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PHOENIX (AP) - If Heath Bell is leaving the National League, he slid right out in style.The San Diego closer made his usual sprint to the mound in the All-Star game Tuesday night, all 6-foot-3, 259 pounds of him, then made a picture-perfect pop-up slide into the rubber."I told some Authentic Mark Buehrle Jersey guys I wanted to have some fun this All-Star game and needed some ideas,'' he explained, "so guys back home said slide on the mound.''NL manager Bruce Bochy had reminded the players that this game had some meaning, with the winner getting home-field advantage in the World Series. Bochy should know, because home field was critical to his Giants winning it all last year. That made Bell reluctant to try his slide."I thought I was not going to do it,'' he said, "but then we were up by four runs.''Even as he was running, he was disinclined to go through with it. But finally, he told himself, "OK, I will do it.''The closer, rumored to be on the trading block with contenders from both leagues eying him, has said he would prefer to stay put but understands it is a business."The folks in San Diego are used to me doing a lot of fun stuff,'' he said. "I practice sliding a little bit behind the scenes so nobody can see it. I feel like I am athlete even though I am a pitcher and a non-athlete. I am a big guy but I Carlton Fisk Jersey can play.''His stunt did not affect his performance. Bell, part of a series of powerful pitchers the NL used to shut down the AL 5-1, got the only batter he faced, Jhonny Peralta, to pop out to end the eighth inning.Leave it to fellow strange closer Brian Wilson of San Francisco to critique Bell's slide."He nailed it,'' Wilson said.---BOCHY'S CARDS: The St. Louis Cardinals had a pair starters for the National League team, Matt Holliday in left field and Lance Berkman in right.Unlike some of the other NL starters, they didn't last long; Holliday was replaced by Houston's Hunter Pence and Berkman by Arizona's Justin Upton, both in the third inning.A little Cardinals hating by NL manager Bruce Bochy?Nah. That's all either one wanted to play."I talked to both of them. I had the luxury of doing that because of the number of outfielders,'' Bochy said. "Berkman even said, 'You know what, I really would want some guys to go out there who haven't played in the All-Star game.' And I talked to Matt yesterday, and he said, 'Yeah, three innings is good for me.' So these are things we do talk about. It wasn't something about the Cardinals; I sat down with most of the players Authentic Harold Baines Jersey and talked about the game plan.''---HUSTLING JOSE: Jose Bautista IS the Blue Jays, so when he went sliding into the wall to make a spectacular catch of a foul ball, Toronto manager John Farrell was understandably concerned - but not Authentic Carlton Fisk Jersey at all surprised."A sigh of relief as he got up and threw the ball back in,'' said White Sox Jake Peavy Jersey Farrell, who was Jake Peavy Jersey part of AL manager Ron Washington's staff. "But as we've seen from Jose, he's all-out all the time, regardless of the setting or White Sox Gordon Beckham Jersey the game.''Bautista raced to his right and slid into the wall as he caught Brian McCann's foul ball to start the second inning."He certainly represented himself well and the Blue Jays well on that play,''' Farrell said. "It was an all-out, hustle play.''Another hustle play didn't turn out so well. After Adrian Gonzalez's third-inning home run put the AL up 1-0, Bautista singled to shallow center. Josh Hamilton followed with a single and Bautista advanced to second. Then when Adrian Beltre singled to left-center, Bautista tried to score from second but was out easily on Harold Baines Jersey a throw from White Sox Harold Baines Jersey Hunter Pence to end what had the makings of a big inning."Certainly he's not going to be held up, he's going to force the issue,'' Farrell said. "Pence made a heck of a throw, threw a strike, but much like we've seen all year, he (Bautista) played tonight like it was a regular-season game, and certainly there was something to play for tonight.''