Mike Trout and Todd Frazier jet home to New Jersey together after All-Star Game

New Jersey baseball was in the spotlight at this year's MLB All-Star Game and what better way for the two Joisey stars to get back to the Garden State than by private jet.

That's right. All-Star Game MVP Mike Trout and Home Run Derby champion Todd Frazier returned to New Jersey in the early morning hours on Wednesday on a private jet.

Because that's how they roll ... fly.

Frazier wowed the Great American Ballpark crowd on Monday night with three walk-off victories to win the revamped Home Run Derby, the night before Trout's second straight MVP performance at the Summer Classic.

Even though Trout won a 2015 Silverado Midnight truck (For being the game's MVP) the two friends left Cincinatti by air and both will spend the rest of the break in South Jersey. Trout is from Millville, and Frazier from not-so-far Toms River.

Trout told USA TODAY the plan to share the private jet together was worked about a month ago.

"Me and Todd, we go back a while," Trout said. "We're always messing with each other. He's a great guy."

Frazier !!!!! #Jersey #HRDerby

— Mike Trout (@MikeTrout) July 14, 2015

Jersey owned the house.

Mets' Jacob deGrom wants a piece of Mike Trout in All-Star Game

Jacob deGrom is gunning for Mike Trout.

The New York Mets righthander with the wild mop of hair said that of all the players on the American League team he could face on Tuesday in the All-Star Game in Cincinnati, he’d relish the challenge of going high-and-tight against the Angels' less shaggy superstar.

“He’s a great hitter. I think it’d be fun to face him and try to get him out,” deGrom said with a smile.

DeGrom is the lone Mets representative on the National League squad for the Midsummer Classic, with a 9-6 record, 2.14 ERA and 0.92 WHIP. With Washington’s Max Scherzer ruled out for the starting assignment after pitching on Sunday, deGrom is in the conversation to be tabbed. The Dodgers’ Zack Greinke, now 8-2 with a 1.39 ERA, is the probable choice.

“If I did get to start, it would be a lot of fun,” deGrom said.

Ariana Grande replaced by Demi Lovato at MLB All-Star concert: Report

America hating Ariana Grande has pulled out of the MLB All-Star Concert reportedly because of her wisdom teeth and Demi Lovato is stepping in.

Grande's representative said Wednesday the singer would not perform Saturday at the Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati because she had some of her wisdom teeth removed Monday.

A representative for Lovato confirmed that she would perform Saturday instead.

Grande might have been booed off the stage by baseball fans anyway after the pint-sized pop star was caught on tape licking donuts on display in a shop and shouting, "I hate Americans. I hate America" in a video (below) that surfaced Tuesday. 

Grande issued an apology while claiming that she would be bailing out because of her sweet tooth: 

"As for why I cannot be at the MLB show, I have had emergency oral surgery and due to recovery I cannot attend the show. I hope to make it up to all those fans soon. That being said let me once again apologize if I have offended anyone with my poor choice of words." 

With Grande out, Lovato is more than ready to step in as the new headliner.

"I'm so excited to be headlining the MLB All-Star Concert," said Lovato in the statement released by the league. "I hope my fans in Cincinnati are ready to get 'Cool for the Summer!"

The free concert during the 2015 MLB All-Star Week will also include pop-rock band Rixton, best known for the hit "Me and My Broken Heart." The 86th MLB All-Star Game will air July 14 on Fox from the Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati.

Tanaka might miss All-Star Game due to Yankees' slick rotation maneuver: Report

For all you baseball fans who never had a reason to hate the Yankees — and there are a few of you — here's a new one.

Even die-hard Bomber fans might be a little miffed at the Yankees organization after reports surfaced the the team was maneuvering their starting rotation so that their break-out Japanese pitcher, Masahiro Tanaka, might miss the All-Star game.

The Yankees have aligned their starting pitchers so that Tanaka — who was almost a sure bet to start the annual classic —  would have to skip making the trip to Minneapolis, according to Joel Sherman of the N.Y. Post.

The slick move theoretically benefits the Yankees while likely hurting Major League Baseball — who would love to showcase the $155 million headliner and drive up TV ratings here and in Japan.

Sherman wrote:

With an off-day Thursday, the Yankees could skip the struggling Vidal Nuno and have Masahiro Tanaka start the opener of a three-game series against the Red Sox in The Bronx.

