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2002 Season

 NBC History

NL MVP: Barry Bonds Los Angeles Dodgers

Cy Young: Kevin Appier Cincinnati Reds

Fireman: Billy Wagner Houston Astros

Rookies of the Year:
          
          Roy Oswalt Houston Astros
          Joe Kennedy St. Louis Cardinals
          Mark Buehrle Tampa Bay Devil Rays
          Brian Lawrence San Diego Padres

Silver Sluggers

1B: Jason Giambi Cincinnati Reds
2B: Brett Boone Pittsburgh Pirates
3B: Chipper Jones Atlanta Braves
SS: Rich Aurilia Minnesota Twins
LF: Barry Bonds Los Angeles Dodgers
CF: Juan Pierre Colorado Rockies
RF: Larry Walker Montreal Expos
C: Paul LoDuca St. Louis Cardinals

2002 HRD at TB


SOSA HOME RUN KING

(Thunderdome) Former Devil Ray standouts Pete Smith, Mike Oquist,
Heathcliff Slocumb, Dennis Springer and special guest, Pete Schourek, were
the honorary DD pitchers for the 2002 NBC-DLB Home Run Derby. With such an
accomplished group, it is little wonder that the league's biggest sluggers
were mashing the ball. In round one, AL stars CAL Thome, CHC Green, SEA
ARod, CLE Ramirez and SEA Gonzalez were the featured performers. SEA
Sheffield pouted a bit that he wasn't asked to be one of the fabulous five
"I may not play tomorrow" (sniff, sniff). CHC Green electrified the crowd
with 14 homers, including a fourth-ring catwalk shot, as he advanced to the
second round along with SEA Gonzalez who smashed 8 bombs. The NL
preliminary round was jam packed with big guns, as well: LA Bonds, ATL Sosa,
CIN Giambi(Ja.), rookie STL Pujols and, of course, the tall Bayman with
platinum blond hair, TB Sexson. ATL Sosa and LA Bonds advanced to the
semi-finals with 11 and 9 homeruns, respectively. STL Pujols, who hit 8
taters, just missed a sudden death playoff with LA Bonds. In the semi's,
CHC Green lost his sweet stroke, making six straight outs, and fell to SEA
Gonzalez 10-5. In the other matchup, ATL Sosa trumped the Devil Ray
nation's favorite villain, LA Bonds, 7-3. One of Sosa's blasts hit the
third-ring catwalk, prompting ooh's and aaah's galore. In the finals, SEA
Gonzo suffered the same drop in production as his rival CHC Green had in the
previous round, managing to hit just 3 HR. After SEA Gonzalez' frustrating
round, ATL Sosa then jolted the crowd alive with 14 final round homeruns, 3
of which hit the third-ring catwalk.

SOSA SHINES IN NATIONALS TRIUMPH

(Thunderdome) The stars were out under the dome at the NBC-DLB All Star
Gala by the bay. Whitney Houston rendered the definitive rendition of the
US National Anthem and a pretty good "Oh, Canada!" besides. After an
ill-considered indoor fireworks display filled T-dome with thick smoke,
local baysters and honorary captains, Hal McRae and Lou Piniella (my two
favorite players when I was a kid in KC! -ed.), had the honor of throwing
out the first pitch(es). Home Run Derby Champ ATL Sammy Sosa shone brighter
than any of the other stars, launching a long 2-run HR and a bases loaded
triple to lead the National League to an 8-4 win. LA Bonds, who received a
most voracious booing from the assembled Suncoast throng during
introductions, opened the game's scoring in the 1st with a double that
scored CIN Giambi(Ja.) who had also doubled off of American starter SEA
Garcia. The American League roared back in the 3rd against hometown
favorite TB Buehrle: SEA Sheffield ripped a pinch HR ("I came all this way
to pinch hit???!"); SEA Ichiro tripled, followed immediately by TOR Jeter's
rbi single; CHC Green then scooted another triple off of the spongy T-dome
turf and the AL led 3-1. When the senior circuit came to bat in the bottom
of the 3rd, ATL Sosa's 2-run, 2-out HR off of TEX Zito scored MIN Kent, who
had doubled, tying the score. The NL posted a big, ugly, crooked "5" in the
4th against OAK Schilling. STL LoDuca led off with a HR to left. PH COL
Berkman walked and moved up on CIN Floyd's single to center. After MIN
Kent's fielder's choice, CIN Giambi(Ja.) scorched a ball down the rfl that
scored COL Berkman. LA Bonds took a walk which was followed by ATL Sosa's
base clearing triple. The AL squad's work was cut out for them and they
seemed to be on the verge of mounting a comeback in the 5th with CIN Clemens
working for the NL. BAL Beltran singled, stole second and went to third on
LoDuca's throwing error. SEA Ichiro grounded out to score BAL Beltran.
When TOR Jeter lined a single to center, a typical Thunderdome knock-down,
drag-out slugfest appeared to be developing. But CIN Clemens induced CHC
Green to ground into an inning-ender (4-6-3) and the final four innings flew

