No midsummer classic for Nomar

Boston teammate Vaughn may not play in All-Star Game

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Posted: Wednesday July 01, 1998 11:23 PM

Garciaparra hit .328 in June and has a 22-game hitting streak heading into Thursday (Peter J. Taylor/Allsport)

BOSTON (AP) -- Mo Vaughn's strained hamstring could keep him out of the All-Star Game, leaving pitchers Pedro Martinez and Tom Gordon -- but not shortstop Nomar Garciaparra -- to represent the Boston Red Sox in Denver next week.

Vaughn, who was chosen as a reserve on Wednesday by American League manager Mike Hargrove, has not played since he pulled up lame on Friday night. Vaughn is considered day-to-day.

"If it was right now, I'd be sitting home," Vaughn said. "I've been to All-Star games before. If it's better for me to sit down and take three days to make sure I'm ready to go to Baltimore [to start the second half], I'm going to do that."

After an off-season marked with turmoil over contract negotiations and an arrest and trial for drunken driving -- he was acquitted -- the former AL MVP is hitting .327 with 21 homers and 56 RBIs.

He has never been voted as the All-Star starter, though he did start and go 1-for-3 in 1996 when Frank Thomas was injured. He went 0-for-2, striking out twice, in 1995.

"The main thing is that it's great to be selected, especially after my whole winter," he said before Wednesday's game against Montreal, the fourth he has missed due to injury this season. "A lot of people said a lot of things."

Martinez, who has a 10-2 record with a 3.02 ERA this year, will make his third consecutive All-Star appearance. In each of the past two years, he pitched one scoreless inning for the National League while representing Montreal.

"I'm just really happy," said Martinez, who was traded to Boston last winter and given a six-year, $75 million contract that makes him the highest-paid player in baseball history. "I'm really excited, especially in my first year with the Boston Red Sox and in the American League."

Gordon's selection comes less than a year after he was converted from a starting pitcher to closer. Since last August, he has converted 35 of 38 save opportunities.

"I've always believed that I've had the stuff, but I couldn't figure out why I was up and down, up and down, and I couldn't find the consistency," he said. "It's been a learning experience for me."

Left off the team was shortstop Garciaparra, last year's AL Rookie of the Year. He was a victim of a strong field at shortstop, with New York's Derek Jeter, Seattle's Alex Rodriguez and Cleveland's Omar Vizquel all being selected over Garciaparra.

"It doesn't bother me. Why worry about that stuff. I don't go out there and play to make an All-Star Game," he said. "Last year was a great experience. I enjoy it. And I take it for what it was worth."

Related information
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1998 Batting Leaders Red Sox 1998 Batting Stats
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