Andy Kaufman
As a 20-year-old college student, comedian Andy Kaufman wrote a fan letter to his idol, Elvis Presley. Several years later, Kaufman had worked the King into his act. Kaufman would come onstage in his awkward Foreign Man character (the precursor to Latka on Taxi) and purposefully do bad impressions. Then he would tell the audience that he “would like to impersonate the Elvis Presley”—and then blow them away with a dead-on rendition of a Presley song. It was rare to impersonate Elvis at the time (especially since he was still alive), but Presley considered Kaufman’s the best he ever saw. Another way Kaufman imitates Elvis: There are those who think he’s still alive.
He may be a Grammy Award–winning singer-songwriter now, but at the age of 4 Bruno Mars was known as the world’s youngest Elvis impersonator. In the 1990 documentary Viva Elvis, little Bruno was asked what he admired about the King. "I like his singing and his dance and his lips," he said, dressed in a full Elvis jumpsuit. And Mars’ impression can also be seen in the movie Honeymoon in Vegas, starring another huge Elvis fan: Nicolas Cage.
Nicolas Cage
Nicolas Cage is such a big Elvis fan that in 1990 he used Presley as the inspiration for his character in David Lynch’s Wild at Heart. Cage even recorded two songs as the King—“Love Me” and “Love Me Tender.” Twelve years later, Cage took his Elvis obsession to a new level when he married Presley’s only daughter, Lisa Marie. But after three months, they checked into Heartbreak Hotel when he filed for divorce.
Say one thing for former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich, he certainly has the right hair to impersonate Elvis. In 2009, while facing federal corruption charges, Blagojevich made an appearance at a Chicago block party and performed Presley’s “Treat Me Nice”—alongside Fabio. And on his way to court before his sentencing—he was eventually found guilty of 17 corruption-related charges—Blago looked to the King’s words for inspiration. "It's in God's hands," he said, and then quoted "All Shook Up": "My hands are shaking, my knees are weak. I can't seem to stand on my own two feet." Pending an appeal, the next Elvis song Blagojevich will presumably sing is “Jailhouse Rock.”
Johnny Cash
Kamis, 29 September 2011
Elvis celebrated at White Lake Township store
Mike Martindale/ The Detroit News
White Lake Township— Evidently, Elvis has not left this building.
The King of Rock 'n' Roll lives on at the Graceland Wine Shoppe today, the 34th anniversary of his death on Aug. 16, 1977, at 42.
"The King Lives Here" is painted on the store's front windows. Beyond, a green-and-white "Elvis Presley Boulevard" street sign greets visitors.
Faded movie posters, framed photographs, lamps, lunch boxes, guitar-shaped clocks, puppets, statues, busts and dolls — all in the iconic singer's image — perch atop beer coolers and line walls. Elvis' music plays nonstop from a wide-screen TV, tuned to an Elvis station.
"He is just the best there ever was — there will never be music like his again, ever," store owner and fan David Sharrak said.
And while there's no grilled peanut butter and 'nana sandwich — the star's favorite — a small menu boasts "The King Special" pizza, "The King" gyro and a sub dubbed the "Graceland Heart Stopper."
Elvis would have been 76 now, Sharrak solemnly noted, as Elvis' recording of "Peace in the Valley" filled the room.
"People have been lining up at Graceland — the real one — for days in his honor," Sharrak said. "I knew a woman who was first in line to visit on his death every year. She had Elvis tattoos up and down both arms. He means that much to people."
Sharrak was 8 when he emigrated to the U.S. from Iraq. While he had heard the name "Elvis" as a child, it didn't mean anything until he began listening to records in his new home.
In 1988, Sharrak made a pilgrimage to Graceland and started a collection he values at several thousand dollars. "This used to be the Hilltop Wine Shoppe, but in '94 I changed it to Graceland for fun," he said. His customers appreciate the store's vibe. Jason Harvesty, 23, of Pontiac, travels several miles to the store for "The King" — the gyro sandwich.
"Oh man, his gyros are the best, worth the drive," Harvesty said. "Elvis? He's cool too. 'Love Me Tender' is one of my favorites. You come here and get good food and music."
White Lake Township— Evidently, Elvis has not left this building.
The King of Rock 'n' Roll lives on at the Graceland Wine Shoppe today, the 34th anniversary of his death on Aug. 16, 1977, at 42.
"The King Lives Here" is painted on the store's front windows. Beyond, a green-and-white "Elvis Presley Boulevard" street sign greets visitors.
