roll it to Menendez at second - who takes the out - Valkenburg scoring - there goes the shut out, but the SL is one out away...

[Borealis]

And coming in to get the last out is the Borealis closer, the recently maligned Bob Burns, who will face Christian Webb for starters...

Webb hits a sharp grounder up the middle, the Badger second baseman dives for it, snags it, but has no play on the speedy Webb...

That brings up Bill Jones - and he wastes no time at all - hitting a ringing ball all the way to the wall in left-center - Webb stops at second, and suddenly the IL is in business...

[Borealis]

German Lima comes to the plate, looking for the big swing - the big hit, to bring the IL to within one...

But Bob Burns blows one past the hard-swinging Lima and the ballgame is over!!!

The SL wins for the third year in a row!

That's 5-runs on 7-hits and no errors for the SL
1-run on 8-hits and 2 costly errors from Luppe van Dam...

The win goes to young Colin Hopps of the Neo-Tokyo Akira and the loss goes to Luppe van Dam of the Florida Featherheads...

Time of the game was 3:46 minutes in front of a sellout crowd.

The games MVP was... Vito Valkenburg (???), who was 1-1 with a run and a walk...

[Vic]

And so begins the legend of Valkenburg ... who needs but a walk and a run to win MVP!

[Hitmen]

This was awesome Mike, thank you! I feel like I remember the IL fairing much better in the early 2010’s..

[Evas]

Such a fun read. Thanks, Mike!

[Ghosts]

Pat Barry is making look less terrible as a GM! Some others not so much. *glares with debt towards Alex Bothwell*

[Lions]

And so begins the legend of Valkenburg ... who needs but a walk and a run to win MVP!

For the losing team, no less!