Well, the 2016 Major League Baseball All-Star Game has come and gone. The American League won by the score of 4-2. Not a particularly exciting game, but that’s baseball. Individual games, even All-Star Games, are rarely exciting. But you watch, because of the *possibilty* of seeing something exciting.

Anyway, my thoughts, in no particular order:

Hey, FOX! This is baseball! Why are you introducing your coverage with your animated FOOTBALL robot thing?

A tip of the cap to Noah Syndergaard and Clayton Kershaw for showing up and being in line for the introductions, even if they weren’t playing due to injury.

Did anyone else notice how well that kid copied manager Terry Collins’ trot out onto the field? All the rest just jogged out there any old way, but this kid matched Collins step for step, and even held his arms in the same way.

Nothing from the commentators on all the brown and gold uniforms in the stands? There’s a significant movement in San Diego to bring them back. Probably with different lettering, but still…. And speaking of uniform colors, the Diamondbacks road uniforms – with the red on dark gray – suck.

Oh, guys? I know you need to plug FOX programming and show the celebrities in the stands, but don’t do it at the expense of the game! In the third inning, we were shown some actress goofing off with the Padres’ mascot in the stands. As a result, we almost missed seeing Mookie Betts hit into an inning-ending double play. If anything in the game called for a replay, this was it. We don’t need to see the Intel 360 view of someone getting struck out; we need to see a quick double play on a sharp comebacker to the pitcher!

And by all that’s holy, can we see the Ceremonial First Pitch? They did mention late in the game that it was done by local legend Randy Jones, but nowhere did they mention that with the Padres 40 years ago, he started the 1976 All-Star Game (thanks to a 16-4 record (!) at the break). He’d go on to win the NL Cy Young Award that year. You showed all the love for Tony Gwynn, but is there none for another of the hometown greats?

A nice send off for David Ortiz. I’ve read some commentators gripe that he should have been allowed to play the whole game. But taking him out for a pinch-runner (a sound strategic move) allowed him to bow out in front of everyone, and get cheers and handshakes from his fellow players.

NL Manager Terry Collins noted that his intent was to get every “uniform” in the game, meaning that he’d work to get at least one player from every NL team in the game. He did – except for his own Mets. That’s what you get when your only players are pitchers. Jeurys Familia was being saved for the “closer” role if the NL had the lead in the ninth, and Bartolo Colon was being held for the “long man” – if the game went to extra innings. Well, at least Terry got to come out on the field himself….

Speaking of Bartolo – do you think we’d have seen him pinch-hit if the game ever got out of hand? Say a ten-run difference in the late innings?