Faded movie posters, framed photographs, lamps, lunch boxes, guitar-shaped clocks, puppets, statues, busts and dolls — all in the iconic singer's image — perch atop beer coolers and line walls. Elvis' music plays nonstop from a wide-screen TV, tuned to an Elvis station.
"He is just the best there ever was — there will never be music like his again, ever," store owner and fan David Sharrak said.
And while there's no grilled peanut butter and 'nana sandwich — the star's favorite — a small menu boasts "The King Special" pizza, "The King" gyro and a sub dubbed the "Graceland Heart Stopper."
Elvis would have been 76 now, Sharrak solemnly noted, as Elvis' recording of "Peace in the Valley" filled the room.
"People have been lining up at Graceland — the real one — for days in his honor," Sharrak said. "I knew a woman who was first in line to visit on his death every year. She had Elvis tattoos up and down both arms. He means that much to people."
Sharrak was 8 when he emigrated to the U.S. from Iraq. While he had heard the name "Elvis" as a child, it didn't mean anything until he began listening to records in his new home.
In 1988, Sharrak made a pilgrimage to Graceland and started a collection he values at several thousand dollars. "This used to be the Hilltop Wine Shoppe, but in '94 I changed it to Graceland for fun," he said. His customers appreciate the store's vibe. Jason Harvesty, 23, of Pontiac, travels several miles to the store for "The King" — the gyro sandwich.
"Oh man, his gyros are the best, worth the drive," Harvesty said. "Elvis? He's cool too. 'Love Me Tender' is one of my favorites. You come here and get good food and music."
Rabu, 28 September 2011
SABMiller: Conficker virus cost us £7.2 million
But selling 'poison' would have been far more costly, CISO argued
By Anh Nguyen | Computerworld UK | Published 18:30, 21 September 11
SABMiller, the brewer of brands including Peroni, Foster’s and Coors Light, has revealed how the Conficker virus caused it to lose £7.2 million production.
SABMiller’s Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) Mark Brown made the revelation to illustrate how CISOs can demonstrate their value to the business beyond providing technical security. The Conficker worm was one of the most severe computer security problems in recent years. It took advantage of a vulnerability in Microsoft's software, infecting at least three million PCs, forming a massive botnet.
“Last April, I had to close down the Romanian operation for four hours because of the Conficker virus. It cost us £7.2 million [the revenue target lost, based on how much the breweries would have produced for sale during that time],” Brown told the Gartner Security and Risk Management Summit in London.
Within minutes of shutting down the affected operations, Brown received a call from his board asking him what he was doing.
He said they accepted his decision when he was able to tell them not only how much the stoppage would cost the business, but also by arguing that the effect on the company’s market capitalisation would be far worse if SABMiller had manufactured and sold poisoned stock.
Brown was able to make these arguments because he understood the business – in terms of brand, reputation, revenues and profit, not just technology.
“We have to understand what the organisation is. Anything I do has to enable the production of beer – that’s what SABMiller does.
“The business exists to make profit, [so the IT security strategy] has to be business-aligned and business focused,” he said.
Keeping the company secure is not a strategy, said Brown. As well as supporting the organisation, Brown believes that it is an opportunity for CISOs to raise their own profile. “So they know who you are, so they will ask you the right questions,” he said.
Brown advised CISOs to ensure that their strategy document is agile and constantly evolving to adapt to the changing threat landscape, and to assess how the threats might affect the business:
“[I would ask myself] ‘how will it impact SABMiller, and when?’ The only way you can know this is by truly understanding the business.”
These strategy plans should be long-term, as well as short-term, he added.
“You have to put together a three to five-year budget business plan. When I did this, I got a 1,200% increase in budget [at a time when people are having budgets cut] because I could be seen to be demonstrating value to the business and protecting the business, and not just worrying about IT,” said Brown.
Separately, SABMiller today announced its plans to acquire Australian brewer Foster's for around A$9.9 billion (£6.47 billion).
Japanese student swept over Niagara Falls in tragic accident
The 19-year-old woman from Japan climbed onto a railing overlooking Niagara Falls to get a better view, and slipped and fell.
A Japanese student is presumed dead after being swept over Niagara Falls.
The 19-year-old woman from Japan, who was studying in Toronto, climbed onto a railing overlooking the Canadian side of Niagara Falls and straddled it to get a better view while holding an umbrella in one hand, according to reports.
She slipped and fell from the railing into the fast-moving Niagara River about 80 feet above the edge of the falls, and was swept over.
