The 2009 All Star Game was held right here in St. Louis and my big star of the game is not Albert Pujols, it's Yadier Molina.  I went to the festivities and I'll admit that I didn’t get to go to the game like my esteemed colleague W.H., but I did watch it on the big screen right outside the stadium.  It’s been awhile since the 2006 World Series and I’m not sure, but the roar for Molina when he slapped a low and outside fastball into center field may have been bigger than anything I heard during the series.  Seeing Yadier on second base smiling from ear to ear really made me think about how he doesn’t get the spotlight very often.  Let’s face it, being in the wake of Albert is no easy task if you want to get recognized.

Molina has been quietly throwing out 50% of would be base stealers, picking off the ones who chose not to run and batting .290. Albert being the dud on All Star weekend like he was, St. Louis needed one of its 3 all stars to rise to the occasion.  It was great to see such a class act finally get his day in the sun.  Molina ended up going one for two with a clutch hit right when the national league needed it the most.  He also made a great throw to third to get the lead runner in the 1^st inning.  I don’t think that anyone would have made an argument against Yadier winning the MVP, had the National League won.