The Los Angeles Dodgers made a move today to tighten up their bullpen down the stretch. The Dodgers acquired relief pitcher George Sherrill from the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for two minor league prospects. The Dodgers hold a commanding seven game lead in the National League West but knew their bullpen needed to be strengthened up. The Orioles, on the other hand, are eighteen games out of the American League East and decided to part with their closer and pick up some prospects.

George Sherrill has been the Orioles closer since joining the team last season. He has an 0-1 record and has converted 20 saves in 23 chances. He has 55 career saves and was selected to the 2008 American League All Star team. Sherrill will most likely be used in a setup role for closer Jonathon Broxton but can be used in the closer role if needed.

In return for Sherrill, the Orioles are getting third baseman Josh Bell and pitcher Steve Johnson. Bell is batting .296 with 11 home runs and 52 RBI’s in 94 games at the AA level. Johnson, a right-handed pitcher, has a 9-5 record with a 3.61 ERA and 117 strikeouts in 20 games between the A and AA levels this season.

The Dodgers may be making another move before tomorrow’s non-waiver trade deadline. They are still one of the teams rumored to be interested in obtaining Toronto Blue Jays star pitcher Roy Halladay. All eyes will be on the Dodgers and the other teams looking to make moves within the next 24 hours, as one of the most exciting trade seasons comes to a close.

What do the San Diego Padres, the Baltimore Orioles and the World Series have common? No, the two teams have never met in the Fall Classic, and I highly doubt that this will be the year that they actually do. However, because of each of these team’s respective All-Stars, the fate of this year’s World Series was determined. Heath Bell, the closer for the San Diego Padres, gave up a sacrifice fly to outfielder Adam Jones of the Baltimore Orioles in the eighth inning in this year’s Midsummer Classic. That sacrifice fly gave the American League a 4-3 lead that they would eventually win by. Now, the American League team that makes the World Series, most likely not the Orioles, will have home field advantage.

I mean no disrespect to Heath Bell or Adam Jones. Both of these players are having excellent seasons and are very deserving of being named All-Stars. The problem I have is that they are playing for teams like the Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers, Phillies, etc. to have home field advantage in the World Series. They should be playing to showcase their talent and to give back to the people that made them All-Stars.

One debate that comes up every year about the All-Star game is whether or not every team should send a player to the Midsummer Classic. Every team sending at least one representative to the All-Star Game is a fair rule in my opinion. No matter how bad a certain team may be, someone always stands out above the rest and deserves the recognition of being named to their league’s All-Star team. Personally, I also feel the selection process is fair. Regardless of how each player is selected to his league’s team, whether the players are voted in by the fans, the other players, the managers, or they make it as injury replacements, they are deserving players that have earned a right to show off their abilities at the Midsummer Classic.

The other debate that always seems to come up is whether or not the All-Star Game should determine home field advantage for the World Series. I, for one, am completely against the fact that the winning team earns home field advantage for one of its teams in October. The All-Star Game is supposed to recognize baseball’s great players, not put them in a fierce competition against each other. Look at the Home Run Derby. It is nothing more than a fun, laid back night with eight of the greatest power hitters swinging for the fences and having a good time. Why can’t the All-Star Game itself be the same way? The reason is what it is played for. The Home Run Derby is played for fun and bragging rights. The All-Star Game itself is played to determine home field advantage for the most important series of baseball games all year.

Something that I think is forgotten is the fact that this is the All-Star Break. It is supposed to be a break from the grueling schedule of 162 games and endless traveling that every major leaguer puts in each season. Most players will enjoy this three day break on vacation or visiting family. The All-Stars spend it at the All-Star Game’s host city. There are many festivities to take in the day before and the day of the actual game that keep the All-Stars very busy with little time to actually relax. When it comes time for the All-Star Game, it is game on. Instead of a laid back, fun filled baseball game, we get a competitive game that does not showcase every selected player. This is how the managers are forced to treat this game. They are forced to play the game like they are in the middle of a pennant race, and good players are forced to ride the bench for that “just in case” situation that may arise. Personally, I would have rather seen little-known Josh Johnson of the Florida Marlins or knuckleballer Tim Wakefield pitch this year as opposed to eight closers, three for the American League and five for the National League, pitching an inning each.

What would happen if this game didn’t count for anything? Besides losing that stupid slogan that is repeatedly used every year, I think you would continue to get a competitive game showcasing all of Major League Baseball’s greatest talents. However, you would see a lot more of the talent showcased and a lot of the guys having fun, like back in little league. So I ask that instead of making “this one count,” let’s make this one fun. Let the teams earn home field advantage on their own by winning the most games throughout the whole season instead of sending one or two of their best players to try to win it. I guess the good thing about making these games count for something is the fact that we don’t have to worry about another ridiculous tie game like we did back in 2002.

The Orioles are sitting in fifth place in the American League East at 24-33, good for 10 games out of first place behind the Yankees. In 2008 the Orioles selected left handed pitcher Brian Matusz from the University of San Diego with the fourth overall pick on the board.

Matusz is 4-2 with a 2.16 ERA in 11 starts in 2009 for the Frederick Keys of the Class A Advanced Carolina League. He has thrown almost 67 innings in 2009 racking up 75 strikeouts while holding opponent hitters to a .225 average.

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