Don't Be Bored: All-Star Edition

On our last off-day, I posted a list of some favorite essays and articles from recent days to help keep you occupied in the absence of a baseball game. We have three straight off-days beginning today, so I'm just going to go with a supersized version of the list and assume that most of you will be watching the Home Run Derby and/or the All-Star Game as well. If it's still not enough - face it, it might be time to develop a hobby outside of baseball.

• Here's my recap of yesterday's game if you missed it.

• Here's my article for RoxPile on this year's All-Star snubs. According to Buster Olney, there weren't any, but I heartily disagree. If anything I'd say the issue is that too many undeserving players are on the roster. Note: I made this list while Todd Helton was still up for a spot via the Final Vote Ballot. Obviously he would have been in the top 3 if he'd already been cut when I wrote this. Also, 4 of my top 10, Andrew McCutchen, CC Sabathia, Jhonny Peralta, and Michael Pineda did make the final roster thanks to players being injured or bowing out. So some justice was served.

• Mark Townsend's first-half player ratings for the Rockies. Franklin Morales does look a little strange at #21, but his ERA in his games with Colorado is better than Rafael Betancourt's, and opponents are batting better against Rex Brothers. That hurts.

• A look at Ubaldo Jimenez's overall value to the team from Logan Burdine. I've been saying for weeks that he's looking more like his old self all the time, and that his early-season struggles are clearly behind him, but my taste for and talent with stats only goes so far. Burdine doesn't give us too many specifics here, but I've read enough of his stuff to know that he really did look up all those FIP numbers and everything else.

• The Rockies' answers to Jim Armstrong's questions regarding their tough first half. I hope we're done hearing that they "need to play better." A little less conversation, a little more action, please.

• Jim Tracy's explanation for the post All-Star rotation. Although it's not much of an explanation. Why AREN'T we trying to run Aaron Cook out?

• Let's get some warm Cook fuzzies in light of all the sadness he's been bringing us lately. Purple Row's series on the Rockies' best All-Star moments featured this entry from Andrew Fisher about Cook's brilliant appearance in the 2008 midsummer classic. And it's kind of fun to see him and Clint Hurdle on the mound together in the picture.

• This is what happens when you take in a game on the opposing team's turf. I totally missed that Ubaldo Jimenez had broken Pedro Astacio's record for strikeouts by a Rockies pitcher, and this is the only place I saw it pointed out. Obviously Ubaldo is going to set a record that will be much harder to beat, but once Jhoulys Chacin records his first no-hitter, he'll be in need of something new to shoot for.

• Some trade rumors about Ubaldo via Ken Rosenthal. At one point I heard that Ubaldo's name had come up as a possibility to go to the Yankees in exchange for Robinson Cano and Andruw Jones. There must be other names involved in that discussion because I don't see how that's a fair exchange. I really don't want to lose Ubaldo under any circumstances. But for Cano? Yeesh. Tempting.

•  In-fighting among the other teams in our division. Gosh, it's just fun.

• Jayson Stark's first-half awards are my favorites of all that I've read. I purposely don't do first-half evals because the blogosphere is full of them. Save yourself some time and read just this one. Not only is Stark highly readable, anybody who disses Hanley Ramirez has my full support.

• Fire Jim Tracy? Maybe. Rich Kurtzman's article reminding us of the kind of manager Tracy can be and has been this season is good food for thought.

• The Marlins gave Jose Lopez even less of a chance than we did. Perhaps we should have been as quick to act on his apparent uselessness.

• You're not going to hear me talk much about who we should trade and for whom. I'm too sentimental a fan for that. I break out in hives just thinking about losing Chris Iannetta or Ian Stewart. The Clint Barmes-Brad Hawpe-Jeff Francis trifecta last season was almost too much for me. So I'm afraid I have to direct you elsewhere for intelligent discussions on the topic. Try here and here.

• MLB Trade Rumors' bit on the signing of Joe Mather.

I know I promised a supersized list but I think this is about the same size as the last one. I may add some more stuff later, but for now this ought to be enough to get you started.