So, this blog thing is supposed to be daily?

Nobody tells me anything.

I took a break from my usual evenings of sports bliss to head to the Duo Theatre on the Lower East Side yestrday. It was the final night of three showcasing possible short films to be included in the 2008 NYC Downtown Short Film Festival. I'd never been over there before. Nice, intimate theater. Good place for a festival screening, and everything was taken care of in an orderly fashion. The staff was welcoming. No complaints on my end. I definitely want to head back over there at some point to see what else the location has to offer during the year. You can check them out at http://duotheater.org/.

I've got the AAA All-Star game on my DVR from last night, still unwatched. It sounded like people were excited about it, because there's a lot of hype surrounding Shelley Duncan of the S/WB Yankees at this point. I'll have to see if he did anything noteworthy.

I did, however, watch the Major League All-Star Game on Tuesday. Yes, I'm one of those fans who enjoys the All-Star Game. Maybe its meaning has dwindled with interleague play, and I understand that a lot of people don't find it fair that an exhibition game is used to determine home field advantage for the World Series. (With the number of consecutive victories for the AL, I'd wonder why any fan of an American League team would have a problem with it...) I guess it's something about the type of fan I am. I enjoy watching so many baseball personalities come together. I like seeing the guys let loose with their families. I love seeing a man like Willie Mays honored by current players and by baseball as a whole, as he should be.

As a baseball fan first and foremost, I love the All-Star game because - other than the World Series - it's the day where baseball is first and foremost in the world of sports. The game wasn't so bad either, with the NL's 9th inning rally off a two-run homer from Alfonso Soriano making it 5-4 and the bases loaded against Rodriguez of the Angels. (Where else but the All-Star Game can you see something as surreal as K-Rod or, even worse, Papelbon pitching to Jorge Posada? Disconcerting, that's for sure. And people say there's nothing intriguing about the ASG.)

Tough loss for Chris Young of the Padres. That shot from Ichiro took one of the strangest hops off a right field wall you'll ever see. He's struggled in some of these pagentry-style games. Granted, the ASG sees starters coming in for one inning as relievers, which could play to the strengths of a power pitcher like Peavy. A guy like Chris Young? Not so much. He also had a rough outing against the Dodgers in that Jackie Robinson game a few months ago. Yet was spectacular against the Cardinals in the NLDS last year. Lulling them into a false sense of security? Not intentionally, but the Padres continue to be one of the best teams -f not the best team in baseball that no one talks about. Can you imagine what that team would be like if they could actually score runs for their pitching staff? Wow.

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Baseball begins again today! You think one day withdrawal is bad, you should see me in the off-season. The Yankees are in Tampa Bay for a four-game series this weekend. Pitching match-up?

Andy Pettitte, LHP (4-6, 4.25 ERA) vs. James Shields, RHP (7-4, 3.82)

Unfortunately, with two tough outings in a row, Pettitte's ERA looks a lot more like what his record would indicate. That thing rose fast, after being sub-3.00 for a good part of the season. I like the decision to start him in the first game after the All-Star Break. Hopefully the good note the Yankees ended on back at the Stadium will carry over. The Devil Rays played the Yankees tough at the start of the season. Good pitching match-up.

Jeremy Guthrie is set to take on Jon Garland and the White Sox in Camden Yards tonight. Did you know Jeremy Guthrie has the 2nd lowest ERA in the American League right now, second to Dan Haren? He's just ahead of Santana, 2.74 to 2.75. For his efforts, Guthrie carries a 4-2 record into the second half of the season. How the guy doesn't have nightmares about his bullpen blowing that 5-0 lead at Fenway is beyond me.

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With that? Enjoy your days. I'll be enjoying mine! It's nice to be able to go outside and not feel like my skin is about to melt off.