THE STARLET GETTER

Best'r Prim

 “A” is for Awesome — On All-Star night, it’s time to celebrate stars and starlets, and as your friendly neighborhood starlet-getter, I went and got you 45 more never-before-seen shots of some of the starlets from the UCLA Spirit Squad

On Tuesday night in Minnesota, the 85th Annual Major League Baseball Game was played, bringing out our National Pasttime’s Best in the World.  And when you’re talking “World’s Best” anything, that usually means more Bruins than trojans.  This event was no exception to that rule.  There were more than ten times more Bruins than trojans, because 10 x 0 = 0 and 1 > 0.  That’s right, not a single trojan was voted by fans onto either All-Star Team starting line-up, nor was any trojan selected by the Managers as a Reserve.  But the Bruins had 1 participant:  Future Hall of Famer Chase Utley of Philadelphia.  The former Bruin Star was voted in as the National League’s Starting 2nd Baseman.  This was Utley’s SIXTH trip to play in the All-Star Game.  Utley has also won a World Championship (in 2008), and he won the Silver Slugger Award 4 times in a row, including in 2007, when he hit a remarkable .332.  And of course, unlike trojan Mark McGwire, Utley never took steroids! The National League fans were NOT disappointed in their selection for Starting 2nd Baseman, as Utley delivered with an RBI Double in the 2nd Inning, and then got on base again in the 4th before being pulled for a pinch runner.  Unfortunately for Utley and the NL, his production was not enough to overcome Mike Trout and the American League, who ultimately prevailed 5-3, earning home field advantage for the American League team in the World Series  The L.A. Angels’ Trout was named MVP, after hitting an RBI Triple, and later an RBI Double that broke a tie, giving the AL the lead for good.  Trout also made a nice catch in Left Field. Meanwhile, Trout’s local counterpart — the Dodgers’ Yasiel Puig, stunk the place up.  After totally choking in the Home Run Derby the night before, not hitting a single Tater, Puig continued his pathetic streak on Tuesday night.  He batted three times, and STRUCK OUT ALL THREE TIMES.  Not only that, but he misplayed the ball off Trout’s bat, turning the wrong way and whiffing on a catchable ball that turned into Trout’s RBI Triple.  Maybe this shameful performance on the big stage will help to humble the arrogant, bat-flipping, tantrum-throwing, overly-dramatic Cuban who has made a habit of showing up other players in a self-indulgent, unprofessional manner throughout his career.  This season he has lessened his brain-dead baserunning gaffes and has curtailed his habit of over-throwing cut-off men, so maybe after this All-Star Weekend fiasco, he will settle down psychologically, and realize his unlimited potential, which will probably take the Dodgers right back into October Baseball. Besides Trout, the only other Angel to play was Erick Aybar, who came in late as a Defensive Replacement and did not bat.  The only other Dodger on the Offensive side of the ball was Dee Gordon, who went 0-for-1.  The only good news for Dodger fans was that both Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke each pitched a perfect inning (as part of a losing effort). So Utley makes Bruin fans proud, Trout lifts the spirits of Angel fans by EARNING the MVP Trophy, and helping give the Angels — the hottest team in all of Baseball — home field advantage in the World Series if they make it that far.  It could easily be The Freeway Series this year, and hosting that Game 7 would be huge. But speaking of All-Stars, the REAL reason why I’m writing this article is just as an excuse to post more of my photos of the REAL All-Stars:  The UCLA Spirit Squad.  So, as promised, here are 45 pics of the Starlets of Westwood, many of whom will be back in about 45 days, to entertain us all at UCLA’s first Football game of 2014.  I can’t wait — Can you? REMINDER:  Click on the pics to enlarge them, especially the horizontal ACTION shots.