No, really. This is the last of our All-Star Game coverage. The Fanfest took place at the Arizona Convention Center, just across the street from Chase Field, from the Friday before through to the Tuesday of the All-Star Game, and provided a chance for fans of all ages to see things, meet baseball stars, take part in a range of baseball-themed events and activities, and potentially buy a ton of stuff. Our intrepid team of All-Star reporters spent quite a lot of time there, and this is their communal report on the event.

So, what did we think of Fanfest?

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Back in mid-June we had a ballot here, to see who people thought should be an All-Star - and, a somewhat different question, who would be an All-Star. We had ten names on the ballot, and a total of 175 people took part. Of course, with the rosters proving extremely fluid this year - meaning that something like 10% of all major-leaguers can call themselves "All-Stars" in 2011! - we didn't know the final results until almost the day of the game itself. But now that it's finally taken place, and we know that Justin Upton and Miguel Montero were the two Diamondbacks' representatives, we can look at the results and see what we thought.

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Ok, if the truth be told, the Diamondbacks on the NL roster didn't actually do too much in the "securing"; Justin Upton went 0-2 - extending our hitters streak of futility to six consecutive All-Star Games - while Miguel Montero was left on deck as Jay Bruce struck out to end the NL eighth. Indeed, it was our nemesis, the loudly-booed Prince Fielder, who was responsible for the bulk of the National League offense, hitting a three-run homer off the top of the wall in left-center during the fourth inning. He was named MVP of the game.

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To kick off the Derby we are hosting the third annual Go to Bat Media Event with local Boys and Girls Club kids and Cal Ripken, Jr. I'd like to extend an opportunity for you to come out to the batting cages located inside Fan Fest at the Convention Center and got to bat for Phoenix youth. The event pairs local media celebrities with a local Boys and Girls Club kid, giving you a chance to swing for a homer, as State Farm will also make donations for each big hit you and your Boys & Girls Club teammate hit during the Go to Bat Media Event.

To ensure plenty of long balls are hit (and donations to the Boys & Girls Clubs are made), Hall-of-Famer Cal Ripken, Jr. will be on-hand to give you and the kids batting tips, and will also be available to talk with media. Please let me know if you are interested and able to come out and take some swings. Thank you!

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Man, that was a day and a half. Just to give you a sneak peak of what to expect on the SnakePit over the next couple of days, it started with me chatting to Chris Pratt, who plays Scott Hatteberg in the upcoming Moneyball movie, moved on to personal batting lessons from none other than Cal Ripken, followed by meeting some of the ladies from the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League - and only then moved on to Chase Field for the Home-Run Derby, which is what I'm actually supposed to be writing about here. So much really cool stuff in a single day. Dammit, I wish the All-Star Game were here every year.

After the jump, the view from Section Three-Oh-Nosebleed.

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I'll admit- I expected more from an All Star event like this. Come on, people. While there were some huge at-bats and some slugging on display, the pitching? Absolutely subpar. The fielding? They looked like kids out there, totally lost! All in all, disappointing, save for the hitting, so maybe that's what we should focus on here....

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