All-Star Report
Renteria gets shortstop start
Thomas Stinson
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
July 11, 2006
Pittsburgh --- For one bum pinky, Braves shortstop Edgar Renteria
gets to
start for the National League tonight. The Mets' Jose Reyes, who
sustained a
lacerated pinky finger four nights ago, determined he would not play
late
Sunday. While St. Louis' David Eckstein was named to take Reyes' place
on the
roster, Renteria was named the new starter and will hit fifth.
A two-time Silver Slugger award winner, Renteria has failed to
shine in his
four previous All-Star appearances. He is a career 1-for-4 in the
midsummer
classic.
Renteria will be starting his third All-Star game in four years.
He was a
no-show in the NL mandatory media session Monday, making him a perfect
5-for-5
in skipping the gathering in All-Star appearances for Florida (once)
and St.
Louis (three times).
From bad guy, Rogers ends up starter for AL
At 41, Kenny Rogers is not too old for a second chance.
One year after serving as the All-Star game's unofficial pariah,
the Detroit
left-hander was designated the American League's starting pitcher for
tonight's
77th midsummer classic.
Frankly, he likes it better this way.
A controversial selection to the 2005 AL team days after he
assaulted a
Dallas-area TV cameraman, Rogers was roundly booed in Detroit last
summer in his
one inning of work in the AL's 7-5 win. Rogers was subsequently
suspended for 20
games (reduced to 13) and fined $50,000 by commissioner Bud Selig. He
also
settled a subsequent civil suit with the cameraman, Larry Rodriguez.
This July is different.
"Well, very different," Rogers said. "I would be lying if I said
it wasn't
hard [in 2005]. I think I grew up through that a little bit and learned
from it
and tried to make myself a little bit better.
"This year, I'm hoping for a little bit more enjoyable time."
McCann star-struck during interview
Looking around the room during a group NL interview session,
Braves catcher
Brian McCann said, "I still can't believe I'm sitting here in this room
with
these guys."
It might be noted that McCann's batting average (.343) is the
highest on the
NL roster. Of the eight catchers the Braves have sent to the All-Star
game,
McCann is easily the youngest at 22 years, 5 months. Biff Pocoroba
(1978) was
the previous youngest at 24 years, 11 months.
"My main goal is to make sure this isn't a fluke," McCann said.
"A real
All-Star is going to make it year in, year out."
Garner adds Tanner to coaching staff
NL manager Phil Garner asked for special permission to add an
extra coach
tonight: Chuck Tanner. The former Braves and Pirates manager, who
turned 77 on
July 4, lives in the area and will join his former second baseman in
the dugout.
"As far as I'm concerned, I probably don't have a baseball career
to this
extent without Chuck Tanner," Garner said.
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