Baseball Guru
07-04-2001, 04:04 PM
Four of 10 AL Pitchers From Yankees
by RONALD BLUM
AP Sports Writer
NEW YORK (AP) -- AL manager Joe Torre selected seven of his New York Yankees for next week's All-Star game, including four of the pitchers on his 10-man staff.
Starters Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte were selected Wednesday by Torre along with closer Mariano Rivera, setup man Mike Stanton, shortstop Derek Jeter, outfielder Bernie Williams and catcher Jorge Posada.
San Diego's Tony Gwynn, injured for much of the past 1½ years, wasn't picked for the NL team but was invited as a special guest. Gwynn, a 15-time All-Star, and Baltimore's Cal Ripken, a 19-time All-Star with his election to start at third for the AL, have said they will retire after this season.
While Torre took nearly one-third of the roster of the three-time defending World Series champions, who retook the AL East lead Tuesday, NL manager Bobby Valentine has just two players from the defending NL champion Mets, including Mike Piazza, elected to start at catcher.
''I didn't know they were taking seven guys when I submitted my list,'' Valentine said. ''I had so many things to think about that I probably would have discounted that. I only looked at the first half of the season being that it is this year's All-Star game.''
Freddy Garcia and Kazuhiro Sasaki of the Mariners also were picked for the AL staff by Torre, giving the host Mariners six players for Tuesday night's game at Safeco Field.
Eric Milton and Joe Mays of Minnesota are on the AL staff along with Anaheim's Troy Percival and Toronto's Paul Quantrill.
Other AL backup infielders picked were Cleveland's Roberto Alomar, Detroit's Tony Clark, Oakland's Jason Giambi, Anaheim's Troy Glaus, Minnesota's Cristian Guzman and Kansas City's Mike Sweeney.
Chicago's Magglio Ordonez and Tampa Bay's Greg Vaughn also were selected as backup outfielders.
Valentine took 11 pitchers: Atlanta's John Burkett, Colorado's Mike Hampton, Arizona's Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling, Chicago's Jon Lieber, St. Louis' Matt Morris, Los Angeles' Chan Ho Park and Jeff Shaw, Rick Reed of the Mets, Milwaukee's Ben Sheets and Houston's Billy Wagner.
Florida's Charles Johnson is the backup catcher and may start because Piazza has a broken toe.
Piazza hopes to return to the Mets' lineup as a designated hitter this weekend at Yankee Stadium and could be back behind the plate Tuesday.
''I would like to if I can,'' he said. ''We'll just see. I'm leaving everything open.''
Selected as the reserve infielders were Sean Casey of the Reds, Ryan Klesko and Phil Nevin of the Padres, Jimmy Rollins of the Phillies and Albert Pujols of the Cardinals.
Backup outfielders include Moises Alou and Lance Berkman of the Astros, Brian Giles of the Pirates, Vladimir Guerrero of the Expos and Larry Walker of the Rockies.
Valentine would have liked to pick more Mets.
''Some guys use it as a reward to your team by bringing guys to the All-Star game after they brought you to the World Series,'' he said. ''I looked at it that way. I wanted to bring all of my guys.''
Four Seattle players -- first baseman John Olerud, second baseman Bret Boone, outfielder Ichiro Suzuki and designated hitter Edgar Martinez -- will be in the AL starting lineup, which also includes Texas shortstop Alex Rodriguez, Ripken, Texas catcher Ivan Rodriguez, Boston outfielder Manny Ramirez and Cleveland outfielder Juan Gonzalez.
Elected to start for the NL were Colorado first baseman Todd Helton, San Francisco second baseman Jeff Kent and shortstop Rich Aurilia, Atlanta third baseman Chipper Jones, Piazza, San Francisco outfielder Barry Bonds, Chicago outfielder Sammy Sosa and Arizona outfielder Luis Gonzalez.
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"Man may penetrate the outer reaches of the universe, he may solve the very secret of eternity itself, but for me, the ultimate human experience is to witness the flawless execution of a hit-and-run."
LETS GO METS!!!