---GOING, GOING, GONE: A bat that Babe Ruth used to hit a 620-foot home run in an exhibition game at White Sox Mark Buehrle Jersey Sing Sing Prison in 1929 was sold at auction Tuesday for $126,500. The item was among several pieces of baseball memorabilia sold at MLB FanFest, part of the All-Star game celebrations, by Hunt Auctions. The bat had not been expected to sell for more than $100,000.A Jackie Robinson professional model bat from his historic 1947 rookie season went for $97,750, far above the pre-sale estimates of $30,000 to $40,000. Two 1908 Chicago Cubs world champion pennants sold for $57,500. The pennants mark the Cubs' last World Series title.A baseball autographed by Ruth and Lou Gehrig, circa 1927, went for $33,350, and an autographed bat that Roberto Clemente used for his 2,999th hit sold for $51,750.---THE CHASE: Chase Field, initially Michael Jordan Jersey known as Bank One Ballpark before it got swept up in a flurry of bank mergers, is the 52nd ballpark to host an All-Star game.Phoenix became the 27th city to hold the game and the first since Colorado in 1998 to host the Gordon Beckham Jersey classic for the first time. The field was completed in 1998 after a campaign that became so inflamed that a disturbed individual wounded a city councilwoman with a gunshot to the backside.In the previous 81 All-Star games, the American League had scored 340 runs and the National 339. Forty-six of Authentic Jake Peavy Jersey those 81 games were decided by two runs or less. Twenty-six All-Star games have been decided by one run, including four of the last five years.---TROY'S HERE: Colorado's Troy Tulowitzki would have seemed to be a good candidate to join the long list of those who sat out the All-Star game. The shortstop missed four games last week with a strained quadriceps before returning on Saturday. Even though he played in the two games before the break, he could have begged off to let his leg rest."Yeah, I thought about it,'' Authentic Gordon Beckham Jersey he said before the National League's 5-1 victory. "If I wasn't healthy enough, you don't want to come here hurt and further injure yourself for your team. It means a lot to be here. The fans obviously love this game. We love playing it. There's not a better place to be Mark Buehrle Jersey right now.''Tulowitzki, who was making the first All-Star start of his career, went 1 for 2.---HOMER HAPPY: The Home Run Derby on Monday night drew 6,686,000 viewers on ESPN, according to fast national ratings, up 4 percent from last year's 6,418,000. The 4.7 rating increased 2 percent from last year's 4.6.It drew a 10.3 rating in Boston, a 9.3 in Milwaukee, a 6.3 in Phoenix and a 6.1 in New York.---STEAMY FORECAST: While much was made White Sox Carlton Fisk Jersey of the Arizona heat at the All-Star game, commissioner Bud Selig knows that it's sweltering across much of America in July. Take Kansas City, site of next year's game, for instance."It will be just as hot and a little more humid, but what the hell?'' Authentic Michael Jordan Jersey Selig said. "That's been Kansas City forever.''---AP Sports Writer Ron Blum contributed to this report.
 
 

NEW YORK (AP) - The Milwaukee Brewers got a quick start on the second half, picking up a big-time closer.The NL Central co-leaders acquired former All-Star reliever Francisco Rodriguez from the New York Mets on Tuesday night, boosting the Brewers' bullpen for a second-half run at the playoffs.The trade was announced only a half-hour after the All-Star game, with the Mets sending K-Rod and cash to Milwaukee for Authentic Alex Rios Jersey two players to be named.Most likely, more trades all over the majors will follow before the July 31 deadline for making deals without waivers. And this swap was yet another sign the Brewers are going all in this season.Milwaukee is tied with St. Twins Michael Cuddyer Jersey Louis for the NL Central lead, and John Axford has done well as its closer. The Brewers, however, have had trouble finding steady setup men."Francisco has been one of the best relievers in the game for many years,'' Brewers general manager Doug Melvin said in a statement. "He is a high-quality arm who will be a tremendous asset to our bullpen as we prepare for the final months of the regular season and playoffs.''The Brewers traded for top starters Zack Greinke and Shaun Marcum in the offseason. Twins Joe Mauer Jersey They've made the playoffs just once since winning the American League pennant in 1982, and are faced with the prospect of watching star slugger Prince Fielder leave via free agency after the season.Fielder was the MVP of the All-Star game, hitting a three-run homer in the National League's 5-1 victory."That is a really big trade. He can really help us, he is a Authentic Michael Cuddyer Jersey great player. It Authentic Bo Jackson Jersey definitely gives us a