ST. LOUIS — It was only a coincidence. Really. A year after Phillies manager Charlie Manuel blistered Clint Hurdle for his use of Brad Lidge in the All-Star Game, Manuel has unintentionally shafted the Rockies.
When a relief spot opened following Jonathan Broxton’s exit, he went with experience, choosing Milwaukee’s Trevor Hoffman over Colorado’s Huston Street. When a starting spot opened following Carlos Beltran’s injury exit, he inserted Shane Victorino over Brad Hawpe.
The rules, according to the Rockies’ interpretation all week leading up to the event, called for the top vote-getter among peers to move into the starting lineup. That was Hawpe. Or not.
In the end, Manuel had an easy out — he needed a center fielder. Milwaukee’s Ryan Braun is a relative newcomer to left field, Philadelphia’s Raul Ibañez is returning from an injury and Hawpe has never played center.
“That would have been a real stretch for me,” said Hawpe, a first baseman in college and for a chunk of his minor-league career. “I don’t know about doing that. It would have been tough.”
I asked Manuel, whose folksy demeanor disguises his knowledge of the game, if he considered Hawpe. He had, but it wasn’t practical.
“I like everything about him. But I wanted a center fielder,” Manuel said. “I am sure Hawpe is going to get into the game.”
Ah, the game. Gotta believe Hurdle and pitching coach Bob Apodaca will be watching closely how Manuel handles his pitching staff. Manuel was critical of them for having Lidge warm up so many times before entering in the 15th inning of last year’s game. It’s not easy to juggle so many pieces with health a priority, yet baseball pretends the outcome matters.
Home Run Derby
Albert Pujols provided drama in the Home Run Derby, escaping the first-round with a laser with one out remaining. But the Cardinals star failed to advance to the final round.
That pitted Rangers newbie Nelson Cruz against beefy Milwaukee all-star Prince Fielder. Fielder bested Cruz 6-5 in the finals. Fielder also owned the night’s longest blast, a 503-foot shot.
“Coming up through high school, the coaches would tell me not too swing so hard,” Fielder said. “But how do you do that? It’s the only way I know how.”
The event lacked the buzz of last year’s spectacle. Josh Hamilton, who provided goose bumps with a record 28-home run barrage in the first round at Yankee Stadium, did not participate. Once Pujols exited, the crowd’s energy left with him. In the future, baseball needs to examine how to make this event shorter.
A five-swing minimum in the first round would be a great place to start.
Marquis moment
Rockies pitcher Jason Marquis, who was chosen by Manuel, relished his return to St. Louis. He won 42 games for the Cardinals from 2004-06.
“I don’t worry about all those people that doubted me,” said Marquis, who has more than 20 family members attending tonight’s game. “This is for all the people that believed in me.”
Footnotes
My question was simple: Does anyone outside your family know you won the Home Run Derby last year? “No, but that’s OK,” said Twins slugger Justin Morneau, who was overshadowed by Hamilton. “I got to take home the trophy.” . . . Don’t list Josh Beckett among those who might win 300 games. “It took me eight years to get 100, and I don’t think I am going to play for 24 years,” Beckett said. . . . Milwaukee’s Hoffman, on acclimating himself to a new team: “It doesn’t matter how much baggage you bring, good or bad, it takes time. Luckily, spring training (because of the World Baseball Classic) took for- ever.” . . . Rumors continue to swirl around Pittsburgh’s Freddy Sanchez, with the all-star expected to be traded in the coming weeks. The Giants make a lot of sense, but they are seeking a power hitter first. . . . Rockies center fielder Dexter Fowler drew the praise of Rays outfielder Carl Crawford. “He reminds me of our guy B.J. (Upton). He can run, and hit, and it looks like he’s only going to get better,” Crawford said.
