Wednesday, July 11, 2001
AL Stars 4, NL Stars 1
Ripken steals show with farewell HR
The Associated Press
SEATTLE — In his final All-Star Game, Cal Ripken delivered a stellar sendoff.
Ripken upstaged Ichiro Suzuki, Barry Bonds and every other big name in the ballpark, hitting a home run to lead the American League to a 4-1 victory over the National League Tuesday night.
What began as a trip down memory lane — Ripken started at shortstop, at Alex Rodriguez's suggestion — wound up with him taking a glorious trip around the bases.
“It's just been a great deal of fun my whole career. The All-Star games, I've been able to go to a whole lot of them, but this is by far the most special,” Ripken said.
His homer easily was the most thrilling moment in a game that saw Roger Clemens face Mike Piazza for the first time since their bat-throwing incident in last year's World Series. There was no drama there, though someone later was hit by the shattered barrel of a bat — NL honorary manager Tommy Lasorda, who was coaching at third base.
Reds first baseman Sean Casey, in his only at-bat, struck out in the ninth inning against Seattle closer Kazuhiro Sasaki.
Derek Jeter and Magglio Ordonez connected for consecutive home runs as the AL won its fifth All-Star Game in a row. Suzuki, the most popular player in Seattle these days, singled and stole a base as the AL cut its deficit to 40-31-1 overall.
But it was Ripken's night.
At 40, Ripken supplanted Stan Musial as the oldest player to homer in an All-Star Game when he hit Chan Ho Park's first pitch of the third inning over the left-field fence.
“I swung and made good contact and the ball went out of the ballpark and I felt like I was flying around the bases,” Ripken said.
Tony Gwynn, who will retire with Ripken after this season, applauded from the opposing dugout.
The game was stopped as every All-Star player joined commissioner Bud Selig in a six-minute ceremony before the sixth inning to say goodbye to Ripken and Gwynn.
“It's been a great run,” Ripken told the fans.
It was a fitting farewell, for sure, for Ripken. Many credit him for saving baseball when, after a strike wiped out the 1994 World Series, he went on to break Lou Gehrig's consecutive games record in 1995.
His hair now turned gray, Ripken played in his 18th All-Star Game Tuesday and spent the final innings watching with his son. His first All-Star Game came in 1983, when Hall of Famers Johnny Bench and Carl Yastrzemski played in it for the last time.
Gwynn, added as an honorary member, did not get to hit Tuesday. But the eight-time NL batting champion from San Diego said he was more than content to follow the festivities from the dugout.
Freddy Garcia, one of a record eight Seattle players who appeared in the game, was the winning pitcher, and teammate Kazuhir got the save. Park took the loss.
Texas catcher Ivan Rodriguez singled home an unearned run in the AL fifth off Colorado's Mike Hampton.
Jeter and Ordonez homered off Jon Lieber in the sixth. Ryan Klesko hit a sacrifice fly earlier in the inning for the NL's run.
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AL Stars 4, NL Stars 1
