Renteria Named NL Starter
Rogers, Penny picked as starting pitchers
Associated Press
July 10, 2006
Pittsburgh - Atlanta Braves shortstop Edgar Renteria was named Monday as a starter for the National League All-Star team. Mets shortstop Jose Reyes, voted in by fans to start, won't play Tuesday night because of a deep cut on his left pinkie.
Kenny Rogers, the Detroit Tigers' left-hander with the best record in the majors, will be on the mound for the AL on Tuesday night against Brad Penny of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Rogers will be trying to extend a nine-game AL unbeaten streak.
Meanwhile,
Rogers is 11-3 with a 3.85 ERA, while Penny is 10-2 with a 2.91 ERA. Rogers will be ready — he hasn't started since Wednesday, lasting 5 2-3 innings in a victory against Oakland.
"He's well-rested," AL manager Ozzie Guillen said of the decision to start Rogers.
Penny also made his last start Wednesday, allowing two runs in seven innings against Arizona, but also pitched one-third of an inning in relief Sunday in the Dodgers' 3-1 win over San Francisco.
Guillen was limited in his choices as three top AL starters pitched Sunday: the Blue Jays' Roy Halladay (12-2), the White Sox's Jose Contreras (9-0) and the Twins' Johan Santana (9-5).
"There's a lot of guys that deserve to start, but it was unfortunate they pitched yesterday," Rogers said.
Rogers will be throwing to his regular catcher, too, in Ivan Rodriguez — it will be the first time the Tigers have had the starting battery in an All-Star game. Rogers will be the first Tigers pitcher to start the All-Star game since Jack Morris at the Metrodome in 1985.
It was this time a year ago Rogers was under intense scrutiny for knocking down a cameraman during a videotaped tirade.
Rogers, then with the Rangers, was charged with a misdemeanor in Texas after videotape of the June 29 incident showed him walking onto Ameriquest Field in Arlington and pushing a television camera to the ground. He agreed to attend an anger management class to avoid further punishment.
"It was very difficult," Rogers said. "I'd be lying if I said it wasn't hard, but I think I grew up with it and it made me a little better. ... Every challenge in my life that's come my way, I try to take advantage of anything I can learn from it and try to be better."
NL manager Phil Garner, attending a news conference Monday morning in Pittsburgh less than 11 hours after a 7-5, 12-inning loss to the Cardinals in Houston, unveiled a batting order that finds the Nationals' Alfonso Soriano leading off and playing left field, followed by CF Carlos Beltran, Mets; 1B Albert Pujols, Cardinals; RF Jason Bay, Pirates; Renteria; 3B David Wright, Mets; 2B Chase Utley, Phillies; C Paul Lo Duca, Mets and Penny.
Bay will be out of position; he has played left field and center field for the Pirates but has almost no experience in right field. Garner decided to hit Pujols third and Bay fourth, rather than the other way around, because Bay has hit so well against Garner's Astros with runners on base.
"Every time somebody's on base, he becomes a different hitter," Garner said.
Guillen will lead off with Seattle's Ichiro Suzuki, RF, followed by SS Derek Jeter, Yankees; 1B David Ortiz, Red Sox; 3B Alex Rodriguez, Yankees; LF Vladimir Guerrero, Angels; C Rodriguez; CF Vernon Wells, Blue Jays; 2B Mark Loretta, Red Sox and Rogers.
Back to 2006 Articles Page