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DETROIT -- This one counts, and the countdown is just about
over.
Major League Baseball's 76th All-Star Game will start at
8 p.m. ET on Tuesday night, with Mark Buehrle of the Chicago
White Sox staring down Bobby Abreu of the Philadelphia Phillies.
Comerica Park will be packed to the rafters with over 40,000
baseball fans as the Motor City hosts its first Midsummer
Classic in 34 years. The American League will try to stretch
its undefeated string to nine seasons.
In addition to how the game is played, there will be a big
difference in who plays the game.
This year, for the first time in recent memory, a who's who
of the game's greats are absent and have made way for a new
regime of superstars.
For various reasons, Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, Ken Griffey
Jr., Rafael Palmeiro, Frank Thomas, Randy Johnson, Greg Maddux,
Curt Schilling, Todd Helton and Tom Glavine are not in Detroit,
marking the first time since 1989 that at least one of these
perennial All-Stars didn't make the cut.
Also, four of the five active members of the 400-plus homer
club -- Jeff Bagwell (injured), Thomas (recently returned
from injury), Jim Thome (injured) and Juan Gonzalez (injured)
-- are not here (starter Alex Rodriguez is the fifth), and
neither is one of the game's most popular players, Yankees
shortstop Derek Jeter, who lost out in a close Final Vote
to White Sox outfielder Scott Podsednik.
"I'm a huge fan of Derek's," said Texas Rangers shortstop
Michael Young, who made Francona's team over Jeter. "He's
an incredible player. It's unfortunate because Derek is very
deserving."
But Young is deserving and so are plenty of new faces.
Starters Mark Teixeira, Brian Roberts, Derrek Lee, Eckstein
and Aramis Ramirez, who will start for the NL at third base
in place of injured Scott Rolen, are among 23 first-time All-Stars
this year.
Podsednik, NL Final vote winner Roy Oswalt, Carlos Lee,
B.J. Ryan, Matt Clement, Morgan Ensberg, Felipe Lopez, Brian
Fuentes, Jon Garland, Brad Lidge, Cesar Izturis, Johan Santana,
Justin Duchscherer, Jason Bay, Jake Peavy, Chris Carpenter,
Danys Baez and Chad Cordero all will make their All-Star debuts.
"It's cool to give somebody else a chance, but it will be
kind of weird not seeing [the usual guys] all there," said
Washington Nationals closer Cordero, the NL's Pitcher of the
Month for June.
"It's going to be a lot of fun for the new guys. We can
now say we are All-Stars. That's cool in itself right there."
Doug Miller is a reporter for
MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major
League Baseball or its clubs.
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