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Stealing the show Ripken leads AL to fifth consecutive All-Star victory
Updated: Wednesday July 11, 2001 8:43 PM
SEATTLE (AP) -- Cal Ripken stepped out of the batter's box and waved his helmet while the whole ballpark cheered, thanking him for the memories. And with his next swing, he gave fans yet one more thrill. Ripken upstaged Ichiro Suzuki, Barry Bonds and every other big name at the All-Star Game, hitting a home run and winning the MVP award in his final appearance to lead the American League to a 4-1 victory against the Nationals on Tuesday night. "It's just been a great deal of fun my whole career. The All-Star games, I've been able to go to a whole lot of them, but this is by far the most special," Ripken said. What began as a trip down memory lane -- Ripken started at shortstop, at Alex Rodriguez's suggestion -- wound up with him taking a glorious trip around the bases. "When you know it's your last one and you know that there will be no more, you tend to look around and take it in and appreciate it," he said. His homer easily was the best moment in a game that saw Roger Clemens finally face Mike Piazza. There was no drama there, though someone was later hit by the shattered barrel of a bat -- NL honorary manager Tommy Lasorda. Derek Jeter and Magglio Ordonez connected for consecutive home runs as the AL won its fifth in a row. Suzuki, the most popular player in Seattle these days, singled and stole a base as the AL cut its deficit in the all-time series to 40-31-1.
But, it was Ripken's night. At 40, Ripken supplanted Stan Musial as the oldest player to homer in an All-Star Game. Ripken also became the first AL player to win two All-Star MVP trophies, his other coming in 1991 when he also homered. After stepping out to acknowledge a standing ovation, Ripken hit Chan Ho Park's first pitch of the third inning over the left-field fence. "I swung and made good contact and the ball went out of the ballpark and I felt like I was flying around the bases," Ripken said. Tony Gwynn, who will retire with Ripken after this season, applauded from the opposing dugout. NL pitcher Curt Schilling caught the moment on his camcorder and NL third baseman Chipper Jones clapped into his glove as Ripken rounded the bag that had been stamped with his No. 8. Ever humble, Ripken had to be coaxed out of the dugout by the sellout crowd of 47,364 at Safeco Field for a curtain call. Even a freight train running on the tracks beyond the center-field wall seemed to sound a tribute to baseball's old blue eyes -- a two-horn blast right after the Baltimore third baseman homered. "When he hit that ball, I said, "Oh, wow!'" Gwynn said. "There's really only a couple of people in this game who could do that. "It happened on his night," he said. Later, the game was stopped as every All-Star player joined commissioner Bud Selig in a six-minute ceremony before the sixth inning to say goodbye to Ripken and Gwynn. Highlights of their careers were shown on the scoreboard, which flashed, "Thanks Cal and Tony." "It's been a great run," Ripken told the fans. Two years ago, in baseball's last All-Star lovefest, Ripken and Gwynn supported Ted Williams when he threw the first ball at Fenway Park. A fitting farewell, for sure, for Ripken. Many credit him for saving baseball after a strike wiped out the 1994 World Series, punctuated by him breaking Lou Gehrig's consecutive games record. His brown hair now turned gray, Ripken played in his 18th All-Star Game and spent the final innings watching from the dugout with his 7-year-old son, Ryan. Ripken's first All-Star Game came in 1983, when Johnny Bench and Carl Yastrzemski played for the last time. Gwynn, added as an honorary member, did not get to hit. The eight-time NL batting champion from San Diego said he was more than content to follow the festivities from the dugout. Freddy Garcia, one of a record eight Seattle players who appeared in the game, was the winning pitcher and teammate Kazuhiro Sasaki completed the three-hitter and got the save. Park took the loss. Ivan Rodriguez singled home an unearned run in the AL fifth off Mike Hampton. Jeter, part of the new breed of shortstops who have carried on Ripken's lineage, and Ordonez homered off Jon Lieber in the sixth. Ryan Klesko hit a sacrifice fly in the sixth for the NL's run. Right before the first pitch, Alex Rodriguez surprised his mentor by suggesting to Ripken that they switch positions for the first inning. Rodriguez had to playfully shove Ripken toward a spot he had not played since Sept. 1, 1997. "That started with A-Rod," AL manager Joe Torre said. "He came up with this idea and said, 'What do you think?' And I said, 'I think it's dynamite.'" Ripken did not make any plays, and switched back with Rodriguez the next inning. "It was great seeing the game from shortstop again," Ripken said. In the second inning, Clemens and Piazza faced each other for the first time since last season's confrontations. Piazza missed the All-Star Game after being beaned by Clemens, then had the Rocket throw the jagged barrel of a broken bat in his direction in the Subway Series. Then in the sixth, Vladimir Guerrero's bat shattered and flew toward the third-base coaching box, where it hit Lasorda in the left hip. Lasorda tumbled over backward, but came up smiling to the cheers of the crowd and the laughs of AL coach Don Zimmer. Bonds ran out and tried to put a catcher's chest protector on Lasorda, who managed Los Angeles from 1977-96. "It didn't hurt me," Lasorda said. Notes: Randy Johnson started for the NL in place of Schilling, who pulled himself after pitching seven innings Sunday. ... Willie Mays, Gary Carter and Steve Garvey each won two All-Star MVP awards. ... Torre of the Yankees is 4-0 as an All-Star manager. ... Jeter, the MVP last July, was the first Yankees player to homer in an All-Star Game since Yogi Berra in 1959.
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