THE 2001 ALL-STAR GAME

I saw my first All Star Game in 1957. Interestingly enough that was another year in which one team was over-represented, although it was from a severe case of ballot stuffing on the part of Cincinnati fans. Reds were selected to start at every position but first base -- where even Cincinnati fans couldn't unseat Stan Musial. But whereas there is logic and justice in the likes of Ichiro, Edgar Martinez, John Olerud, Brett Boone and even Mike Cameron making the team, the Reds fans elected 8 starters in '57-- that means Don Hoak over Eddie Mathews and Ernie Banks (who played third that year), and Gus Bell and Wally Post over Hank Aaron, Willie Mays and Roberto Clemente. Commissioner Frick made them drop Post and Bell entirely, and Hoak and Roy McMillan were dismissed after one at bat. The Reds finished 4th that year, behind the Braves, Cards and the Dodgers in their final Brooklyn season.

The Mariners are not going to finish 4th. If they play .500 ball the rest of the year (let's make that 37-36, since they have 73 games left), they would still win exactly 100 games. For that matter, then, 27-46 the remainder of the year and they still win 90 games. So the broadcaster who said Lou Piniella could begin working on his post season rotation was essentially right. Interestingly, two of the three Mariner pitchers who made it were relievers -- Jeff Nelson and Kazuhiro Sasaki, with Freddy Garcia being the sole Seattle starter.

The hometown fans, naturally, loved their hometown players and showed them with unabashed, enthusiastic applause. While Ichiro brought the house down, so did Edgar Martinez; if anything he got even more than Ichiro. Other winners on the Seattle applause meter were Ripken, of course, and Tony Gwynn, and, surprisingly after his earlier 2001 receptions in Seattle, Alex Rodriguez. A-Rod still got a few boos, but they were far outnumbered by the cheers. Some say there is no difference between the leagues anymore, what with the abolition of the NL and AL offices (another dumb idea, courtesy of Bud "Liteweight" Selig) and interleague play. In Seattle, anyway, the distinction is still clear: the most minor reserves on the AL squad got more applause than any NL player other than Gwynn. (and Randy Johnson, who was warming up in the bullpen. He has been gone long enough they have gotten over it and Mariner fans can't help but remember the 10 years he spent pitching in their city.)

I always like seeing the contrasting uniforms standing together before the game on the field. I also liked that Ichiro-san went over and shook the hand of opposing manager Bobby Valentine, who managed in Japan while Ichiro was there and was an influence on getting the popular player over here. Other pre-game notes: it's great how players from opposing teams shake hands and kid around as they line up. But when NL second baseman Jeff Kent went down the line, he barely touched teammate Barry Bonds' hand, while Bonds pointedly looked away. No love lost between these two. The most positive highlight of the pre-game activities, however, came just as the game was about to start.

Alex Rodriguez, who grew up a huge fan of Cal Ripken, and who was able to become a shortstop in part because Ripken made it acceptable for big men to play short, went over to his boyhood hero and invited him to play shortstop for the first inning. Ripken, if you recall, has played third base exclusively since 1997. You could see the confused emotions on Cal's face. He was bashfully honored; he didn't want to go against the votes; he wanted to please A-Rod, obviously moved by the gesture; he didn't know if he could handle shortstop. All this is a couple of seconds and then manager Joe Torre solved his quandary: he pointed Ripken to short. Hey, Cal, your manager told you to play short, so play short.

Ripken, in his last All Star Game, his mark. Humorously, in the first, for a guy known for his seriousness. That was when a Luis Gonzalez pop-up went right above the shortstop position -- and A-Rod scooted over there and hauled it in, to Ripken's obvious relief. Then, in Cal's first at bat, in the third inning, he smacked a home run, the game's first run and the only run until the fifth. When Ripken came up in the fifth, it was his final All Star at bat. He made an out, but even then his magic was in the air, for Jason Giambi was driven in by Ivan Rodriguez right after that final Ripken at bat. Even though he was then taken out of the game, he still made one more appearance. After he was taken out in the fifth, he was given the Historic Award, along with Tony Gwynn. For Rip, it was, of course, for the consecutive game streak, 2,632.

For Gwynn, it was his 8 batting titles (most in NL history) and his .338 lifetime average. Two of the greatest players ever. Question: No one, not Ruth or Cobb, not Musial or Williams, not Willie Mays or Mickey Mantle, Clemente, Aaron, none of them has ever been elected unanimously. Who are these sportswriters who think no one is good enough for the Hall? Tony and Cal won't get 100% either. In any case, it was really interesting watching the younger All Stars standing behind the two superstars and taking in the accolades and realizing, perhaps for the first time, what it means to have 3,000 hits and 400 homers, as Ripken does, or 18-straight .300-plus seasons, as Gwynn has. These young guys know how hard it is to hit .300 even once or twice. When the ceremony was done, they interviewed Ripken with A-Rod which was pretty exciting. A-Rod, the highest paid player of all-time, showed that he is still a pretty humble guy, when he said that he was only five-years old when he first heard of Cal Ripken and has been idolizing him ever since. One final Ripken deal. The trivia question was: Which players are left who were playing when Ripken came up as a rookie in 1983? That would be Jesse Orosco, Tim Raines. Rickey Henderson (Here's a thought: What if the cantankerous Rickey announces next year that 2002 is his final season? How would they work a show like this for him? They would have to give him the Historic Award for his stolen base record, and, likely, his all-time walk and runs scored record. ).

