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The banners are every where:
?I play for the National League, I?m going to win.?
?I play for the American League, I?m going to win.?
And the Texas Rangers have seen them.
The Rangers became the first team to lose back-to-back Game 7s of the World Series in history last fall, falling to the St. Louis Cardinals.
The year before, they lost Game 7 on the road to the San Francisco Giants.
The Rangers moreso than anyone else know the significance of winning the all-star game which goes Tuesday night at beautiful Arrowhead Stadium.
To the winning league goes home field advantage in the Series.
If the Rangers don?t want to go through it again they can have a say in matters, after going 1-5 in NL parks the past two Octobers.
AL manager Ron Washington of the Rangers has eight players with him: Left fielder Josh Hamilton, third baseman Adrian Beltre and catcher Mike Napoli will be in the starting lineup, infielders Ian Kinsler and Elvis Andrus are among the reserves, while Matt Harrison, Joe Nathan and Yu Darvish are on the pitching staff.
It?s not like the Rangers have not produced before ? since the all-star game determined home field advantage in the World Series. Michael Young hit a scoring fly ball to give the AL a 4-3 win in 2008 at Yankee Stadium and Hank Blalock knocked in the winning run with a two-run homer Eric Gagne at U.S. Celluar Park in 2003.
?I?d rather play four games in my home park, but if we have to go on the road, we have to go on the road,? Washington told reporters.
TAKE FOUR
Justin Verlander who starts Tuesday night for the AL has issued one intentional walk in his previous 608 innings, going back to opening day 2010. On June 9 he walked Etobicoke?s Joey Votto intentionally at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati.
?Thank you, Jim Leyland,? Votto said. ?I know it wasn?t Justin?s decision. What amazes me is how he can go from 92 to 102 m.p.h. in the same at-bat.?
LA RUSSA LEADS NL SQUAD
Former St. Louis manager Tony La Russa will manage the NL all-stars after his Cards won the Series.
La Russa broke in as an 18-year-old bonus baby with the 1963 Kansas City Athletics hitting .250 with one RBI in 34 games.
He has Hall of Fame credentials as a manager ? 2,728 career wins, more wins than anyone but Connie Mack or John McGraw, three pennants and three World Series ? but his 132-game playing career ended April 6 1973 when he pinch ran for Ron Santo and scored the winning run at Wrigley Field as Montreal Expos reliever Mike Marshall walked Rick Monday.
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Source: http://www.torontosun.com/2012/07/09/texas-rangers-understand-importance-of-all-star-game
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