Reggie Jackson Is a bit of a drama queen. I mean, you have to understand that Jackson is a super star and that he’s going to say things that are controversial, knowing full well that they are controversial. It’s what super stars do. He likes a little drama in his diet. Always has. At least I’m forced to believe he does because line crossing statements on his part are habitual. But, he does bring up a fascinating point and thats that in the coming years guys are going to have to go up against their rule breaking and test failing and rely heavily on the fan’s perception of them. In essence, those players will need forgiveness, which in turns means they’ll need good campaigns for courting it. It will be a gray area, a purist versus perception issue and wooing fans and journalists will be a bigger factor than ever before. If everyone is a cheater, then the most endearing cheater wins, right?

I don’t think the Yankees were right in telling him to stay away from the team, but I don’t think they were wrong. Maybe just a, “hey, could you at least save your flammable comments for after the season?”

RA dickey should be at least a little upset hes not starting the all-star game because he is the best pitcher on his team, and he should be represented by a lead off role. The game is about giving fans what they want, and as a fan I want to see Buster Posey litter the backstop with passed balls because he can’t handle Dickey’s knuckler. I want to see Dickey stand on the mound and small when he fools all the hitters. He’s one of the feel good stories of the year. He’s having a great year, statistically superior to Cain’s—not to take anything away from Cain— but Dickey is just a better All-Star. Period.

In the same sense, the home run derby should have had a hometown boy involved. I understand why the Kansas City fans were upset. It is kind of a snub, and the vast majority of fans in attendance there were local products. Get one of their guys out there. Give them something to cheer for, even if he wets the bed… or, “Cano’s” the bed.

I get the Jose Bautista is baseball’s home run king, that he was trying to win the derby, and that having him in the final round was a great thing for the Jays… but Lord Almighty, SWING THE BAT. It was hard to watch him take so many pitches. Poor Brian Abraham had to put the ball through a keyhole for him. I’m my opinion, which, I grant you doesn’t count for a lot, I think he deserved to lose because it became apparent (as the pool of taken pitches grew into a lake) that he needed the perfect pitch if he was going to do anything with it.

Fielder, by contrast, is built to hit home runs. If only because he’s not built to do much else. Bautista hits bombs, but he also hits everything else, hard; fields really well, and throws like a seal team sniper. Fielder, well, he’s big and hits the ball far. He was made to win derbies and I think the best man won this competition, at least this year.

Bautista did, however, hit a home run against the Jays management when he—gently, kindly, and professionally—called them out to get their butt’s in gear on finding some replacement pitchers. I couldn’t help but feel the ghost of Roy Halladay was present when he asked them to get some pitching help. It harkened back to Halladay’s comments about “Ground Hog’s Day” at the 2008 All-Star game. The Jays are either going to go out and do something to keep this team in contention, or they are going to talk about what could have been and Jose Bautista, much like Halladay before him, will find himself wondering if the Jays are really serious about going all in. I’m sure when the Jays signed Bautista they told him, just like they told the fans, that they could go out and spend and get the pieces they needed. Well Jays, gently, kindly, and professionally, put your money where your mouth is.