The accident, which took place Sunday near the Horseshoe Falls on the Canadian side of Niagara, was captured on a security camera.
The Japanese woman's body has yet to be recovered, although during a search a rescue team instead found an unidentified male body at the base of the falls, the Canadian Press says.
Canadian and U.S. authorities say they are working to identify the corpse, and that there is no connection to the missing student, who has not been named.
Niagara Falls, one of North America’s most popular tourist sites, is a series of massive waterfalls on the border between the United States in New York and Canada in Ontario.
The Niagara Parks Police described the Japanese student’s death as a tragic accident, and warned tourists not to climb the railing at the top of the falls.
Niagara Parks Police Chief Doug Kane said that “climbing over this wall is clearly dangerous and is prohibited,” but visitors do it every day, the Canadian Press reports.
Still, this is the first time he has heard of a tourist tumbling into the falls from that wall, which is described as a 4-foot-high barrier with rock pillars between the metal railings. Danger signs are posted along it.
“We get about 11 million people a year here who view that annually — this is the first occurrence of this nature that I can recall,” Kane told the Toronto Star.
According to the Star, since 1903 only seven deaths involving people going over Niagara Falls have been judged to be accidents. Only one person is reported to have survived an accidental fall — Roger Woodward, in 1960.
Every year between 20 and 25 people commit suicide at Niagara Falls. It is also a popular attraction for daredevils, with 16 recorded daredevils going over the falls and 11 of them surviving, the Star says.
A Japanese student is presumed dead after being swept over Niagara Falls.
The 19-year-old woman from Japan, who was studying in Toronto, climbed onto a railing overlooking the Canadian side of Niagara Falls and straddled it to get a better view while holding an umbrella in one hand, according to reports.
She slipped and fell from the railing into the fast-moving Niagara River about 80 feet above the edge of the falls, and was swept over.
The accident, which took place Sunday near the Horseshoe Falls on the Canadian side of Niagara, was captured on a security camera.
The Japanese woman's body has yet to be recovered, although during a search a rescue team instead found an unidentified male body at the base of the falls, the Canadian Press says.
Canadian and U.S. authorities say they are working to identify the corpse, and that there is no connection to the missing student, who has not been named.
Niagara Falls, one of North America’s most popular tourist sites, is a series of massive waterfalls on the border between the United States in New York and Canada in Ontario.
The Niagara Parks Police described the Japanese student’s death as a tragic accident, and warned tourists not to climb the railing at the top of the falls.
Niagara Parks Police Chief Doug Kane said that “climbing over this wall is clearly dangerous and is prohibited,” but visitors do it every day, the Canadian Press reports.
Still, this is the first time he has heard of a tourist tumbling into the falls from that wall, which is described as a 4-foot-high barrier with rock pillars between the metal railings. Danger signs are posted along it.
“We get about 11 million people a year here who view that annually — this is the first occurrence of this nature that I can recall,” Kane told the Toronto Star.
According to the Star, since 1903 only seven deaths involving people going over Niagara Falls have been judged to be accidents. Only one person is reported to have survived an accidental fall — Roger Woodward, in 1960.
Every year between 20 and 25 people commit suicide at Niagara Falls. It is also a popular attraction for daredevils, with 16 recorded daredevils going over the falls and 11 of them surviving, the Star says.
Rabu, 13 Juli 2011
Dachshunds rescued: The long and short of waiting for a home
Almost three dozen dachshunds are available for adoption, the result of a rescue effort by Rescue the Animals in Abilene.
The dachshunds come from Mesquite, where law enforcement officials found 87 in a house when they responded to a call after a man died in his home three weeks ago.
The dogs were taken to a shelter in Mesquite, which sent out a notice Monday that it would have to begin euthanizing the remaining 57 dogs that hadn't been adopted. Rescue the Animals sent a truck to Mesquite on Monday and brought back 35 dachshunds.
"It really was a step of faith on our part," said Paul Washburn, director of Rescue the Animals. "This is the worst time of year to try to adopt out pets because people are going on vacation. We're hoping the word gets out and people respond."
The dogs are all adults under age 5. Washburn said the shelter at Rescue the Animals is at capacity, so 15 of the dachshunds were sent to the Abilene Animal Control Center, which will handle the adoptions.
"We're contracting the adoption through the city because we couldn't handle this many," he said.
The fee for adopting the animals will be $60, which will include the first round of shots. A mail-in rebate of $20 is available when the dog is neutered. If the dog is already neutered, the fee is $35 instead of $60, with no rebate.
