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SEATTLE -- He may have been named the National League's starting pitcher. He may have attended the slam-bang, nationally televised All-Star Game Press Conference Extravaganza. His name may have been posted on the giant ceremonial lineup card.
But despite all that, Curt Schilling decided Tuesday he wasn't up to starting the All-Star Game. So pencil in the tallest ex-Mariner on earth -- and Schilling's teammate in Arizona -- Mr. Randy Johnson as the NL starter.
Johnson, an eight-time All-Star, opposes Roger Clemens of the Yankees. The pair are among only three pitchers ever to strike out 20 in the first nine innings of a game, joined by Kerry
Wood of the Cubs. Johnson accomplished the feat earlier this season in a game that went into extra innings.
It is the fourth start in an All-Star game for Johnson. He opened for the American League in 1995 at Texas, and in 1997 at Cleveland, then was the National League starter last year at Atlanta's Turner Field.
Johnson is 11-5 this season with a 2.71 ERA, third in the NL behind Greg Maddux (2.41) and John Burkett (2.49) of Atlanta. The left-hander leads the major leagues with 202 strikeouts; Schilling is second with 160.
Clemens, who turns 39 next month, and Johnson are 1-2 on the career strikeout list among active players. Clemens is fifth on the career list at 3,626 and Johnson is 10th at 3,242.
Schilling threw 101 pitches Sunday for the Diamondbacks in a grueling 2-1 loss to Oakland. So even as he was tossing out words like "lucky" and "honored" Monday to describe how he felt about being named the starting pitcher by NL manager Bobby Valentine, he was already having second thoughts about cranking it back up for the All-Star Game on one day's rest.
"I'd made up my mind last night," Schilling said Tuesday afternoon. "It's a cliché, but the team really did come first here. I've got to pitch Friday in Anaheim, and that start is more important than an inning tonight."
Schilling did head out to Safeco Field early in the day Tuesday to do some light throwing and make sure he was making the right decision. But by 3½ hours before game time, he and Valentine had already announced they had passed the baton to Johnson.
Normally, pitchers who go seven innings the Sunday before the All-Star Game are almost never nominated as the starter. In fact, Joe Torre said he didn't even consider pitchers who were working Sunday for the American League staff -- a factor that knocked Aaron Sele (10-1) and Brad Radke (10-4) clear off the team.
But Schilling (12-4, 3.20) said Valentine told him "he picked me because I deserved to start. So to me, that's just an honor, to be picked to represent your league as the starting pitcher."
And being the great baseball historian Schilling is, he understands the meaning of that honor.
"Only two of us in the sport can start the All-Star Game," he said. "And I'm lucky enough to be one of them. Believe me, I appreciate that."
But he also understands his team -- 3½ games up in the NL West -- comes first. And he has told friends that if there is any question at all about whether it would tax him to throw even an inning Tuesday, he won't.
Also fresh in his mind is the '99 All-Star Game in Boston, which he started for the National League opposite Pedro Martinez. He wound up on the DL a couple of weeks later and has wondered privately since whether it was a mistake to start that night.
But when asked Monday if he had any regrets about that game, Schilling said: "No. Just that I didn't pitch well. But I got to start for the National League in the last All-Star Game of the 20th century. That's the way I looked at it. Obviously, I was just mad at Pedro for setting an unbelievable standard that nobody could have lived up to. It was a thrill just to be there watching him. Unfortunately, I was pitching against him at the time."
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
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