Carl Crawford, an MVP for Rays fans

As I watched Carl Crawford accept the MVP award last night in the All-Star game, I could only think that it's only fitting that CC would be the first Ray ever to win an All-Star MVP.  This is man who, for years, toiled for a team that was a national joke.  He was our All-Star before anybody else knew about him.  Now after a World Series and an All-Star MVP, everybody knows CC.  He's a man who knows how to get on base and make something happen when he does.  He's a man who rules left field and makes great plays look routine.  He's a man who didn't whine when the team was losing and didn't hang his head last year when he was hurt during the Rays stretch run. 

Last night, Carl Crawford awed the baseball world with his home run robbing catch.  To Rays fans, it didn't surprise us. We've seen him make great plays like that for year (although no home run robbing ones).  But, for the rest of the baseball world, who couldn't believe all the Rays that were on the team, CC showed them why Joe Maddon chose him.  He showed a player that they all wished they could root for.

Some have begun floating the rumors of a Rays team without Carl Crawford. To me, that's heresy. I understand that teams have to make payroll moves. I understand that teams sometimes have to trade current talent for future talent.  But, to me, CC is the on bridge between what we knew and what we're seeing now.  He's a player that's irreplaceable.  I can't speak for Andrew Friedman or Stu Sternberg. But I hope they look at Carl Crawford and sees what I see: A Tampa Bay Ray for life.

Here are some of the things I noticed in the American League's 4-3 victory over the National League. 

• No Longo, No Pena.  The 3-4 batters in the Rays lineup didn't participate in the actual game. Longo was pulled from the lineup earlier in the day and Pena was the manager's decision. I'm fine with that.  Those 2 need to rest their bodies for a big second half.  The Rays have a big road trip coming up and they're going to need all the runs they can get.
  

• Joe Maddon's managing.  I thought the skipper did a good job last night with the pitchers. He stuck with the closer trifecta to bring home the game for the AL.  I bet Maddon wishes all his games could be that easy.
  

• Blink and you missed Edwin Jackson.  It was good to see E-jax out there... all 4 pitches he threw. I suspect we'll see a lot more of him in the 2nd half when the Rays and Detroit Tigers face-off.
  

• Halladay's helmet. Because the AL sent so many players to the plate in the 1st inning, Blue Jays pitcher Roy Halladay got to bat. Unfortunately, he didn't pack his helmet so he had to borrow one.  Evan Longoria wasn't using his, so he peeled off the TB logo and wore it to bat. Let's just hope for Jays fans that he didn't use Longo's batting glove.
  

• Fast game.  The game was over in 2:31.  Just right. I wish more games would go like that. Of course, there weren't any mid-inning pitching changes to worry about and the offensive cupboard was a little bare.