Washburn said dachshunds make good pets.
"They're good with children and when they become acclimated to the weather, they make good inside-outside dogs," he said. "They're great dogs and they're popular. We usually get them for a whole bunch of places west of here but we generally get them one or two at a time."
Almost all of the dogs that arrived here Monday night appeared to be well fed and in good health. Most allowed themselves to be petted, which Washburn said was a smart move on their part.
"If you're on death row, you better be smiling at the people," he said.
Washburn said the fact that the dogs were fairly calm despite the upheaval in their lives during the past month spoke well of their general health.
"The stress on these animals has been tremendous," he said.
Washburn added that it was an advantage for people to adopt a young adult dog rather than a puppy.
"There's a huge, huge advantage in adopting a young adult, because you can see what their personality is," he said. "People think they can get a puppy and mold it into exactly what they want, but if they have children, they should know better."
For that reason, Washburn said Rescue the Animals rarely accepts puppies, although he said Daphne, the one-eyed pirate dachshund, recently had a litter of seven that should be ready for adoption soon.
As for the newcomers, Washburn hopes to adopt the majority of them during the next two or three weeks to alleviate some of the overcrowding. He said people who are willing to take one or two as foster dogs would be screened and considered.
"At least we bought them some more time," Washburn said.
Washburn said a hotline has been set up to answer questions about the dachshunds at 677-7722.
© 2011 Abilene Reporter-News. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
James Franco Slams Oscar Writers for Being “Not Funny”
He wasn't happy about that whole dress-in-drag at the Oscars thing
By Beth Stebner
James Franco is still a bit bitter about that whole Oscars thing.
In this month’s issue of Playboy (yes, Playboy), Franco obviously has some beef with his slightly unsatisfactory co-hosting of the Oscars with Anne Hathaway.
“I don’t know why you hired me, because you haven’t given me anything,” Franco told producers. “I just don’t think this stuff’s going to be good.”
Franco was upset the producers cut a segment where he was to dress in drag and play Cher, but when the song from “Burlesque” wasn’t nominated. Producers still wanted Franco to dress in drag, this time as Marilyn Monroe.
“Me in drag as Cher trying to sing like her is a thing,” he told Playboy. “Me in drag is not funny.”
“There were a lot of cooks who shouldn't have been cooking but were allowed to,” Franco said, referring to the producers and writers of Hollywood’s Biggest Night. Apparently, some choice Judd Apatow jokes were tossed out like yesterday’s soup.
For a while, Franco was Hollywood’s golden child—starring in soaps and scoring an Oscar nod for his work in “127 Hours.” Not to mention his superb acquisition of advanced degrees (resume: NYU, Yale, Rhode Island School of Design, University of Houston), and his work as a writer and artist.
Many critics touted Franco’s performance for being unenergetic. To that, Franco said he was trying to compliment Hathaway’s bubbly, energetic route.
“I thought I would be the straight man and she could be the other, and that's how I was trying to do those lines," he said.
"I felt kind of trapped in that material.”
By Beth Stebner
James Franco is still a bit bitter about that whole Oscars thing.
In this month’s issue of Playboy (yes, Playboy), Franco obviously has some beef with his slightly unsatisfactory co-hosting of the Oscars with Anne Hathaway.
“I don’t know why you hired me, because you haven’t given me anything,” Franco told producers. “I just don’t think this stuff’s going to be good.”
Franco was upset the producers cut a segment where he was to dress in drag and play Cher, but when the song from “Burlesque” wasn’t nominated. Producers still wanted Franco to dress in drag, this time as Marilyn Monroe.
“Me in drag as Cher trying to sing like her is a thing,” he told Playboy. “Me in drag is not funny.”
“There were a lot of cooks who shouldn't have been cooking but were allowed to,” Franco said, referring to the producers and writers of Hollywood’s Biggest Night. Apparently, some choice Judd Apatow jokes were tossed out like yesterday’s soup.
For a while, Franco was Hollywood’s golden child—starring in soaps and scoring an Oscar nod for his work in “127 Hours.” Not to mention his superb acquisition of advanced degrees (resume: NYU, Yale, Rhode Island School of Design, University of Houston), and his work as a writer and artist.
Many critics touted Franco’s performance for being unenergetic. To that, Franco said he was trying to compliment Hathaway’s bubbly, energetic route.
“I thought I would be the straight man and she could be the other, and that's how I was trying to do those lines," he said.
"I felt kind of trapped in that material.”
