It's a Brave New World for All-Star Pitching

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July 3, 1996 12 AM PT

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From Associated Press

NEW YORK — Those who claim the Atlanta Braves have the best pitching staff ever now have further proof. For the first time, four pitchers from one team were picked for the All-Star game.

Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, John Smoltz and Mark Wohlers were selected Tuesday by National League Manager Bobby Cox, who just happens to manage the Braves.

“You’ve got 150 pitchers in the league, you pick 10,” Cox said. “It’s impossible. Guys get mad at you, it lasts about a week. Other guys are happy.”

Smoltz (14-3) leads the majors in wins and has a 2.98 earned-run average for the defending World Series champions. Maddux is 8-5 with a 2.83 ERA and Glavine is 8-5 with a 2.62 ERA. Wohlers is fourth in the NL with 17 saves.

Atlanta, with six players, will have the largest group in Philadelphia on July 9--one more than Cleveland and Seattle. Fred McGriff was elected to start at first and third baseman Chipper Jones was chosen as a reserve.

Atlanta outfielder Ryan Klesko, who has 22 homers, was bypassed along with three other players in the top five: Sammy Sosa (26), Henry Rodriguez (25) and Andres Galarraga (22).

“I thought I was going, but I’m not, so what can I do?” Rodriguez said. “These things happen. Sammy Sosa’s not going and he’s leading the league in home runs. He must be disappointed too.”

Cox said he had an impossible task with the selections.

“I didn’t take Galarraga either--I felt horrible about that,” Cox said when asked about Rodriguez. “I didn’t take Klesko. Rodriguez deserves to be on it, but so does Klesko. So does Marquis Grissom.”

Cox will get a chance to add one of the outfielders, with San Diego’s Tony Gwynn sidelined for at last four weeks because of a minor Achilles’ tendon tear. Gwynn, voted into the starting lineup, was placed in a cast Tuesday and was to be put on the 15-day disabled list Wednesday.

St. Louis shortstop Ozzie Smith, who had only 89 at-bats and three extra-base hits going into Tuesday, was selected for the 14th time despite losing his starting job with the Cardinals to Royce Clayton. Smith, who missed the game because of an injury last year after he was elected to start, announced last month he will retire following the season.

“I can’t say enough about how appreciative I am that that many people would punch out my name on the ballot,” Smith said.

Philadelphia, the host team, has only one player on the NL roster: reliever Ricky Bottalico.

Baltimore outfielder Brady Anderson, who leads the majors with 28 home runs, was picked as an AL reserve and is likely to replace Ken Griffey Jr. in the starting lineup. Griffey will miss the game for the second straight year because of a wrist injury.

Cleveland pitchers Jose Mesa and Charles Nagy, and catcher Sandy Alomar were picked as reserves for the AL team, joining Indian teammates Albert Belle and Kenny Lofton, who were elected to start in the outfield.

“If we had 45 spots we would have got everybody on that deserved it,” said Indian Manager Mike Hargrove, manager of the AL team.

Infielders Edgar Martinez and Alex Rodriguez, catcher Dan Wilson and outfielder Jay Buhner were picked as reserves from the Mariners and join the sidelined Griffey, the top vote getter in fan balloting. Rodriguez, 20, was the youngest player picked.

Other NL pitchers are Kevin Brown and Al Leiter of the Marlins, Pedro Martinez of the Expos, Steve Trachsel of the Cubs and Todd Worrell of the Dodgers.

Todd Hundley of the Mets and Jason Kendall of the Pirates were selected as backup catchers.

Houston’s Jeff Bagwell, Montreal’s Mark Grudzielanek and Colorado’s Eric Young are among the backup infielders. Ellis Burks of the Rockies, Lance Johnson of the Mets and Gary Sheffield of the Marlins were chosen as backup outfielders.

The rest of the AL pitching staff includes Andy Pettitte and John Wetteland of the New York Yankees, Chuck Finley and Troy Percival of the Angels, Roberto Hernandez of the White Sox, Jeff Montgomery of the Royals and Roger Pavlik of the Rangers.

“I guess I’ve got to get my boat and put it back in the garage,” said Percival, who had planned on a vacation to Lake Havasu, which borders Arizona and Nevada.

Backup infielders include Travis Fryman of the Tigers, Chuck Knoblauch of the Twins, Mark McGwire of the Athletics and Mo Vaughn of the Red Sox.

Joe Carter of the Blue Jays and Greg Vaughn of the Brewers were selected as backup outfielders. Carter, who homered to end Toronto’s 1993 World Series victory over Philadelphia, expects to be booed at Veterans Stadium.

“If I was a betting man I would definitely bet yes,” Carter said. “I don’t think anyone will want to stand beside me.”

Among those not selected for the AL team were Boston’s Roger Clemens, the strikeout leader with 128; Red Sox outfielder Jose Canseco, tied for fourth with 24 homers; Milwaukee’s Kevin Seitzer, third with a .353 average; and Baltimore’s Mike Mussina, fourth in wins with a 10-5 record.

Those left off the NL team included the Dodgers’ Hideo Nomo, last year’s starting pitcher, and pitchers Kevin Ritz of Colorado and Shane Reynolds of Houston. Ritz and Reynolds are tied for second with nine wins.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

All-Star Game Rosters

Rosters for the 1996 All-Star game , to be played Tuesday at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia.

AMERICAN LEAGUE STARTERS

STARTERS

Catcher: Ivan Rodriguez, Texas

First Base: Frank Thomas, Chicago

Second Base: Roberto Alomar, Baltimore

Third Base: Wade Boggs, New York

Shortstop: Cal Ripken, Baltimore

Outfield: Albert Belle, Cleveland

Outfield: x-Ken Griffey, Seattle