Gwynn wasn't in the game, being selected as an honorary all-star, but maybe even more so than Ripken, when he spoke, both receiving his award and in an interview right after, he was still the guy-next door Tony, who has always seemed to be a little in awe of the whole thing, even though he is clearly aware of his greatness. They lauded him for talking to the younger players and sharing some of his secrets to the up-and-coming good hitters. They asked him who he thought were some of the better ones and, kind of surprisingly, he mentioned Lance Berkman. He said it was partly because he was there when Berkman played his first big league game and Tony saw his first hit and first homer. He acknowledged that Berkman, who is tied for the NL led in hitting with Moises Alou at .362, is a student of the game, has learned a lot in a few short years. The other player mentioned by Gwynn was a real surprise: Johnny Rollins of the Phillies. Gwynn was impressed by Rollins' confidence, also by the fact that he is eager to learn. Note to Rollins: Get a smaller hat. The one you has is so big, it looks like a Little Leaguer who had to wear his older brother's cap.

While they interviewed Ripken and Gwynn, they didn't have the camera on the field, where Jeff Kent was busy scoring on a hit by Ryan Klesko. I just told you I enjoyed the special ceremony and the interviews, but couldn't they have waited on the interviews until after the game. Some of us still like to watch the damn game! Ted Williams counts the homer he hit to win an All Star game among his greatest thrills in baseball. Back in those days they wouldn't have taken the camera away from the field while the game was being played. So even though the All Star game is exciting, it does not carry the same weight as it used to. Back in 1957, when I first watched one, you didn't hear about players taking a bye, like some of them do now. "Oh, sure, it's a great honor, but I would rather have those three days off." Would Bob Gibson have said that? Carlton Fisk? I don't think so.

Meanwhile, in the top of the sixth, with Vladimir Guerrero at the plate and Tommy Lasorda coaching third (don't ask me what he was doing out there, since he has not been on a major league payroll for half a decade or so), the bat got away from Guerrero and knocked Lasorda right on his gold medal. Lasorda, naturally, hammed it up and rolled back. His old buddy Don Zimmer, who came up with Lasorda in who came up with Lasorda in the Dodger organization in the early '50s, just looked out at him and made the classic gesture with his hands of "What the hell was that all about?"

In the bottom of the sixth Derek Jeter hit a homer. Then one of the rising stars who is still not getting his due, Magglio Ordonez, followed him with another solo shot, the fifth time that back-to-back homers have occurred during an All Star contest. The pitcher in both cases with John Lieber of the Cubs. Lieber is one of the three fine Cub starters keeping them in first place -- and leading the NL in fewest homers allowed. But not today, and it was especially sweet for Ordonez, of the struggling White Sox of the south side of Chicago, smacking one off the swaggering north side Cubs' pitcher. Score at the end of six: 4-1, American League.

As the game progressed, it was pretty much watching the players you are interested in. I always like looking at Charles Johnson. Piazza is of course a better hitter, although Charles has improved over the years, but Charles is the best defensive catcher in the game, maybe the best I have ever seen. Ivan Rodriguez is probably the best all-around catcher, because he is a great hitter and great on defense. He no doubt has the best throwing arm, but all around, especially with incredibly fancy footwork for a big man, Johnson is the best defensive catcher around.

It was also a treat watching Albert Pujols, 20-years old. This time last year he was in single A Peoria, then finished it making a great run with Memphis at the end of the season. It so happened that the Cards, who once thought Fernando Tatis was their third sacker of the early 21st century, had given up on Tatis just as Pujols appeared to be ready. The move worked as Pujols has become the Rafael Furcal of 2001; last year Furcal was an under-21 All Star. Pujols was barely out of diapers when Ripken was a rookie. You gotta love the continuity of this game.

Tidbit: Christian Guzman of the Twins is earning the nickname "Mr. Triples." In an era when 10 triples is excellent, Guzman hit 20 triples last year and has 13 so far. I don't recall the last time anyone hit 20 triples in consecutive years, but it's been a while. As the game progresses, the managers try to work as many players as possible into the game. Probably half of them will never be in another one--some nearing the end of their careers, others having career years. One who may see a few more is another rookie, Ben Sheets, the hard-throwing Brewers' right-hander. He pitched the 8th for the NL, 1-2-3. His teammates then came up for the top of the 9th, their final chance, still trailing 4-1. Seattle's closer, Sasaki took the mound for the Americans. The potpourri of an NL lineup brought up Brian Giles, Sean Casey and Cliff Floyd. Sasaki induced Giles to ground out, then Casey got out . And so it was up to Cliff Floyd, embroiled last week in a controversy with NL manager Bobby Valentine whether or not Floyd should be on it. He got two at bats, made outs both times, the final one a roller to first. The AL won its fifth straight, and 11th of 14. Freddy Garcia won it. Final score 4-1.

Oh. P.S. -- Cal Ripken, who hit the homer that put the AL ahead, was selected the 2001 All Star Game's MVP.