Thunder Matt at the All-Star Game

No, no, all you dearly beloved Matt Murton fans. Our amiable Thunder did not make the roster for Tuesday's Taco Bell MLB All-Star Game, brought to you by Taco Bell. His night to shine was Wednesday, as he donned the uniform of the Colorado Springs Sky Sox for the Triple-A All-Star Game in beautiful Portland, Oregon. Joining Matt were future star Eric Young, Jr., and a bunch of white guys who will be playing for different teams in two weeks.

Thunder was slotted as the DH for the Pacific Coast League. He hit in the three-hole, striking out looking in his first two plate appearances and grounding out in his third. Eh, who cares how he did? It's just another meaningless All-Star game.

While he's been with Colorado Springs, Murton has hit for a .374 average in 187 at-bats. He has nearly as many doubles (15) as he does strikeouts (18). Matt is clearly maturing under the tutelage of the venerable Sal Fasano.

So what becomes of Murton now? Clearly the Rockies have a glut of talent in their OF. We've exhausted this in the past, but the bottom line is that Murton needs to go to an AL club where he can serve as a DH and have spot starts in the outfield corners. The Twins would seem logical, due to Matt's fair skin and propensity for hitting in the gaps. Unfortunately they too have an abundance quality hitters, spreading the at-bats thin. The Orioles? Occasional rumors have the Red Sox inquiring on bringing Matt back. With a bit of luck, he'll be leaving Colorado Springs in two weeks for greener pastures. Of course, we've been hoping he sees those pastures for the entire three-plus years of this blog's existence. Rest assured though, dear reader, that the boys at the Saloon will keep you posted on all developments Murton.

Also of note in the game: Dave Winfield (tall) threw out the first pitch, and the San Diego Chicken was present. Winfield played for the Padres during the Chicken's heyday. The two were never on the field at the same time. Coincidence, or irrelevant? The International League was leading the Pacific Coast League 6-3 after Murton's third at-bat in the bottom of the sixth. I'll have to assume that he was pulled at this point, as I can't bear to watch the rest of the game.