All-Star breakdown

If you're reading this Monday or Tuesday night then you're probably like me, watching the All-Star break from home. Just my luck that the All-Star Game finally comes to St. Louis (my dad was 15 the last time it happened) and I'm too broke to attend.

Tickets on Stubhub.com for the All-Star Game range from $350 on up to thousands of dollars.

Once in college, I paid $50 a seat for a wild-card playoff game between the Padres and Cardinals and sat in the next-to-last row in the upper deck of old Busch. The next day, a friend called with a free seat and we sat in the 10th row in right field.

(What would be the most you'd pay to see the game?)

Alas, nobody has called needing to unload tickets, just like nobody called to give away tickets to the World Series in 2004 and '06. My brother, who still lives in St. Louis, went to Game 4 in '04 and gave me a call during the game and the ticket stub. He said he thought about going downtown but probably won't, staying away.

So like many of you, I'll sit at home and watch TV.

My predictions, Ryan Howard wins derby and the NL wins (finally) with Ryan Franklin getting the save.