Hitting Back

-After the NL found another way to blow an All Star Game by losing for the ninth time in 10 years 3-2, the talk in New York today is how San Diego closer Trevor Hoffman spoiled the Mets' night. Yes, it's true David Wright hit a home run in his first AS at bat and Carlos Beltran stole third and then scored on a wild pitch for the NL's two runs. So those two Mets did everything possible to almost deliver the senior circuit's first win in the game since 1996. But let's think about this for a minute. Their night was "ruined" because of a silly rule that could penalize a team with the major's best record. If you can't win the most games in an inferior league, you don't deserve home field. It's completely ridiculous that they continue to put so much emphasis on a meaningless game. It's time for baseball to ditch this idiotic gimmick because one year, a deserving team really is going to get screwed.

-Do those same writers think the end result would have been any different with Billy Wagner in? Oh that's right. The $10 million closer didn't even make the team.

-Wagner is right about one thing. If the Mets have a shot to win their first World Series in 20 years, they should sacrifice a Lastings Milledge to get another arm. You only get so many chances to go for it. And Wagner, Pedro and Tom Glavine aren't getting any younger. The window will be gone sooner than Omar Minaya thinks.

-This whole controversy surrounding why France star Zinedine Zidane headbutted Italy's Marco Materazzi in overtime of the World Cup Final is sad. Zidane claims Materazzi crossed the line with some disparaging comments about his mother. Of course, Materazzi denies it. We'll never really know what happened on that field in Munich, Germany. Only the two stars know the truth. It's unfortunate that such a great world event in which Italy captured their fourth World Cup (first since 1982) on penalty kicks (5-3) was marred by such an incident. What's even sadder is that Zidane, who was named the tournament's best player probably cost his country the trophy. It was a bitter way for the 34 year-old French legend to bow out in his final World Cup. He'll have to live with that unfortunate decision the rest of his life.