Fielder hits big homer in All-Star game
By JOHN MARSHALL, AP Sports Writer
The captain of the NL's Home Run Derby team, Fielder was booed during the derby Monday night and again at the All-Star game by Arizona fans who thought he should have picked Diamondbacks right fielder Justin Upton for his team.
Fielder couldn't quiet the crowd at the Home Run Derby, where he failed to reach the finals, but sent a loud ooh! through Chase Field with a towering homer in the fourth that caromed off the top of the wall in left-center. It was the first homer for a Brewers player in the Midsummer Classic.
Boston's Adrian Gonzalez, runner-up to Robinson Cano in the Home Run Derby, hit a solo homer in the top of the inning off Philadelphia's Cliff Lee near the pool in right field. It was the All-Star game's first homer since Boston's J.D. Drew hit a two-run shot off Edinson Volquez in the seventh inning at Yankee Stadium in 2008.
The NL pushed to lead to 4-1 in the fifth inning on Andre Ethier's run-scoring single to right off Angels closer Jordan Walden, who cut down Starlin Castro at the plate with a nice barehanded stop earlier in the inning.
Arizona lived up to its sizzling reputation in its first All-Star game, a high temperature of 102 degrees making the pregame parade a quick procession through downtown.
Protesters didn't seem to mind the heat, with about 75 members of the pro-immigrant group Somas America passing out white ribbons and spreading their message against SB1070, the polarizing immigration law passed by Arizona last year.
But it was mostly calm and cool inside air-conditioned Chase Field, where the gametime temperature was 72, the anti-immigration law sentiment was nearly nonexistent and girls in bikinis swirled around in the pool behind the wall in right.
On the field, this All-Star game was more like a substitute-star game, the focus as much on who isn't here instead of who is.
Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Chipper Jones, Justin Verlander and Shane Victorino were among the 16 players who didn't play, leaving the All-Star game without some of its biggest names due to injuries, ineligibility or, in some cases, questionable circumstances.
Six pitchers didn't get a chance to play because they started on Sunday: Verlander, Yankees lefty CC Sabathia, Tampa Bay's James Shields, Felix Hernandez of the Mariners, Philadelphia's Cole Hamels and San Francisco's Matt Cain.
Mets shortstop Jose Reyes, Phillies teammates Shane Victorino and Placido Polanco, and Red Sox pitcher Jon Lester are injured, but still made the trip to Phoenix.
The player who has taken the most heat for avoiding the desert is Jeter.
Despite playing over the weekend, when he reached the 3,000-hit mark, the Yankees captain bowed out of the Midsummer Classic, citing a calf injury. Jeter was criticized by some, cut some slack by others. Either way, he wasn't at the game, in uniform or in support.
The inaugural All-Star game in the desert also figured to be void of offense, much like last year's game, a 3-1 win by the National League that ended the AL's 13-year unbeaten streak.
Scoring in the first half of this season was at its lowest level (8.4 runs per game) in 19 years and the league batting average (.253) dropped for the second straight year to its lowest point since 1985.
The two starting pitchers figured to make it tough, too.
Philadelphia's Roy Halladay, a two-time Cy Young Award winner, became the fourth pitcher to start the All-Star game in both leagues (Toronto in 2009) after going 11-3 with a 2.45 ERA in the first half to make it an easy decision for NL manager Bruce Bochy. He made quick work of the AL, working two perfect innings before being replaced by Lee in the third.
Angels ace Jered Weaver made it simple on AL manager Ron Washington, too.
The lanky right-hander earned his first All-Star nod last season, but didn't get to play because he pitched the Sunday before the game. He's had another superb start to this season, going 11-4 with a majors-best 1.86 ERA that was lowest ever for an Angels pitcher the first half of the season.
Weaver worked around a walk in the first inning and was supposed to be replaced by Josh Beckett in the second, but the Boston right-hander never made it out of the bullpen because of lingering soreness from a left knee he strained his last start.
"I could have pitched. I'm just not comfortable going out there and getting hurt in an All-Star game and costing myself starts in the second half," Beckett said. "I think that's how everybody should be. This game does mean a lot with home-field advantage and everything but at the same time there are some things that are ahead that are a little more important."
Beckett was replaced by Yankees right-hander David Robertson, who got help from a sliding catch by right fielder Jose Bautista before giving up the game's first hit, a single by St. Louis' Lance Berkman. The AL got out of the inning when Robertson struck out Matt Holliday looking and catcher Brian McCann threw out Berkman trying to steal second.