Instead, citing the long season and seeing a chance to give extra rest to Tanaka and the rest of the rotation, the Yankees are going to stay in order and have Nuno start against the Red Sox, though he has the worst home ERA in the majors at 7.09 (minimum 35 innings) and has given up the most homers (13) at home — 11 to righty hitters. So, if you can get a future bet in on Mike Napoli hitting a homer Friday, go for it.

It means Tanaka will start Saturday, then July 3 at Minnesota, July 8 at Cleveland and July 13 at Baltimore. And you know what July 13 is? The last day of the first half. Only twice in the last 20 years — Randy Johnson in 2000 and Brad Penny in 2006 — has a pitcher started the final Sunday of the first half and then also Tuesday’s All-Star Game.

The chances are slim to none that the Yankees let Tanaka become the third starter.

 Unlike last year, when the losing Mets used Matt Harvey’s innings cap and a mild blister on a finger as excuses not to let him start the Saturday before the break so he would be available to start the All-Star Game at Citi Field, the Yankees are in the mix at the top of the AL East.

There is a possibility Tanaka could start and be limited to 15 pitches or an inning. But the strongest likelihood now is the player who would draw the most interest if he started — here and, particularly, back home in Japan — probably will get named to the AL team and then replaced, not to even perform in the game.

“We can skip the fifth man to maximize short-term, but that is not in the individual’s best interest,” said GM Brian Cashman.

Sorry baseball fans. You're welcome Yankee haters.

Papelbon: Adding Yasiel Puig to All-Star Game would be an 'absolute joke'

The movement to have Los Angeles Dodgers phenom Yasiel Puig named to the All-Star team next week has gained sizable momentum as Puig has continued to play at a record-breaking pace in his short time in the big leagues.

But still, Philadelphia Phillies closer Jonathan Papelbon isn't enticed by the Puigmania to draft the Cuban sensation into the showcase game  — even if he is one of the most exciting players in the majors right now. And Papelbon said as much on MLB Network Radio Tuesday.

Via CBS Philly:

“To me, it's an absolute joke. It's really kind of stupid if you ask me,” Papelbon said on MLB Network Radio, as he had trouble even saying Puig's name correctly. “The guy's got a month, I don't even think he's got a month in the big leagues, and just comparing him to this and that, and saying he's going to make the All-Star team, that's a joke to me. It's just really what happens in baseball when … to me it really does an injustice to the veteran players that have been in the game for eight, nine, 10 plus years, and it kind of does them an injustice because they've worked so hard to stay there.”

Papelbon's reference to "comparing him to this and that," must be the astonishing fact that Puig collected 44 hits in his first month in the majors, second in baseball history to Joe DiMaggio's 48 in May of 1936. 

After going 3-for-5 with a home run and double Tuesday, Puig is now hitting .443/.473/.745 with eight homers, 17 RBI and 21 runs in 27 games. He has only 112 plate appearances on the season, but the Dodgers are 16-10 when he starts and 23-33 when he doesn't.

The All-Star teams will be named this coming Saturday.

Mets nearly hooked up with cougar dating service to help David Wright garner All-Star votes

Last month, CougarLife.com's blog revealed that David Wright was voted the most desired baseball player by "more than 11,000 respondents" from older woman/younger man dating  site.  He finished ahead of names like Phillies' pitcher Cole Hamels, Nationals' outfielder Bryce Harper and Yankees' second baseman Robinson Cano.

Now we find out the New York Mets almost worked with the site to help get Wright to start the 2013 All-Star Game at Citi Field.

According to emails obtained by Deadspin, the Mets nearly partnered with CougarLife.com to get Wright votes that would push him into the 2013 All-Star Game at Citi Field.

The site would have reached "over 40,000 females in the New York metro area" according to one email and the site would have pushed for Wright with posts all over social media along with a press release.

But a few days ago, the unnamed Mets marketing manager retracted his message: "We received some pushback as we don’t feel a partnership working together would be the image that our team and David- especially since he recently got engaged- would like to portray."

Wright got engaged to model Molly Beers "over the holidays" last year.

The Mets responded to the story with a statement, via The New York Post's Mike Puma: "Last year there was a big swing of votes at the end that cost David the starting job. We decided to do everything to make sure that doesn't happen again this year. We ultimately elected to pass. We thank whoever leaked this to Deadspin for increasing awareness of #VOTEWRIGHTNOW AT METS.COM."