All Stars or Not? Not All Deserve to Be in Lineup

A guide to Tuesday’s All-Star game in San Diego won’t come any cheaper than this . . .

Ken Griffey Jr.: Seattle center fielder will be starting alongside catcher Sandy Alomar Jr. and shortstop Cal Ripken Jr. for the American League, otherwise known as the Junior Circuit.

Cal Ripken Jr.: His name was punched on 2,699,733 ballots, the highest total since Gary Carter in 1982. Once again, American League sportswriters really got out the vote.

Benito Santiago: Padre fans voted him into the starting lineup even though he’s been on the disabled list for six weeks. Maybe they just wanted the chance to say goodby.

Roberto Alomar, Sandy Alomar Jr., Carlos Baerga, Joe Carter, John Kruk, Bip Roberts, Ozzie Smith: Seven former Padres, seven current All-Stars. At least they won’t need directions to the park.

Gary Sheffield: But that’s not to say every Padre trade goes south.

Mark Langston: Here to remind everyone that the Angels are still in the American League. Here, occupying valuable roster space that could have gone to Cecil Fielder. Here because Bryan Harvey is hurt, Jim Abbott is 4-11, Dave Winfield is in Toronto and Rene Gonzales, the Angels’ real first-half MVP, is batting .253.

Dave Winfield: Not here because the All-Star rosters are too small and the American League has no sense of drama, pathos or poetry. Dave Winfield, 40, returning to San Diego 12 years later with a .303 average and his latest team in first place? Nah, we’d rather have Chuck Knoblauch.

Sandy Alomar Sr.: How about sending an Angel who deserves to be here? Nolan Ryan’s old second baseman fathered 25% of this year’s AL starting lineup. Who else has contributed as much to the game?

Barry Bonds, Andy Van Slyke: And Bobby Bonilla used to make three in the Pittsburgh outfield. Thirty million dollars bought Bonilla a ticket to New York, but not a connection to San Diego.

Darren Daulton, Tom Pagnozzi: The two-best catchers in the National League. Remember when they were named Johnny Bench and Manny Sanguillen.

Cecil Fielder: He hits 51 home runs and loses the 1990 MVP award to Rickey Henderson. He drives in 133 runs and loses the 1991 MVP award to Cal Ripken. He leads the majors today with 73 RBIs and can’t find a spot on the AL All-Star team. This Japan-bashing has to stop.

Jeff Montgomery: He’s 0-5, but the Royals had to send somebody.

Rick Aguilera: He’s 1-4, but his everyday manager, Tom Kelly, did the picking.

Robin Ventura, Edgar Martinez, Travis Fryman, Paul Molitor: In case Wade Boggs needs a breather at third.

Tom Kelly: American League manager who didn’t select Fielder, Winfield or 11-game winner Dave Fleming of Seattle. The Minnesota twin championships were amazing, all right, but this winning-without-the-best-talent thing could be getting unhealthy.

Bobby Cox: National League manager, resisted temptation to add Lonnie Smith as a pinch-runner.

Terry Pendleton: The 1991 National League MVP will start at third base, bringing a .300 average and 51 RBIs with him. And to think he was a free agent the same winter as Gary Gaetti. Ryne Sandberg: Seven million dollars buys a lot of votes.

Mark McGwire: Making his fifth consecutive start for the American League at first base. This time, he earned it.

Mike Sharperson: The Dodgers’ All-Star lineage tells all about the state of the franchise--Koufax, Drysdale, Wills, Garvey, Valenzuela, Guererro, Hershiser . . . and Sharperson. Fred Claire tries to look at the bright side. Tuesday night, the rest of the world finally learns that the Dodgers did get something for Juan Guzman.

Brady Anderson: He arrives just as soon as his alma mater, UC Irvine, jettisons baseball. A .286 average, 57 RBIs, 15 home runs, 28 stolen bases, a groundswell of American League MVP support, the best sideburns in the major leagues--all this, and an Anteater, too. It’s Irvine’s loss that there will never be another.

Charles Nagy: Along with Alomar Jr. and Baerga, he gives the Cleveland Indians a total of three All-Stars. That’s one more than NL West-leading Cincinnati and NL East-leading Pittsburgh and the same number as defending world champion Minnesota. So who gets the error on this one--Kelly, AL president Bobby Brown or Mike Hargrove, the man who has this juggernaut playing .402 ball?

Doug Jones: Even players Cleveland didn’t want are making it. Can hardly wait for expansion. Kevin Brown, Ruben Sierra, Ivan Rodriguez: Three Texas Rangers made it, too. Bobby Valentine may be merely the latest American to lose his job under Bush, but George W., co-owner of the Rangers, had his reasons.

Will Clark: I never know how to answer that.

Jose Canseco: And the purpose of his famed rendezvous at Madonna’s Manhattan apartment was to . . . offer batting tips? Because Madonna was in training for “A League of Their Own” and wanted to learn how to pull the ball? And, no, officer, Jose wasn’t driving over the legal speed limit, either.

Von Hayes, Gary Gaetti: National League All-Stars in 1993. According to the bylaws, Colorado and Florida will have to be represented.