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TV Ratings Rise For All-Star Game

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The Associated Press

The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 17, 2008

NEW YORK - The All-Star Game's television ratings increased from last year.

The first nine innings of Tuesday night's 15-inning marathon on Fox drew a 9.3 fast national rating and 16 share, the network said Wednesday. That's up 11 percent from the 8.4/15 in 2007.

Nielsen issued separate ratings for the regulation portion of the game - which drew a sellout crowd of 55,632 at Yankee Stadium - and the extra innings. Innings 10 through 15 earned a 7.5/18.

The rating is the percentage of those watching a program among homes with televisions, and the share is the percentage tuned into the broadcast among those households with TVs on at the time.

The record 4-hour, 50-minute marathon ended at 1:37 a.m. Wednesday when the Justin Morneau slid home just in time on Michael Young's sacrifice fly, giving the American League a 4-3 win that extended its unbeaten streak to 12.

Winner Scott Kazmir (Rays) and loser Brad Lidge (Phillies) were the last available pitchers. J.D. Drew (Red Sox) was named MVP after going 2-for-4 with a two-run homer in the seventh that tied it at 2.

CUBS: Hospital officials in Chicago said a 7-year-old boy whose skull was fractured by a foul ball at Wrigley Field on Thursday is recovering well and expected to go home.

Dominic DiAngi was scheduled to be released from Children's Memorial Hospital on Wednesday.

DODGERS: Will be without closer Takashi Saito for at least six weeks.

Saito, who was diagnosed with a sprained ligament in his pitching elbow Tuesday by a team doctor, will be placed on the 15-day disabled list Friday.

MARLINS: Pitcher Sergio Mitre will miss the rest of the season and most of next year after surgery to replace an elbow ligament.

The right-hander, out since spring training with a forearm strain, had Tommy John surgery Tuesday, his agent, Matt Sosnick said.

TIGERS: Right fielder Magglio Ordonez (pulled oblique) is scheduled to be activated from the disabled list prior to today's game at Baltimore, and outfielder Clete Thomas is being sent to Triple-A Toledo.

WHITE SOX: Closer Bobby Jenks, on the disabled list with a sore left scapula, had his rehab assignment transferred from Single-A Winston-Salem to Double-A Birmingham.

Utility infielder Pablo Ozuna, designated for assignment last week, had rejected an outright assignment to Triple-A Charlotte. The team then asked waivers on Ozuna for the purposes of granting him unconditional release.

YANKEES: Left fielder Johnny Damon could hit off a tee Friday in Tampa and hopes to rejoin the team by late next week.

Damon is on the 15-day disabled list with an injured left shoulder. He underwent treatment only Wednesday at the Yankees' minor-league complex.

Left fielder-designated hitter Hideki Matsui ended his rehab program for a sore left knee in Florida on Wednesday to return to New York to be examined Friday. It's possible Matsui will need season-ending surgery.

The Yankees' Sept. 21 game - Yankee Stadium's regular-season finale - against the Orioles has been scheduled for 8:05 p.m. and will be televised nationally by ESPN as part of its Sunday night package.

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