By Scott Brown
Florida Today

HOUSTON - Barry Bonds needed less than 90 games to break his own record for intentional walks in a season.

But Joe Torre will have plenty of reasons to pitch to Bonds tonight when the 75th All-Star Game is played in Houston's Minute Maid Park.

Torre, who will manage the American League team, will be armed with some of the best pitchers in baseball. Also, Scott Rolen, who leads the major leagues with 80 RBI, will bat behind Bonds in the National League lineup.

Home run record holder Hank Aaron greets San Francisco slugger Barry Bonds before the start of the All-Star Home Run Derby in Houston Monday. (AP photo)

The best reason to pitch to Bonds was articulated by Torre himself.

"I don't think the fans came to see anybody put four fingers up," the Yankees manager said. "We will have All-Star versus All-Star."

While an injury to Ken Griffey Jr. deprives fans a chance of seeing three 500-home run players starting in the same outfield, they will be treated to something almost as rare: Bonds going mano-a-mano with a pitcher.

The San Francisco Giants left-fielder has walked 131 times this season and 69 of those have come on intentional passes.

The strategy widely employed by big-league skippers has hardly neutralized Bonds.

He is tied for fourth in the majors with 25 home runs and is batting .365 (his on-base percentage is a ridiculous .628). Bonds, who passed Willie Mays for third place on the all-time home run list earlier this season, is closing in on 700 for his career.

"I think it's certainly a tribute to Barry for being such an outstanding player that at times he gets frustrated and the fans get frustrated as well," said Florida Marlins skipper Jack McKeon, who will manage the National League team. "I know people don't like to see managers walk him, but we have a job to do as well and our job is to win ballgames."

In last year's NL Division Series, McKeon offered no apologies for repeatedly pitching around Bonds, who had just two hits in four games.

The stakes aren't nearly as high tonight, which is why Torre plans to pitch to Bonds.

The only time he might consider pitching around him is if it's late and the game is close, Torre said.

"I'm definitely not going to try to walk Bonds, put it that way," said Mark Mulder, who will be the AL's starting pitcher. "Hopefully, he'll put it in play and I'll throw some strikes to him."

For the second year in a row, the teams will be playing for more than pride.

The winning league gets home-field advantage in the World Series. Last year, the AL claimed that honor when Hank Blalock hit a late home run to beat Eric Gagne and the NL.

Not that it did the Yankees any good.

They lost to the Marlins in the World Series and watched Florida win the clinching game at Yankee Stadium.

STARTING PITCHERS: Roger Clemens will open the All-Star game for the National League, throwing the first pitch to his nemesis, New York Mets catcher Mike Piazza.

"I'm glad I'm throwing to him and I don't have to face him," Clemens said Monday.

Clemens, 10-3 with a 2.62 ERA for his hometown Houston Astros, was selected to start Monday by McKeon. Mulder was picked to start by Torre.

Clemens, then with the New York Yankees, beaned Piazza in July 2000. In Game 2 of the World Series that October, he threw the jagged barrel of a shattered bat in the direction of Piazza, earning a $50,000 fine.

While the pair aren't warm to each other, they repeatedly have said they didn't foresee a problem working with each other. On Monday, Clemens called the controversy a media creation.

Clemens said he planned to meet with Piazza before tonight's game, just as he would any other catcher.

"I'm sure we'll go over the first handful of hitters," Clemens said.

Mulder is 12-2 with a 3.21 ERA.