At 11 p.m., I was ready to hit the sack.

By midnight, I was yawning.

When 1 a.m. rolled into my living room, I began to think “all-nighter.”

For true baseball fans, giving up on Tuesday’s all-star game was never an option. Great defensive plays and some timely, clutch hitting prevented us from clicking off televisions and penciling pillows into our nocturnal lineups.
I’ve always watched the game. The American League’s unbeaten streak reached 12 — thanks to Texas shortstop Michael Young’s bases loaded sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 15th inning — and that made the late night worth it.
Some quick observations about the 4 hour, 50-minute game:

* I usually don’t like the sentimental moments Major League Baseball sprinkles into the mid-summer classic ... they often seem forced. But putting the greats of the games at their old positions to welcome starting players from both leagues was not a bad idea. Think it worked because the game was being held in Yankee Stadium, probably the most famous baseball house in the world, a place that will be vacated by the Yanks this fall.
Nice to see a smiling Al Kaline in right; I was a Tiger fan growing up. But Willie Mays in center looked ... like he was mad about something.

* Singer Sheryl Crow did a fine job with the National Anthem, and did not try to offer offbeat impersonations to the song, a temptation others have been unable to resist. Sponsor Chevrolet insisted its corporate logo be part of the coverage, so Sheryl had to compete with advertising.

* Hope baseball at least charged Aquafina, Taco Bell and Flomax plenty for their crummy ads and product placements. I hope advertisers are not smelling “Super Bowl” in the all-star game. If so, we’ll have dozens of extra ads — and probably extra-stupid ads ... like the dancing, water-loving lizards ... next year.

* Fox was so busy cramming in commercials, they almost missed a key play. I was tolerating an ad for Fox 23 weather team, and then a quick clip of morning anchor Diane Lee, when the game quickly cut back in; Carlos Guillen of Detroit had just swung at a pitch and lined a shot to left field. It landed fair and bounced into the stands, ground rule double. But it almost went out ... and Fox almost missed it.

* Speaking of Fox, I chuckled when the station began running a “crawl” under the picture at 9:45 p.m., advising viewers where the station’s 10 p.m. newscasts could be accessed. Why would anyone watching the baseball game click over to the news?

* I can’t understand Yankee fans. For the all-star game, I’ve always thought a truce is in effect for everyone. I’m an Oriole fan, yet I was hoping for big nights from Yankees Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez and Mariano Rivera — I’m an American League man, and I’m rooting for the AL to win. Yet, we had New York booing Boston Red Sox players before and during the game. Were they hoping J.D. Drew whiffed instead of hitting his tying, two-run homer in the seventh? Did they want Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon to give up five runs in the eighth?
There’s a truce on, you imbeciles! We’re all on one team tonight!
I’ll bet they’d boo Santa Claus in the Bronx.

* With both teams low on pitching, I was wondering what would happen if the game stretched into the 16th or 17th inning. Red Sox manager Terry Francona didn’t want to burn out any pitchers, especially Scott Kazmir, his last man standing.
Wonder if Terry might have asked a pitched-out Kazmir to stand in right field, and draft a position player to throw ... just to keep the game going .. in the 17th. It would have been a disaster — National Leaguers feasting on balls tossed their way — but it would have been better than just ending the game in a tie. Or worse, an American League forfeit.
If you’re going to go down, go down gambling.

Well, that's enough - gotta get home and catch up on my sleep!