Copyright © 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
The captain of the NL's Home Run Derby team, Fielder was booed during the derby Monday night and again at the All-Star game by Arizona fans who thought he should have picked Diamondbacks right fielder Justin Upton for his team.
Fielder couldn't quiet the crowd at the Home Run Derby, where he failed to reach the finals, but sent a loud ooh! through Chase Field with a towering homer in the fourth that caromed off the top of the wall in left-center. It was the first homer for a Brewers player in the Midsummer Classic.
Boston's Adrian Gonzalez, runner-up to Robinson Cano in the Home Run Derby, hit a solo homer in the top of the inning off Philadelphia's Cliff Lee near the pool in right field. It was the All-Star game's first homer since Boston's J.D. Drew hit a two-run shot off Edinson Volquez in the seventh inning at Yankee Stadium in 2008.
The NL pushed to lead to 4-1 in the fifth inning on Andre Ethier's run-scoring single to right off Angels closer Jordan Walden, who cut down Starlin Castro at the plate with a nice barehanded stop earlier in the inning.
Arizona lived up to its sizzling reputation in its first All-Star game, a high temperature of 102 degrees making the pregame parade a quick procession through downtown.
Protesters didn't seem to mind the heat, with about 75 members of the pro-immigrant group Somas America passing out white ribbons and spreading their message against SB1070, the polarizing immigration law passed by Arizona last year.
But it was mostly calm and cool inside air-conditioned Chase Field, where the gametime temperature was 72, the anti-immigration law sentiment was nearly nonexistent and girls in bikinis swirled around in the pool behind the wall in right.
On the field, this All-Star game was more like a substitute-star game, the focus as much on who isn't here instead of who is.
Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Chipper Jones, Justin Verlander and Shane Victorino were among the 16 players who didn't play, leaving the All-Star game without some of its biggest names due to injuries, ineligibility or, in some cases, questionable circumstances.
Six pitchers didn't get a chance to play because they started on Sunday: Verlander, Yankees lefty CC Sabathia, Tampa Bay's James Shields, Felix Hernandez of the Mariners, Philadelphia's Cole Hamels and San Francisco's Matt Cain.
Mets shortstop Jose Reyes, Phillies teammates Shane Victorino and Placido Polanco, and Red Sox pitcher Jon Lester are injured, but still made the trip to Phoenix.
The player who has taken the most heat for avoiding the desert is Jeter.
Despite playing over the weekend, when he reached the 3,000-hit mark, the Yankees captain bowed out of the Midsummer Classic, citing a calf injury. Jeter was criticized by some, cut some slack by others. Either way, he wasn't at the game, in uniform or in support.
The inaugural All-Star game in the desert also figured to be void of offense, much like last year's game, a 3-1 win by the National League that ended the AL's 13-year unbeaten streak.
Scoring in the first half of this season was at its lowest level (8.4 runs per game) in 19 years and the league batting average (.253) dropped for the second straight year to its lowest point since 1985.
The two starting pitchers figured to make it tough, too.
Philadelphia's Roy Halladay, a two-time Cy Young Award winner, became the fourth pitcher to start the All-Star game in both leagues (Toronto in 2009) after going 11-3 with a 2.45 ERA in the first half to make it an easy decision for NL manager Bruce Bochy. He made quick work of the AL, working two perfect innings before being replaced by Lee in the third.
Angels ace Jered Weaver made it simple on AL manager Ron Washington, too.
The lanky right-hander earned his first All-Star nod last season, but didn't get to play because he pitched the Sunday before the game. He's had another superb start to this season, going 11-4 with a majors-best 1.86 ERA that was lowest ever for an Angels pitcher the first half of the season.
Weaver worked around a walk in the first inning and was supposed to be replaced by Josh Beckett in the second, but the Boston right-hander never made it out of the bullpen because of lingering soreness from a left knee he strained his last start.
"I could have pitched. I'm just not comfortable going out there and getting hurt in an All-Star game and costing myself starts in the second half," Beckett said. "I think that's how everybody should be. This game does mean a lot with home-field advantage and everything but at the same time there are some things that are ahead that are a little more important."
Beckett was replaced by Yankees right-hander David Robertson, who got help from a sliding catch by right fielder Jose Bautista before giving up the game's first hit, a single by St. Louis' Lance Berkman. The AL got out of the inning when Robertson struck out Matt Holliday looking and catcher Brian McCann threw out Berkman trying to steal second.
Copyright © 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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