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NL Locker Room Hometown All-Stars Brave in losing cause
Posted: Wednesday July 12, 2000 03:34 AM
By Lonny Krasnow, CNNSI.com ATLANTA -- When it comes to hometown heros, the All-Star Game has produced more than its share. Last year it was Boston Red Sox ace Pedro Martinez's dominant performance at Fenway Park. Indians catcher Sandy Alomar Jr. was MVP in Cleveland in 1997. Hank Aaron homered the last time the All-Star Game was in Atlanta. Tuesday night at Turner Field, four Atlanta Braves shined the brightest for an otherwise lackluster National League squad. Tom Glavine pitched a 1-2-3 fifth inning while Chipper Jones, Andres Galarraga and Andruw Jones combined to go 5-for-7 with a pair of RBIs. "They had really good nights," said manager Bobby Cox of his players. "Chipper's home run and then Galarraga's first at-bat, he lined out and singled in his second at-bat. Andruw knocked in a run [with a] line drive. Tommy had a good night. They carried themselves well." "It was fun," said Jones, who had three hits. "No matter what the outcome of the game, it's a fun time for everyone." Jones had the most historic moment of the evening, becoming only the third player in the last 31 years to homer during an All-Star Game in his home ballpark. "I was pretty relaxed," Jones said. "I feel pretty comfortable here in my home park. I hit well here. I got some pitches to hit and I didn't miss them." Galarraga went 1-for-2 and received huge ovations all night long. A year removed from his battle with cancer, the Big Cat is back on top of the baseball world. "This day is one of the best," gushed Galarraga. "Having cancer last year, coming back to play baseball in this group [of players and] getting my first hit today in the All-Star Game makes it more special." Andruw Jones was just as giddy about his first All-Star Game. "It was exciting, the crowed pumped me up. To come up with an RBI in your first All-Star at-bat was great. Some players go ten years before they get an RBI in an All-Star Game." Although his Braves did their part, Bobby Cox fell to 1-4 as a manager in the Midsummer Classic. But Cox can take solace in the fact that the last All-Star skipper to manage in his home ballpark -- the Yankees' Billy Martin in 1977 -- also lost, but then went on to lead his team to a World Series title.
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