spark. We are in first place now Authentic Adam Dunn Jersey and getting him gives us a little more help,'' Fielder said."He is going to bring the success he has had in his career, his confidence. He is going to keep doing what he is doing. You can't go White Sox Alex Rios Jersey wrong when Justin Morneau Jersey you get that kind of talent. You can never have too many guys. No discredit to Axford at all, but to get him, too, is great,'' he said.The 29-year-old Rodriguez is 2-2 with a 3.16 ERA and 23 saves, a year after a fracas Twins Justin Morneau Jersey with a family member at Citi Field led to his arrest, an injury and the early end of his season. He is a four-time All-Star and set the single-season saves record with 62 in 2008 with the Angels.Rodriguez has a contract clause that guarantees him $17.5 million in 2012 if he finishes 55 games this year. The right-hander has currently finished 34 and is on pace to achieve the mark, Bo Jackson Jersey though he may not get ample chances to do that with the Brewers."As a player, you appreciate it because you are going out there every day. When management does a move like ... they are trying their best to help as much as they can,'' Fielder said."If we got a shot we know (Melvin) is going to do something to get that extra push. If we play hard and we have a shot, he is going Adam Dunn Jersey to do everything he can,'' he said. Alex Rios Jersey "It is a great night.''New York is 46-45 in the NL East and 11 games behind Philadelphia and 7 1/2 behind Atlanta in the wild-card race. This was the first major trade Michael Cuddyer Jersey for general manager Sandy Alderson Authentic Joe Mauer Jersey since taking over the Mets in the offseason and there could be more after the break, with high-priced All-Stars Carlos Beltran and Jose Reyes heading toward free agency following the season."We thank Frankie for his contributions to the Mets and wish him well with the Brewers,'' Alderson said. "This trade allows us to develop and more fully utilize other members of our 2011 bullpen and offers some payroll relief as well.''Rodriguez is in his White Sox Adam Dunn Jersey 10th major league season. He is 32-27 with 291 saves and Authentic Justin Morneau Jersey a 2.54 ERA with the Angels and White Sox Bo Jackson Jersey Mets, who signed him as a free agent after his record-setting year.---AP freelance writer Bob Huhn in Phoenix contributed to this report.
 

PHOENIX (AP) - Jose Bautista IS the Toronto Blue Jays, so when he went sliding into the wall to make a spectacular catch of a foul ball in the All-Star game on Tuesday night, his manager John Farrell was understandably concerned - but not at all surprised."A sigh of relief as he got up and threw the ball back in,'' said Farrell, who was part of AL manager Ron Washington's staff. "But as we've seen from Jose, he's all-out all the Authentic Derek Jeter Jersey time, regardless of the setting or the game.''Bautista raced to his right and slid into the wall as he caught Brian McCann's foul Authentic Mickey Mantle Jersey ball to start the second inning."He certainly represented himself well and the Blue Jays well on that play,''' Farrell said. "It was an all-out, hustle play.''Another hustle play didn't turn out so well. After Adrian Gonzalez's third-inning home run put the AL up 1-0, Bautista singled to shallow center. Josh Hamilton followed with a single and Bautista advanced to second. Then when Adrian Beltre singled to left-center, Bautista tried to score from second but was out easily on a throw from Hunter Pence to end what had the makings of a big inning."Certainly he's not going to be held up, he's going to force the issue,'' Farrell said. "Pence made a heck of a throw, threw a strike, but much like we've seen all year, he (Bautista) played tonight like it was a regular-season game, and certainly there was something to play for tonight.''---GOING, GOING, GONE: A bat that Babe Ruth used to hit a 620-foot home run in an exhibition Carlos Beltran Jersey game at Sing Sing Prison in 1929 was sold at auction Tuesday for $126,500. The item was among several pieces of baseball memorabilia sold at MLB FanFest, part of the All-Star game celebrations, by Hunt Auctions. The bat had not been Alex Rodriguez Jersey expected to sell for more than $100,000.A Jackie Robinson professional model bat from his historic 1947 rookie season went for $97,750, far above the pre-sale estimates of $30,000 to $40,000. Two 1908 Chicago Cubs world champion pennants sold for $57,500. The pennants mark the Cubs' last World Series title.A baseball autographed by Ruth and Lou Gehrig, circa 1927, went for $33,350, Jorge Posada Jersey and an autographed bat that Roberto Clemente used for his 2,999th hit sold for $51,750.