Okay...The Fan is grudgingly happy. I boycotted most of the AllStar game and didn't watch the first six innings and only sporadically after that. But as I was playing on my computer and passing back and forth by Yahoo, I kept following the score. Then I watched the last three outs.

I am grudgingly happy because Clemens pitched and pitched well. I am grudgingly happy because Giambi hit a homer and then one of my favorite boxscore players, Hank Blalock won the game with a two run homer.

But I am only grudgingly happy because the National League should not lose home field advantage in the World Series because of an exhibition game. And I'm only grudgingly happy because fans didn't get to see Melvin Mora hit (for example) because the emphasis was on winning.

And I'm only grudgingly happy because the American League manager only pitched one pitcher for two innings, a pitcher from his rival Oakland A's. And I'm only grudgingly happy because that same manager played his two Angel players nearly the whole game. Granted, one ended up as the game MVP and had three hits. But if that was the Yankee manager playing his Yankee players the whole game, there would be blood in the columns of baseball writers everywhere.

Well...it's over and this post will mark the end of my grumbling about the game. And that grumbling is blunted somewhat by Hank Blalock telling the Fox broadcaster that he's only seen Eric Gagne on ESPN's "Sports Center." Take that you second rate and second class sports outfit!