77. Ten pitchers limited both teams to one harmless single apiece, plus a

pair of HBP for the AL "offense." ATL Sosa was the unanimous MVP selection.
In addition to the woebegone TB Buehrle, Stinger stars TB White and TB
Sexson both appeared in the game. TB White pitched a scoreless 8th,
plunking ARod; TB Sexson grounded out in his only plate appearance.

AMERICAN KIDS WIN IN 10

(Thunderdome) Celestial all stars Connie Mack (AL) and Casey Stengel (NL)
stopped in at Thunderdome to guide the "youth of America" in the Futures All
Star Game on Monday night. Despite a consensus that the AL squad was a bit
weaker than the NL group, the Americans prevailed in 10 innings when TEX
Lamb singled home CWS Cora who had ripped a down the line OFR pinch hit
double on "A" rated STL Drew to start the inning. TOR Halladay pitched a
perfect bottom 10th for the save. The Nationals scored in the 1st when COL
Pierre singled off of starter OAK Hudson, stole second and third and came
home on PHI Rollins' ground out. The Americans tied the game on a
bases-loaded, pinch hit HBP allowed by PIT Mays to TEX Rowand in the 2nd
("The most exciting play in baseball!"). PIT Ramirez singled in PHI Rollins
in the 3rd, after the ever-adventurous COL Pierre had been thrown out at
third by CHC Patterson. The game seemed to turn in the 4th. DET Guillen
lined a two-out DD HR off of STL Smith that was estimated at 420'. SEA
Davis singled and Mack sent PH DET Wilson(C.) to the plate. DET Wilson(C.)
ripped a long two-run HR to put the AL Young'uns up 4-2. BOS Hillenbrand
drove home TEX Long, who had tripled, in the 5th. FLA Beckett was on the
hill during this two-inning stint in which he recorded five of six outs on
k's. The National Peach Fuzzers rallied in the 7th. PH STL Drew doubled
off of CLE Baez. LA Giles ripped an rbi single. PHI Hall doubled him to
third and ARI Vizcaino replaced the ineffective CLE Baez. MIN Hunter batted
for COL Pierre and chopped one off the plate (ARI Viz couldn't get it) for
an rbi infield hit. TOR Piniero was quickly summoned from the 'pen.
Stengel literally rolled the dice on a PHI Rollins' squeeze attempt, but PHI
Hall was retired at home for the second out and the National Pups trailed by
one. In the 8th, CIN Dunn doubled and, after two lazy fly outs, STL Drew
grounded a single to right that scored the tying run. STL Drew stole second
and went to third on a TEX Lamb error, but PHI Hall struck out to end the
threat. The game remained tied until the 10th, when TEX Lamb atoned for his
harmless error with the game winning hit. NL Young Guns struck out 13,
including BOS Encarnacion four times, in the losing effort. Local boys, TB
Abernathy and TB Branyan were a collective 0-2 in PH roles and TB Jimenez
got a big DNP for the night.