---BELL RINGS: Jay Yankees Mariano Rivera Jersey Bell Yankees Derek Jeter Jersey looked around Chase Field before the All-Star game Tuesday night and recalled how the Arizona franchise had developed after Derek Jeter Jersey it signed him to a then-stunning five-year, $34 million contract before the Diamondbacks' inaugural 1998 season.Three years later, shifted from shortstop to second base, Bell scored the winning run in an amazing ninth-inning comeback against Mariano Rivera and the New York Yankees in Game 7 of the 2001 World Series.The emotional series, delayed by the tragic events of Sept. 11 that year, ranks among the most exciting of the game's history.That Arizona team is to reunite in Phoenix this Sept. 11.Long retired, Bell confesses that he misses the old purple uniforms, but he loves the direction of the now red-clad Diamondbacks under manager Kirk Gibson and an experienced coaching staff."I love the evolution of the team,'' he said. "It's been a neat process. What's so enjoyable now is to see what the guys are becoming and how they're kind of taking to everything that Mariano Rivera Jersey Gibby is selling them.''After two dismal seasons in the division basement, the Diamondbacks are three games behind first-place San Francisco in the NL West.---THE CHASE: Chase Field, initially known as Bank One Ballpark before it got swept up in a flurry of bank Yankees Mickey Mantle Jersey mergers, is the 52nd ballpark to host an All-Star game.Phoenix became the 27th city to hold Mickey Mantle Jersey the game and the first since Colorado in 1998 to host the Yankees Alex Rodriguez Jersey classic for the first time. The field was completed in 1998 after a campaign that became so inflamed that a disturbed individual wounded a city councilwoman with a gunshot to the backside.In the previous 81 All-Star games, the American League had scored 340 runs and the National 339. Forty-six of those 81 games were decided by two runs or less. Twenty-six All-Star games have been decided by one run, including four of the last five years.---TROY'S HERE: Colorado's Troy Tulowitzki would have seemed to be a good candidate to join the long list of those who sat out the All-Star game. The shortstop missed four games last week with a strained quadriceps before returning on Saturday. Even though he played in the two games before the break, he could have begged off to let his leg rest."Yeah, I thought about it,'' he said before the National League's 5-1 victory. "If I wasn't healthy enough, Authentic Mariano Rivera Jersey you don't want to come here hurt and further injure yourself for your team. It means a lot to be here. The fans obviously love this Yankees Jorge Posada Jersey game. We love playing it. There's not a better place to be right now.''Tulowitzki, who was making the first All-Star start of his career, went 1 for 2.---NO HOT TICKET: Possibly because the heat caused some fans not to travel to Arizona, there was less Authentic Jorge Posada Jersey demand for tickets this year. Just six hours before first pitch, resale tickets were available for as low as $74, according to fansnap.com, and there were 1,000 tickets for less than $140.The list price set by Major League Baseball ranged from $90-$350, down from $150-$360 when the Angels hosted last year. All-Star prices have fluctuated depending on the market in recent years, running from $75-$285 in San Francisco in 2007, to $170-$725 at New York's Yankee Stadium the following year to $100-$360 at St. Louis in 2009.---HOMER HAPPY: The Home Run Derby on Monday night drew 6,686,000 viewers on ESPN, according to fast national ratings, up 4 percent from last year's 6,418,000. The 4.7 rating increased 2 Authentic Carlos Beltran Jersey percent from last year's 4.6.It drew a 10.3 rating in Boston, a 9.3 in Milwaukee, a 6.3 in Phoenix and a 6.1 in New York.---STEAMY FORECAST: While much was made of the Arizona heat at this year's All-Star game, commissioner Bud Selig knows that it's sweltering across much of America in July. Take Kansas City, site of next year's game, for instance."It will be just as hot and a little more Authentic Alex Rodriguez Jersey humid, but what the hell?'' Selig said. "That's been Kansas City forever.''---AP Sports Writer Ron Blum contributed to this report.
