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| Tuesday, July 11 | |||||
| Monday's All-Star notebook ESPN.com | |||||
| ATLANTA -- Jeff Kent is here. So is Edgardo Alfonzo and Jose Vidro. On the other hand, Luis Castillo isn't here. Neither is Craig Biggio, Quilvio Veras, Pokey Reese or Jay Bell. In other seasons, those guys would be All-Stars, but not in 2000.
Second base in the National League is the most talent-laden position in baseball. Just ask Greg Maddux. He has to face all these guys.
"Defense wins championships, right?" Maddux said with a wink and a grin Monday when asked about all the hard-hitting second basemen. "It used to be just (Ryne) Sandberg. But now you've got Alfonzo, Vidro, Kent ... these guys can all hit."
Healthy enough to finally get a chance to play every day, Colorado Rockies outfielder Jeffrey Hammonds was named to the NL team this year because other top players are hurt. "It's ironic that it took an injury, but if that's what it is going to take ... I'm going to enjoy it," said Hammonds, a late replacement for an injured Barry Bonds. Hammonds learned of his first All-Star selection during the eighth inning of Sunday night's game in Anaheim and had to quickly plan to travel to Atlanta. "I didn't have any plans so I didn't have to call anyone and cancel anything," said Hammonds, who arrived in Atlanta on Monday morning with fellow Rockies All-Stars Todd Helton and Jeff Cirillo. Going into the All-Star Game, the joy of Hammonds' .357 average, 14 home runs and 65 RBI was tempered somewhat by the Rockies' seven-game losing streak. Hammonds, acquired by the Rockies before the season in the Dante Bichette trade, is in the final year of his contract, but he has not broached the subject of a contract extension with the Rockies. His agent, Jeff Moorad, said they would prefer to wait until the end of the season. Hammonds is a former 1992 No. 1 pick of the Baltimore Orioles, where he spent six injury-filled seasons before being traded to Cincinnati last season. He's a big hit The major league record for hits in a single season is 257, set by St. Louis Browns first baseman George Sisler back in 1920. Well, Darin Erstad has already piled up 144 hits in Anaheim's 87 games, which means he's on pace for the incredible sum of 268 hits. When asked about Erstad's chances of breaking Sisler's 80-year-old record, Derek Jeter responded: "A lot of things have to happen. You have to lead off. Your teammates have to hit. And you can't walk." (That Derek Jeter, he's a pretty sharp guy.) By the way, Jeter also said of Erstad, "How many walks does he have, two or three?" Erstad actually has 37, which isn't bad at all. Also, Erstad has the most hits at the All-Star break since Ralph Garr had 149 in 1974. Garr finished with 214. He's a big hit, too Kansas City's Mike Sweeney earned on All-Star nod with some huge numbers -- .360 average, 78 RBI. Sweeney came up through the minors as a catcher and spent time there in the big leagues before shifting to first base. "The transition to first base has given me a chance to have more at-bats," he said. "I don't feel it's the reason I've become the hitter I've become, but it's easier when you play every day rather than three or four days a week. And it's a little easier when you don't have to worry about going out to the mound all the time and babying a pitcher." So how would Sweeney feel about catching again? "When I got to spring training this year, Tony (Muser) told me to throw away my catching gear, but I am our third catcher. And if he ever wants me to catch again, I'd be thrilled." Right here, buddy Maddux pulled out of the All-Star Game after getting hit in the shoulder in batting practice Saturday, but was a willing participant in Monday's interview sessions (that's where we got all these quotes). One wise reporter asked him how his shoulder felt. Maddux, who always seems to have a devilish grin on his face like the 5-year-old kid who found out how to climb onto the cupboard and steal mom's cookies, looked at the reporter -- and then hit him (gently) on the shoulder. "Ever get hit in the AC joint?" Maddux asked. "It's sore for a day or two and then you're fine." The reporter didn't ask a follow-up question. Just awalkin' down ... The Oakland Athletics make their living by hitting home runs and drawing walks. We asked Jason Giambi about Terrence Long, who never showed any plate discipline in the minors but has shown decent patience since joining the Athletics this spring. Is Long's newfound discipline a result of pressure from the managerial staff, or have his teammates been giving him a crash course? "Lots of our guys take walks," Giambi said. "Terrence is a great young talent. He constantly wants to learn and he asks a lot of questions, kind of like I did with Mark (McGwire) when I played with him. And I think Terrence sees the success of the guys around him, and it has an effect." Long has picked a good teacher in Giambi, who leads the majors with 78 walks and ranks second in the AL in on-base percentage (behind Carlos Delgado). Mr. Met vs. Homer the Brave At one point during Monday's pre-derby warmups, many of baseball's mascots were frollicking around in the outfield. (Well, we think they were frollicking; there may be another term in Mascot language we don't know about.) Well, Mr. Met (he has a big baseball for a head) and Homer the Brave (he has a little baseball for a head) were frollicking together. Fans in the bleachers starting booing -- presumably because their mascot was fraternizing with the sworn enemy. They tried to goad Homer into a little brawl match. Homer was playing the good mascot and gave Mr. Met a big hug. More boos. But as the two mascots walked away, Homer gave Mr. Met a little shove. Cheers. And now batting for the NL ... Joe Girardi an All-Star? It's not as preposterous as it sounds. With Mike Piazza out, the National League needed a catcher. In the media room Monday night, the running joke was that Girardi was "the first catcher who answered the phone," but who else would you take? Javy Lopez is already in Puerto Rico for the holiday. Todd Hundley has family concerns. So who does that leave? Henry Blanco or Wikki Gonzalez? Tony Eusebio or Paul Bako? Chris Widger or Eddie Taubensee? No, no, and no. The obvious competition is between Girardi, who's hitting .302, and Colorado's Brent Mayne, who's hitting a Coors-aided .319. And Girardi, apparently, answered the phone first. | ALSO SEE The Big Hurt: An All-Star trivia quiz | ||||