HELP BE AN ADDICT AND CLICK ON AN AD!!
by RONALD BLUM
AP Sports Writer
NEW YORK (AP) -- AL manager Joe Torre selected seven of his New York Yankees for next week's All-Star game, including four of the pitchers on his 10-man staff.
Starters Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte were selected Wednesday by Torre along with closer Mariano Rivera, setup man Mike Stanton, shortstop Derek Jeter, outfielder Bernie Williams and catcher Jorge Posada.
San Diego's Tony Gwynn, injured for much of the past 1½ years, wasn't picked for the NL team but was invited as a special guest. Gwynn, a 15-time All-Star, and Baltimore's Cal Ripken, a 19-time All-Star with his election to start at third for the AL, have said they will retire after this season.
While Torre took nearly one-third of the roster of the three-time defending World Series champions, who retook the AL East lead Tuesday, NL manager Bobby Valentine has just two players from the defending NL champion Mets, including Mike Piazza, elected to start at catcher.
''I didn't know they were taking seven guys when I submitted my list,'' Valentine said. ''I had so many things to think about that I probably would have discounted that. I only looked at the first half of the season being that it is this year's All-Star game.''
Freddy Garcia and Kazuhiro Sasaki of the Mariners also were picked for the AL staff by Torre, giving the host Mariners six players for Tuesday night's game at Safeco Field.
Eric Milton and Joe Mays of Minnesota are on the AL staff along with Anaheim's Troy Percival and Toronto's Paul Quantrill.
Other AL backup infielders picked were Cleveland's Roberto Alomar, Detroit's Tony Clark, Oakland's Jason Giambi, Anaheim's Troy Glaus, Minnesota's Cristian Guzman and Kansas City's Mike Sweeney.
Chicago's Magglio Ordonez and Tampa Bay's Greg Vaughn also were selected as backup outfielders.
Valentine took 11 pitchers: Atlanta's John Burkett, Colorado's Mike Hampton, Arizona's Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling, Chicago's Jon Lieber, St. Louis' Matt Morris, Los Angeles' Chan Ho Park and Jeff Shaw, Rick Reed of the Mets, Milwaukee's Ben Sheets and Houston's Billy Wagner.
Florida's Charles Johnson is the backup catcher and may start because Piazza has a broken toe.
Piazza hopes to return to the Mets' lineup as a designated hitter this weekend at Yankee Stadium and could be back behind the plate Tuesday.
''I would like to if I can,'' he said. ''We'll just see. I'm leaving everything open.''
Selected as the reserve infielders were Sean Casey of the Reds, Ryan Klesko and Phil Nevin of the Padres, Jimmy Rollins of the Phillies and Albert Pujols of the Cardinals.
Backup outfielders include Moises Alou and Lance Berkman of the Astros, Brian Giles of the Pirates, Vladimir Guerrero of the Expos and Larry Walker of the Rockies.
Valentine would have liked to pick more Mets.
''Some guys use it as a reward to your team by bringing guys to the All-Star game after they brought you to the World Series,'' he said. ''I looked at it that way. I wanted to bring all of my guys.''
Four Seattle players -- first baseman John Olerud, second baseman Bret Boone, outfielder Ichiro Suzuki and designated hitter Edgar Martinez -- will be in the AL starting lineup, which also includes Texas shortstop Alex Rodriguez, Ripken, Texas catcher Ivan Rodriguez, Boston outfielder Manny Ramirez and Cleveland outfielder Juan Gonzalez.
Elected to start for the NL were Colorado first baseman Todd Helton, San Francisco second baseman Jeff Kent and shortstop Rich Aurilia, Atlanta third baseman Chipper Jones, Piazza, San Francisco outfielder Barry Bonds, Chicago outfielder Sammy Sosa and Arizona outfielder Luis Gonzalez.
------------------
"Man may penetrate the outer reaches of the universe, he may solve the very secret of eternity itself, but for me, the ultimate human experience is to witness the flawless execution of a hit-and-run."
LETS GO METS!!!
HELP BE AN ADDICT AND CLICK ON AN AD!!