All-Star Game: NL Starters and Pitchers; AL Pitchers : Hernandez Surprised; Fernando, Witt Named

Unseating 10-time All-Star Steve Garvey from the starting first base position on the National League team for Tuesday night’s All-Star game was not easy. And for Keith Hernandez it was also unexpected.

Hernandez was one of three New York Mets selected in fan balloting to the starting team for the game at Houston, according to results announced Thursday.

The pitching staffs for both leagues were also named by Managers Whitey Herzog of the St. Louis Cardinals and Dick Howser of the Kansas City Royals. Fernando Valenzuela of the Dodgers will be on the National League team for the sixth straight year, and Mike Witt of the Angels will be an American League All-Star for the first time.

Hernandez said: “I’ve been watching this with quite a bit of interest the last 10 days. I don’t want to get into a lot of detail about why, but I am surprised.”

Hernandez was one of the players who, during last year’s federal drug trials in Pittsburgh, admitted to using drugs. He was the only player of 21 censured by Baseball Commissioner Peter Ueberroth for previous drug use to be voted to a starting position on either the NL or AL teams.

Since the trial, Hernandez has been booed in many parks. But his .286 average with 6 homers and 36 runs batted in were good enough to get him 995,279 votes, 137,000 more than Garvey, who was the first NL player to receive more than 4 million votes (in 1977) and the only player ever to be voted in as a write-in (in 1974).

Joining Hernandez in the NL starting lineup were outfielder Darryl Strawberry and catcher Gary Carter of the Mets. Herzog has said he will start Met pitcher Dwight Gooden, who will be joined by Met left-hander Sid Fernandez on the NL’s pitching staff.

Strawberry, who will start in the outfield beside Atlanta’s Dale Murphy and San Diego’s Tony Gwynn, was the leading vote-getter for the National League.

Strawberry attracted 1,619,511 votes, most in the majors and more than 135,000 ahead of the next most popular player in the fan balloting--Carter.

Also selected to the starting team were second baseman Ryne Sandberg of Chicago, shortstop Ozzie Smith of St. Louis and third baseman Mike Schmidt of Philadelphia.

Other NL pitchers selected were Houston’s Mike Scott and Dave Smith, Cincinnati’s John Franco, Montreal’s Jeff Reardon, Philadelphia’s Shane Rawley, Pittsburgh’s Rick Rhoden and San Francisco’s Mike Krukow.

The AL, which has lost 14 of the last 15 All-Star games, will start rookie Wally Joyner of the Angels at first base, Lou Whitaker of Detroit at second, Cal Ripken of Baltimore at shortstop, George Brett of Kansas City at third base, Lance Parrish of Detroit at catcher and Rickey Henderson and Dave Winfield of New York and Kirby Puckett of Minnesota in the outfield.

Howser has said he wants to start Boston pitcher Roger Clemens against Gooden. The other American League pitchers named Thursday were Baltimore’s Don Aase, Cleveland’s Ken Schrom, Detroit’s Willie Hernandez, Milwaukee’s Ted Higuera, the Yankees’ Dave Righetti and Texas’ Charlie Hough.

The reserves for both leagues will be named today.

Strawberry was hitting .295 with 13 home runs and 45 runs batted in through Wednesday. He is the first NL player ever to start All-Star games in his first three full seasons in the major leagues.

Yankee outfielder Joe DiMaggio, Minnesota and California infielder Rod Carew, and Minnesota outfielder Tony Oliva were the only players to accomplish the feat in the American League.