Emptying out my head

♦ Deadspin already covered just how bad Chris Berman is during the All-Star Home Run Derby. But it really is him at his absolute ("back, back, back, back, back!") worst. Scanning the stands for "You're with me, leather" signs probably isn't enough to get me to watch.

♦ Has the home run derby ever $@%ed with a guy's swing worse than it did with Bobby Abreu last year? I don't watch the guy on a regular basis, but judging from the dip in his power numbers, it looks like he's never fully recovered. I'd hate to see that happen to any of the participants this year.

♦ In lieu of reports that Ben(edict?) Wallace nixed any attempts by the Pistons to work out a sign-and-trade deal that could benefit both sides, Kevin Antcliff has decided that Big Ben is dead to him. Harsh, man.

♦ The Detroit News' Terry Foster has some other musings on why things just didn't work out between the Pistons and Mr. Wallace.

♦ Something for Tigers fans to keep an eye on: ESPN's Buster Olney says he's heard rumors that the White Sox might trade Brandon McCarthy and Brian Anderson to San Francisco for Jason Schmidt.

♦ If you haven't seen this already, Ernie Harwell's keeping a close eye on the Tigers. But from a distance, because he doesn't "want to be one of those retired guys who hangs out in the corner." Oh, Ernie.