Anaheim's All Star Night Goes National

Final Score in Los Angeles of Anaheim: NL 3, AL 1 ...

Rather than rattle through the plays and moments of the game, here were my Angel-centric highlights:

• Angels Fans drown Red Sox and Yankees players in booing during team introductions. You are not liked here and California's finest fans have as much passion to express their loathing of your teams as any fans in baseball. Yes... Passion. Stick that up your frost-bit east coast keister if you cannot deal with the contempt we have for your assumptions of glory being an exclusive attribute to your geography.
• The look of the stadium on television - fabulous appearance.
  
• The ovation Vladimir Guerrero got.
• The ovation Torii Hunter got.
• The ovation that AL coach Mike Scioscia got
• The ovation that Jered Weaver got.
• The first cheer of the night: NL coach Bud Black

The most critical thing that the All Star Game brought the team this season was a renewed working relationship with the City of Anaheim. A six year clock is ticking on Arte Moreno announcing an opt-out of his lease at Angels Stadium. He can announce in 2016 that he wants to leave and leave after 2018 or he has to stay until 2032. Look immediately for any curious passage in a quote that mentions the stadium being anything less than perfect. Words like "Outdated" and "Dilapidated" and "We wish we had better facilities" ... all of these are code for increasing the pressure on the City of Anaheim (and perhaps even the County of Orange) to pitch in on financing or building or maybe just getting out of the way of a new stadium for the Angels.

It all remains to be seen in the months and years ahead... but with a flawless week of All Star festivities capped by shining in the national spotlight, the City of Anaheim and the Moreno-Carpino regime are working together better than they ever have. Funny names and leaky stadium pipes aside, that public-private partnership working well is a greater legacy than breaking a twelve year AL winning streak.

And one last thing: Is there any doubt in your mind that if the Angels had made it to the 2009 World Series and Mike Scioscia was managing the Angels tonight that the American League would have won the game? None in mine at all.

Game Threads Roll Call after the poll...

Roll Call: UK Halo, AlanFalcon, Epic Dean, Zookeeper, ryanfea, norcaliangelsfan, 44FAN, ~MMP~, Yankees2, deejayelleseven, TheKingfish, RexTookMyStash, cupie, ladybug, RedHatHalo, firebird81, Dontbatvlad4th, Suboptimal, angelsfan7, mattwelch, PhiSlamma, halofolife, Zu Long, The Limey, angels_rally_mom, ZiK, salmonforever, Dono Romantico, DAD OF VLAD, Quad Fin Rider, sangreal, sothball, Angels_48, Chone's Chonies, HalosFanInNorCal, clover_black, Clutch, yeswecan, cath619, FreeBradshaw, Fan Since 1981, Gokyle45, mastermind565, RallyMonkey5, turs12, Rev Halofan, angelsown3417, Barca, 101halo, AlohaHalofan, HoustonHaloFan, phoenix15, gyoung08, linkbruin, Angelsrthebest101
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