Night of the Veterans

A night after the Home Run Derby featured an array of rising stars and fresh faces, the pendulum swung the other way Tuesday night. The key performers in the All Star Game were familiar faces: Yadier Molina, whose home run gave the National League an early lead; Max Scherzer with an overpowering 1st inning, highlighted by a strikeout of Monday night's standout Aaron Judge. Andrew Miller nailed down the save for the American League. That came after Robinson Cano homered to put the AL ahead -- and went on to be named game MVP.
Cano hasn't grabbed the spotlight as often since leaving for Seattle as a 2014 free agent. Despite remaining one of the game's best 2nd basemen -- putting up offensive numbers that make him a Cooperstown candidate -- he's not drawing the same attention he did in his Yankee days. Not being in the post-season will do that. Even with the division-leading Astros hiding in another county, there's still time for Cano, Nelson Cruz and Felix Hernandez to make a Wild Card run. They enter the second half of the season just six back of the Yankees in the loss column.
You know I love coincidences. So try this one on for size: Cano's 10th inning blast came exactly 50 years to the day (July 11th, 1967) when Tony Perez homered in the 15th to give the National League the victory.
This image of Robbie Cano is from a Yankees/Mariners game in New York in April 2016.

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