 

AP Sports ColumnistAbsent from the endless discussions about how to improve baseball's All-Star game was the one that would solve all the problems immediately.End it.Seriously. Would anyone other than Bud Selig notice? Or care? And just imagine if the idea gets traction across the sports spectrum. If the pro leagues really want to do Authentic Cliff Lee Jersey something for fans, other than pick their pockets, keep the breaks Carl Crawford Jersey in midseason and have the players perform community service - e.g., stage sports clinics Roger Maris Jersey in their hometowns.For one thing, they might be better attended than the All-Star game. Almost a fifth of the players named to baseball's two squads had already voted no with their feet, electing to park Authentic Carl Crawford Jersey them somewhere besides Phoenix on Tuesday night, rendering the National League's 5-1 win an even more meaningless exercise than usual. And the problem wasn't just a lack of quantity, but quality.Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter might be the face of baseball, Authentic Cole Hamels Jersey but his body was already in R&R mode. He sneaked off to Florida with Yankees Nick Swisher Jersey girlfriend Minka Kelly, enraging all Phillies Cliff Lee Jersey those commentators who exhausted their store of superlatives praising him over the weekend, the TV executives at FOX who spent hours dreaming up all those promotional tie-ins, and who knows how many of the 4 million who penciled Jeter into the AL starting lineup.Surprisingly, the voice of reason in the debate turned out to be the commissioner."There isn't a player that Authentic Roger Maris Jersey I'm more proud of in the last 15 years than Derek Jeter. He's played the game the way it should be played. He's an even greater human being off the field,'' Selig said. "I think I would have made Phillies Roy Halladay Jersey the same decision that Derek Jeter had.''Of course, this was the same commissioner who called off the 2002 game - and in his home park in Milwaukee, no less - when both teams ran out of relief pitchers after 11 innings in a tie game. Convinced that raising the stakes would prevent future defections and convince the All-Star managers to hold back enough players to prevent a repeat, Selig then hammered out an agreement with the players' union the Phillies Ryan Howard Jersey following year to award home-field advantage for the Cole Hamels Jersey World Series to whichever league won the Authentic Ryan Howard Jersey game.Even so, the list of AL starting pitchers who, like Jeter, passed up a Yankees Robinson Cano Jersey chance to appear - either because they were injured, resting or worked a regular-season game Sunday - read like the first round of everybody's fantasy draft: Detroit's Justin Verlander, the Yankees' CC Sabathia and closer Mariano Rivera, Seattle's Felix Hernandez, Tampa Bay's James Shields and Boston's Jon Lester.Lester's Red Sox teammate, Josh Beckett, scheduled Red Sox Adrian Gonzalez Jersey as the second AL pitcher, then bowed out during warmups because of a sore knee. Beckett said afterward he would Phillies Cole Hamels Jersey have pitched through the discomfort had it been a regular-season game. Authentic Phil Rizzuto Jersey Some incentive home field for Phillies Chase Utley Jersey the World Cliff Lee Jersey Series turned out to be.Predictably, the Nationals rode superior pitching and some timely hits to win. They were also better at pretending that it meant something."That was part of the Roy Halladay Jersey message, how important it was for us, and how important the game was: Do it again for the National League Authentic Nick Swisher Jersey champion,'' said San Francisco and NL manager Bruce Bochy, whose team was awarded home-field Red Sox Carlton Fisk Jersey advantage in last year's series.The only sign that it Chase Utley Jersey mattered to the NL players during the game was a goofy slide by the Padres' Heath Bell. He sprinted out of the bullpen and ripped up a piece of turf the size of a toupee just short of the mound."I told some guys I wanted to have fun this All-Star game and needed some ideas, so guys back home Yankees Phil Rizzuto Jersey kind of said slide on the mound,'' Bell Authentic Adrian Gonzalez Jersey recalled. "Bochy said before the game that this really counts, so I thought I was not going to do it, but then Authentic Robinson Cano Jersey we were up by four runs.''Even the ballplayers conceded that as far as suspense, that was pretty much it."I don't know if I'd make it. I think I'd slip, ankle, flip, next Authentic Chase Utley Jersey thing you know,'' Giants closer Brian Wilson said, "I can't pitch.''The All-Star game wasn't always like that. Guys used to treat the game as an honor instead of worrying about getting hurt. The highlights Ryan Howard Jersey from past games running wall to wall on ESPN proved that. How many times did you see the Pete Rose collision at the plate with Ray Fosse in the 1970 contest? And what are the chances you'll ever see anything Robinson Cano Jersey like it Yankees Roger Maris Jersey in an All-Star game again?The guess here is never. There's no need to romanticize the good old days. We like to think Adrian Gonzalez Jersey the players competed for pride, but even back then, it was about money. The problem, though, is that there's so much more money on the line these days that the likelihood of any player in any All-Star Red Sox Carl Crawford Jersey game would step outside his comfort zone is practically nil.And it's not just baseball. The NFL's Pro Bowl is a glorified flag-football contest and even the NBA and NHL versions, which are entertaining enough as displays of offensive firepower, offer so little defense and intensity Phil Rizzuto Jersey that calling them honest games stretches the truth.So Nick Swisher Jersey go ahead, Bud, make a statement. Either make attendance at the game mandatory, or just make the midsummer break a vacation. If it ever deserved the label "classic,'' it's anything but that these days.---(equals)Jim Litke is Authentic Roy Halladay Jersey a national sports columnist for The Associated Press. Write to him at jlitke(at)ap.org. Follow him at http://twitter.com/JimLitke