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Anyone who has followed Major League Baseball for any length of time has to realize how lucky we are in 2012.
In the American League, 20-year-old Mike Trout of the California Angels is tearing up the league and is a young, hot, new All-Star.
Over in the National League, Bryce Harper of the Washington Nationals, all of 19 years of age, has done some miraculous things for someone so young.
It's going to be a fun All-Star Game next Tuesday, and then a great second half of the season.
Even baseball commissioner Bud Selig couldn't screw this up!
(Then again, maybe he could--he did give us that infamous All-Star Game tie a few years back.)
As far as wagering on the All-Star Game, it's a tough gamble, so wager with care.
I'll be releasing my pick on which side will win the game next week, and you can purchase my selection right here at Gambling 911!
As for the game total, also called the over-under, that is something that can be quantified--sometimes.
When the All-Star Game is played on the West Coast, such as in Los Angeles, San Diego or the Bay Area, it's generally a low-scoring game.
That's because for national televison purposes, the game starts at an unusual local time (around 6 p.m.), a time when the sun is about to set and thus is in the eyes of the batters for much of the game.
It's harder to see the ball and thus harder to hit it, which makes for low-scoring baseball.
When the All-Star games are played on the East Coast, the sun is not a factor this way.
This year's game is in Kansas City--in the middle of the country--so who knows how the sun will affect the batters?
For those of you who want to play the total on this game, here's a free play: the over is the only way to go, there's just too many good hitters in baseball right now and the best hurlers will only go an inning or so (the sun won't make much difference in my opinion).
One more thought: Chipper Jones has played in every park in baseball for the past 20 years, except Royals Stadium in Kansas City.
Wouldn't it be something if the retiring Jones got the key hit in next Tuesday's game?
By Fred Wallin
Gambling911.com Sports Handicapper
