ALL-STAR NOTES : AL Chalks Up Win in Home Run Derby; Piazza Goes 0 for 10

Mark Langston, the Angel left-hander who starts for the American League in tonight’s 64th All-Star game, described Oriole Park at Camden Yards as a “serious hitter’s park--no ifs, and or buts about it.”

Couldn’t prove that by Mike Piazza, the Dodger catcher, but Ken Griffey Jr. and Juan Gonzalez underscored Langston’s view during Monday’s annual All-Star home run contest.

Gonzalez, the Texas Rangers’ left fielder, and Griffey, the Seattle Mariner center fielder, set distance records as they led an American League team that included Cecil Fielder and Albert Belle to a 21-12 home run victory over a National League team of David Justice, Bobby Bonilla, Barry Bonds and Piazza.

Piazza, in 10 swings against a Baltimore batting practice pitcher, failed to reach the seats.

“It was kind of embarrassing, but what are you going to do,” Piazza said. “You’re only as good as your pitcher, and the guy wasn’t around the plate. I couldn’t develop any rhythm against him. He should be starting for someone.”

Griffey and Gonzalez each hit seven out in 10 swings, then tied at four each in an individual playoff before Gonzalez won a three-swing second round, 1-0.

Gonzalez also had two firsts--a shot estimated at 470 feet off the green hitter’s eye in dead center and another off the third-deck facade, which is about six stories high and 450 feet from the plate.

Griffey became the first to hit the warehouse behind the elevated right-field bleachers, on a drive estimated at 445 feet.

Piazza could laugh later and say he would work on regaining his form during batting practice tonight.

“I don’t want to go into another two-week slump where I’m trying to pull everything,” he said, adding that he will spend the early innings tonight in the bullpen, attempting to gain insight into Steve Avery, Bryan Harvey and the NL’s other pitchers.

“I don’t expect to gain an edge, but every little bit helps,” he said.

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Some have portrayed this All-Star game as a battle between the National League and Toronto Blue Jays.

Besides John Olerud, Roberto Alomar and Joe Carter, winners of the fan voting, American League Manager Cito Gaston of Toronto selected four other Blue Jays--Devon White, Pat Hentgen, Duane Ward and Paul Molitor. Four of the first five hitters in the AL lineup are Blue Jays.

Gaston doesn’t apologize, although he has been criticized for naming seven of his own and leaving off Detroit Tiger catcher Mickey Tettleton, who leads the majors with 24 homers and has 73 runs batted in, only four fewer than Fielder.

“I took six world champions and one Hall of Famer (Molitor),” he said of the Blue Jays. “I don’t think I have to apologize to anyone.

“I’ve been criticized for years--especially in Toronto. The one thing about (managing) is that you’re going to be criticized. You can’t satisfy everyone.”

Gaston suggested that Tettleton was victimized by the rule requiring one player from every team. He selected another catcher, Terry Steinbach, as the Oakland Athletics’ only representative.

Gaston said he would favor expanding All-Star rosters from 28 to 32.

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With five left-handed hitters in the NL lineup, Gaston was determined to start a left-handed pitcher and chose Langston (9-3 with a 2.82 earned-run average) when New York Yankee Manager Buck Showalter asked him not to use Jimmy Key (11-2, 2.31 ERA) for more than an inning.

Key is scheduled to start Thursday for the Yankees, who are only a game behind the Blue Jays in the AL East and have already penciled in their entire second-half rotation, with Key scheduled to start twice against Toronto, his former team.

Gaston said that with only nine pitchers, he wanted his starter to go two innings. He said he would probably use Key for an inning at some point, insisting that he wasn’t upset by Showalter’s request.

“I hope that if I’m ever in the same situation, the All-Star manager will show me the same respect,” Gaston said. “The All-Star game is important, but the ultimate is the playoffs and the World Series. No manager is going to alter his rotation just so a pitcher can work in the All-Star game.”

The Angels had already decided to give Langston extra rest, and he is not scheduled to start again until Saturday.

Said Key of his inability to start the All-Star game: “I’m disappointed, but the Yankees own me. My responsibility is with the Yankees.”

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Langston’s record would be better if the Angels’ bullpen, which has blown eight saves in all, hadn’t blown five of them after inheriting Langston leads.

Coincidentally, Bryan Harvey, the former Angel closer, is here as a National League All-Star and ace of the Florida Marlins’ bullpen.

The Angels exposed Harvey to the expansion draft, allegedly because they had doubts about his surgically repaired elbow. Harvey believes they simply didn’t want to pick up the $10.25 million remaining on his contract.

With 25 saves in 27 opportunities, he said he is close to his 48-save consistency of 1991 and that it is an “awesome feeling” to make an All-Star team after the way the Angels explained his departure.

“They said quite a few things they didn’t need to say, but that’s fine, it’s all over,” Harvey said. “I left quite a few friends there, and I’m still rooting for them.”

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In a review of All-Star memories with Jim Palmer, Frank Robinson and Brooks Robinson, the Baltimore Sun asked about Pete Rose’s 1970 home plate collision with catcher Ray Fosse and drew some interesting responses.

Palmer: “Cheap shot. Had no reason to do it. Didn’t have to. People have rationalized that hit, saying that’s the style Pete played. But he didn’t have to hit Fosse like he did.”

Frank Robinson: “That’s my feeling, too. It was unnecessary. He didn’t have to do it that way. If I’d done that, they’d have been calling for me to be lynched. But because it was Pete, they brushed it off.”

Brooks Robinson: “I don’t feel the way they do. To me, that’s baseball. Rose was there, Fosse was there, and he got him. That’s all.”

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Joe Rudi hit a three-run homer against Gaylord Perry as the American League rallied to beat the National League, 4-2, in the All-Star old-timers’ game.

Dave Parker put the NL ahead in the first inning with a sacrifice fly, but the AL came back with four runs in the fourth inning.

Former Oriole Elrod Hendricks hit a run-scoring single against Perry, Al Bumbry singled and Rudi lined a three-run homer into the left-field seats at Camden Yards.

Reggie Jackson, who hit a grand slam against Bob Gibson in last year’s All-Star old-timers’ game at San Diego, was on deck at the time.

Rudi said he felt euphoric as the ball sailed into the seats.

“After the first swing, I took a deep breath,” he said. “I can’t believe I hit one. I usually don’t do too well in these things. I don’t swing a bat lot.”

Parker lined a home run to right field against Rollie Fingers in the fifth and final inning.

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The 56 All-Stars will earn a combined $148 million in salaries this year, an average of $2.64 million a player. Thirty-seven of the 56 will receive All-Star bonuses totaling more than $1.4 million.