ATLANTA - The cynics say we just cheer for uniforms, that loyalty doesn't exist anymore as players jump from team to team in search of the almighty dollar.
The cynics say greed rules the sport, that players perform for paychecks, not for a love of the game.
The cynics say the passion isn't like it was, that living and dying with your hometown team and your favorite players is a romantic illusion from days of old.
|  | | Andres Galarraga wears a big smile after being introduced prior to Tuesday's All-Star Game. |
Well, the cynics weren't in Atlanta on Tuesday night. Or if they were, they put away some of their crusty words, at least for a day.
By a quirk of fate -- something he has learned much about in the past 18 months -- Andres Galarraga became an All-Star starter, batting sixth in the National League lineup in front of his home fans. No Mark McGwire? The crowd at Turner Field didn't mind Big Mac's absence, not on this night.
When Galarraga's name was introduced during the pregame ceremonies, the cheering turned into a roar and then into a crescendo, like a stirring last movement of a Beethoven symphony.
Galarraga tipped his cap, his freckled gray hair a sign of his 39 years. He waved to the crowd. The smile on his face -- how to describe? His face wasn't big enough to contain it. It was a smile of thanks to the fans of Atlanta and to his fans in his native Venezuela -- and, really, to fans everywhere.
"Probably no words explain how happy, how excited I am feeling today," Galarraga said. "That's a great moment in my career in baseball -- to walk on the field with my kids, and the ovation (the crowd) gave to me. ... The opening day here in Atlanta this year was one of the best days in my career. Today is more special."
Living and dying with baseball? Yes, we still do. But Galarraga knows much more about this than most of us. Living? Galarraga has done much of it on the baseball field -- hitting home runs, stroking more than 2,000 hits, winning a batting title, playing in the postseason. He has made the rounds through the National League with Montreal, St. Louis, Colorado and Atlanta. He revived his career after failing miserably with the Cardinals. He has made five All-Star teams, won Gold Gloves, made a lot of money.
And dying? He's tasted that fate as well, as we all know. Last year, he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. He had cancer and it could kill him. He underwent chemotherapy and radiation treatments. He regained his strength. He returned to the game he loves, amazingly making the All-Star team when most players his age are rapidly declining -- let alone still productive after missing an entire season with cancer.
No more heroes in baseball? Tell that to the thousands who gave their thanks to Galarraga.
"I know I have been helping people, because I have been receiving a lot of letters and phone calls," Galarraga said. "A lot of people come to me and say they appreciate what I've been doing so far, to come back and play baseball. If it's not hero, I don't know what another word would be. I feel like I'm helping people, that is more important for me."
But there are two more names to talk about on this night. Dale Murphy, two-time MVP with the Braves in 1982 and 1983, was the honorary captain for the National League. Kids now in high school are too young to remember seeing Murphy play at his peak, when he was a big, strong center fielder who hit home runs, stole bases and tracked down fly balls in the gap. On Monday, Murphy was in his old Braves uniform, hanging around the National League clubhouse with a couple of his young sons. John Smoltz, his old Atlanta teammate, greeted him with a big hug. At 44, he was still "Murph," still possessing the boyish face.
When you talk to people around the game about Galarraga, you are constantly told what a good guy he is, how he's a respected leader in the clubhouse. You hear the same things about Murphy. Heck, he may have been the king of the good guys, an unselfish teammate who devoted many hours to serving his community. A devout Mormon, Murphy served his church upon retiring, recently finishing up a three-year stint as President of the Boston Mission of the Mormon Church.
Murphy didn't have an easy trek to superstar status. He came up through the minor leagues as a catcher with a rocket arm, but as a rookie he developed a block about throwing the ball accurately to second base. His hitting suffered, and a position change to first base and then center field ensued. He became the best player in the National League in the early '80s.
Outside of Turner Field, there is a statue of Hank Aaron in mid-swing, as befitting the all-time home run king. Aaron threw out the first pitch on Tuesday, waving to the loud applause. Aaron, of course, confronted the demons of racism as he chased Babe Ruth's home run record. He received hate mail and death threats during his pursuit.
But a black man from Mobile, Ala., did become a hero to white fans in the South -- as did a Mormon from Portland, Ore., and a slugger from Venezuela.
Is there a lesson in all this? Not really. Maybe it's just as simple as three men who overcame various obstacles to play baseball at a high level. Or a reminder that the tug-of-war of living pulls at each of us, every day, and that cheering for a baseball hero is a good thing to do once in awhile.
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AUDIO/VIDEO
 Alvaro Martin shows us the road that Andres Galarraga has traveled to get to this year's All-Star Game.
RealVideo: 28.8
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