All-Star Game will be a classic
Yankee Stadium will be the place for the 79th All-Star Game Tuesday night, preceded by the Home Run Derby Monday. But one reason to tune in to the pregame events Tuesday is the Red Carpet Parade up the Avenue of the Americas in midtown Manhattan, which begins at 7 on Fox.
Forty-seven Hall of Famers, according to Fox Sports, will participate in the parade before being honored during an on-field ceremony at 8. The star-studded festivities are the equivalent of the Academy Awards.
Fox Sports president Ed Goren said it shapes up as the most exciting Midsummer Classic since 1999 at Fenway Park.
"If you look back, certainly on the Fox history with Major League Baseball and particularly the All-Star Game, one of the most memorable nights for an All-Star Game or Fox sports production was the All-Star Game in Boston and the pregame ceremony that honored Ted Williams," said Goren.
"I truly believe that what Major League Baseball has put together will even outdo that magnificent evening. It's not just Tuesday and the game. There's the free Bon Jovi concert in Central Park that kicks off this few magnificent days of baseball in New York."
Seven Red Sox players were selected to the All-Star Game, although David Ortiz is sidelined with a wrist injury.
The most controversial was catcher Jason Varitek, who was picked by the players' vote over White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski. Fox analyst Tim McCarver understands Varitek's value even though he has struggled at the plate.
"As a .217 hitter, either a catcher or a shortstop would be the type of player who would be elected by the players," said McCarver, a former catcher who will be broadcasting his 17th All-Star Game. "And because he's elected by the players, that makes it a lot more legitimate than if he was voted in by the fans in a popularity contest or because he plays for the Boston Red Sox that he'd be voted in. To me, it verifies it because the players play against these guys and they value the talents of these guys.
"His offense has just been horrible in the first half and I think Jason will tell you that, but without Jason Varitek, the Red Sox would not be nearly as good a ball club."
HBO pitches in
In keeping with the All-Star theme, HBO will air a 90-minute live edition of "Costas Now" at 9 p.m. Wednesday to address the state of baseball. The main subjects are the Baseball Hall of Fame and qualifications for election, with panelists Jim Palmer, Joe Morgan, and Pete Rose; the halfway point of the season and state of the game, with panelists Dave Winfield, a Hall of Famer, and Angels owner Arte Moreno; and the Greatest Generation, which includes Hall of Fame panelists Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, and Frank Robinson.Keep your Sox on
Although the All-Star break means no Red Sox games, NESN has found a way to feed its viewers' appetite. On Monday at 7 p.m., NESN presents "The Remys - All-Star Edition." Broadcaster Jerry Remy will review the first half of the season, including a look back at his preseason predictions. On Tuesday and Wednesday, NESN will show two-hour replays of five of the top games from the first half, as voted by fans. The voting countdown begins at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, and the game that receives the most votes will air at 8 p.m. Wednesday. On Thursday, NESN will air the Portland Sea Dogs game against the Trenton Thunder at 7 p.m. On Friday from 1-9 p.m., tune into the "Manny Being Mannython," which will feature two-hour replays of four of Manny Ramírez's most memorable games on NESN. Included is the May 31 game in Baltimore when Ramírez belted his 500th home run.Banner day
On Sunday at 6 p.m., "SportsCenter" will profile Boston, a candidate for "TitleTown USA." Steve Levy, a Boston resident, hosts the taped segment from Fenway Park, which includes an interview with Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon. Boston is one of 20 communities selected as finalists for ESPN's nationwide and fan-based interactive search for "TitleTown USA," which kicked off July 4 in Green Bay and will conclude July 24 with Massillon, Ohio . . . The NASCAR on TNT Summer Series concludes tomorrow with the LifeLock.com 400 from Chicagoland Speedway. Prerace coverage starts at 6:30 p.m. with NASCAR on TNT Live! with host Marc Fein and analysts Kyle Petty and Larry McReynolds. The race starts at 8 . . . The ATP Hall of Fame Tennis Championship is at Newport Casino in Newport, R.I.