Suffering from expo-sure Day at a Glance: A long walk on All-Star Workout Day Click here for more on this story Posted: Monday July 12, 1999 04:57 PM   Fans can view Cy Young in all his bronze glory at the All-Star FanFest. AP By Bryan Boyle, CNN/SI BOSTON -- Monday is All-Star Workout Day, which calls for a brisk morning walk to the All-Star FanFest at the Hynes Convention Center. The line for entry stretches nearly all the way down a block of Boylston Street -- and for good reason, for FanFest is the best Expo since the Pedro Martinez trade. A walk under 100-foot hanging murals of Martinez and Nomar Garciaparra and through the threshold leads people of all ages into baseball bliss. FanFest is sensory overload to elicit smiles from the kids, and from the kid in all of us. An umpire on stilts calls a sliding tike "Safe!" The speakers blare memorable play-by-play calls. The vendors yell for attention. And the business for Boston's Land & Water Duck Tours suffers this week as a result. The first exhibit is the Major League Baseball Clubhouse Store, perfect one-top shopping for the fifth percentile yet to don any All-Star gear. The most popular items are the caricature T-shirts (sold out) and any T-shirt with a roster on it ($20), said national merchandise manager Nancy Willis. Also hot are the uniforms. The vest goes for $120 with a name ("Everything is Nomar, said Willis), $90 without. And the outfit is not complete without the official undershirt ($25). A quick browse reveals countless items ranging from the $3 pens, pennants and batting helmets to the $300 wool-body letterman jacket with leather sleeves. Outside the clubhouse door is the World of Baseball: From Australia to Zimbabwe. The display is set on a wall like a science-fair project with a budget. Four TVs highlight international baseball broadcasts. There are life-size cutouts of Sammy Sosa (Dominican Republic), Martinez (Dominican Republic), Vinny Castilla (Mexico), Bernie Williams (Puerto Rico) and Dave Nillson (Australia, where "more Australians play Tee-Ball than any other sport," reads the display). And there are assorted souvenirs ranging from Holland's national team jersey to Zimbabwe's national team cap. A turn to the left invites a stroll through a walkway and rotunda that display historic black-and-white photographs from The Brearley Collection that celebrate the game's legends. Another left turn brings about the National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum. Souvenirs are encased. A Rawlings representative carves a bat. And wandering the territory is Casey at the Bat, wearing a Curly-Q mustache, wayfarer spectacles, high-tops and, of course, the Mudville Nine uniform. Across the floor is the Professional Baseball: The Minor Leagues exhibit, which showcases caps from 160 minor league clubs from the Akron Aeros (Class AA, Eastern) to the Yakima Bears (Short Season A, Northwest). A large map helps you locate Akron and Yakima and places in-between to watch minor league baseball. Adjacent is The Negro Leagues exhibit. Lockers of former standouts and encased. And a monitor tells the tale of Jackie Robinson: "The day he signed, I knew I had a chance to play major league baseball," said Willie Mays. Around the corner is a corridor termed the All-Star Bazaar, which is more like the All-Star Bizarre. A vendor offers floppy Red Sox caps to folks interested in signing up for a credit card -- which, incidentally, comes in mighty handy at FanFest. Northeastern University sets up like it's a college fair. And people of all ages wait eagerly in line for a photo opportunity next to life-size cut-outs of Jar Jar and Darth Maul and Yoda -- in All-Star digs, of course. The Collector's Showcase awaits at hall's end, where goods from 3"x 5" baseball cards to 6' x 8' original paintings featuring baseball's heroes can be bought. Pins, dolls, pennants, too. Tucked around the corner is the Film Theater, which makes for a retreat for parents, judging from a quick look around. The movie-size screen features -- what else? -- baseball's greatest moments from past. And just next door is a convention hall that entertains the MLB Legends. Over 200 people wait for a chance to meet their favorite stars. "Now Signing," read the banner, "George Brett -- Chris Chambliss -- Rico Petrocelli." Then there's no where else to go but up, for that's just the first of two floors. Whew! What a workout. Bing, bang, boom Monday night's main event is the Home Run Derby. Garciaparra, Shawn Green, Ken Griffey Jr., Rafael Palmeiro and B.J. Surhoff take cuts for the AL. Jeff Bagwell, Jeromy Burnitz, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa and Larry Walker swing for the NL. The true measure of muscle at this event is interstate travel. The Massachusetts Turnpike sits 525 feet from home plate at Fenway Park, and nobody's yet to reach it. Should a blast avoid the Green Monster and its screen, light towers, signs, and a Landsdowne Street parking garage, McGwire and Sosa could take last year's home run race to dangerous speeds. Nomar the Terribly Popular Garciaparra is the toast of Boston this All-Star season. The vendors can't keep items featuring Nomar on the racks, and folks from 8 to 80 years old wear the wares proudly. Garciaparra takes the main stage Monday night in the Home Run Derby. Since last season, he's placed 37 of his 49 total homers to left or left-center. And of all the participants, nobody knows better how to send balls out of Fenway Park. Anticipate a powerful showing from the hometown hero. Fenway Fact The 37-foot wall in left field got its name, the Green Monster, after advertisements on the wall were covered with green paint in 1947. Fenway Folly The sum of the four retired Red Sox numbers displayed in right field -- 9 (Ted Williams), 4 (Joe Cronin), 1 (Bobby Doerr) and 8 (Carl Yastrzemski) -- is 22, Bill Buckner's number in his last season with the Red Sox. Buckner let a ball slip through his infamous legs in Game 6 of the 1986 World Series. Fenway Flavor Want to dress your Fenway Frank? Mosey on over to the Squeeze Please (Don't Pull) condiment dispenser. In remote corners by concession stands, Squeeze Please counters offer up three dangling rubber test tubes for just the right distribution of Heinz Ketchup, Guldens Mustard and Relish upon your sausage. Quote "That was probably the first place in the American League -- before all this came about in the National League -- that the fans came out to watch myself and Jose [Canseco, former A's teammate and Bash Brother] take batting practice and they were applauding and roaring. That's old-time stuff compared to what's going on now." Mark McGwire, on BP at Fenway Park Line For a brief opportunity to play Ken Griffey Jr.'s latest video game at FanFest, people wait in the on-deck circle for a half-hour. Ten All-Stars compete for the highest home run total, with any non-homer considered an out. Each batter gets 10 outs in the first round and the four players with the most first-round homers, not dependent on league affiliation, advance to round two. Each hitter gets 10 outs in the second round, with the top two finishers moving into the championship round, where each slugger gets five outs. The man with the most final-round homers wins. All-Star uniforms. With team and player names reading top-to-bottom, these get-ups are turning heads for the wrong reason. The Triangle. The dimension of dirt in right-center peaks 420 feet from home plate at Fenway Park, potentially denying a daring slugger Home Run Derby advancement. Again, the weather. It's yet another beautiful day for baseball, a "Splendid Stinter," according to The Boston Globe masthead: Bright sun, low 80s.   Related information Stories Day at a Glance: Futures take place of Legends Extra events spice up All-Star game Multimedia Click here for the latest audio and video Search our site Watch CNN/SI 24 hours a day Sports Illustrated and CNN have combined to form a 24 hour sports news and information channel. To receive CNN/SI at your home call your cable operator or DirecTV.

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