Danny Graves had his All-Star break planned.

Chris Stynes makes it into second base sliding as Roberto Alomar drops the ball. (Michael E. Keating photo) | ZOOM |

        After scouring the Internet on Saturday night for information on Lake Cumberland, Ky., Graves planned three days of fishing, miniature golf and relaxation with his wife, Andrea, and three children. The Graves clan planned to leave immediately after Sunday's series finale against the Cleveland Indians.

        Then, when Andrea dropped off Graves for work Sunday morning at Cinergy Field, Reds general manager Jim Bowden delivered some surprise news: Graves was an All-Star.

        Atlanta Braves right-hander Greg Maddux suffered a shoulder injury when he was struck by a batted ball during batting practice Saturday, clearing a spot for Graves on the National League squad.

        “I told my wife to go unpack my stuff,” said Graves.

        Graves had more than just practical concerns on his mind. After enduring the disappointment of not being on the pitching staff announced Wednesday, the 26-year-old right-hander was overwhelmed upon joining baseball's elite.

        “Maybe four hours after the game, I'll be more relaxed and it'll hit me better and I can actually give you sentences that make sense,” Graves said. “It's an unbelievable feeling, to get noticed. And to have your teammates say you deserved to go in the first place. It's like it doesn't matter now, because I'm going.”

        The same thing happened to Reds reliever Scott Williamson last season. The eventual NL Rookie of the Year was not chosen for the 1999 All-Star Game, however, earned his trip to Boston when San Francisco's Robb Nen dropped out with a callous on his right hand.

        Graves' day was dampened in the ninth inning of the series finale against the Cleveland Indians, who scored a pair of runs thanks to his two-out throwing error.

        Still, with his 9-1 record, 1.99 ERA and 14 saves, Graves has emerged as one of the majors' most imposing relievers. But whether he receives a chance to show off his signature sinker Tuesday night in Atlanta matters little to him.

        “I would love to, don't get me wrong,” Graves said. “But if you go and sit in the bullpen and watch all the All-Star stuff going on, who really cares?

        “Ten years down the road, they don't care if you pitched one inning or one-third of an inning. They look at the roster and say, "He was on the team for the 2000 All-Star Game.'”

        Manager Jack McKeon sounded like a proud papa as he spoke of Graves' good fortune.

        “Baseball,” said McKeon, “has a way of making sure things work out for the best.”

        DANNY'S GRAVE: Graves was genuinely disturbed after hitting Roberto Alomar with a ninth-inning pitch that forced in Cleveland's final run. Though Alomar briefly appeared upset, Graves insisted he wasn't trying to hit him.

        “I would never throw at somebody unless I was protecting my own guys. They didn't do anything for me to have to do that,” Graves said. “It was a pitch that got away. I told (Indians first baseman) Jim Thome after the game, "Please tell Robbie it was an accident. I'm sorry.' I hate to see a guy come out of the game because of me. That's the worst feeling.”

        STYNES' SURGE: Though Chris Stynes was “only” 1-for-4 Sunday, McKeon continued to suggest that the utilityman had earned continued playing time after the All-Star break.

        Aaron Boone's aggravation of his hyperextended left knee will buy Stynes more time at third base when the Reds resume the season Thursday at Colorado. Stynes has started four games in a row at third. He could receive a shot in left field or possibly right field if Dante Bichette (bruised left shin) is still hobbling.

        “He's got to be somewhere, if he stays hot,” McKeon said. “Let's ride him while he's hot. We've always played that way. Some guys might not like it, but that's how we did it last year. They have to realize that this team is 25 guys.”

        GATE RECORD: As anticipated, Cleveland helped the Reds establish a franchise attendance record for a three-game series. Sunday's crowd of 51,181 pushed the series total to 159,065, eclipsing the previous mark of 152,565 from Sept. 6-8, 1974 against Los Angeles.

        The Reds have drawn 1,535,723 fans in 47 dates, a per-game average of 32,675. They're a whopping 405,749 ahead of last year's pace.

Indians 5, Reds 3 Griffey to skip All-Star game Reynolds not sounding board for Griffey Jr. Reds notebook Results of our Reds poll

Game, set, history
Nabli upsets Schreiber in Met
Met notebook
Met schedule, results
Flesch misses first win
Win would make year even better
College basketball

• Return to Reds front page...