Veteran Braves share first All-Star game memories

By Carroll Rogers

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

With Jason Heyward, Martin Prado and Omar Infante making their first All-Star game appearances on Tuesday in Anaheim, current and former Braves, as well as manager Bobby Cox, shared their most memorable stories from their maiden All-Star games.

Tim Hudson

Year: 2000

Location: Turner Field, Atlanta

Team he represented: Oakland Athletics

His part: Pitched a perfect eighth inning with the American League up 3-2 in an eventual 6-3 win for AL.

Hudson’s memories: “I set up for Mariano (Rivera). I did. It was a one-run lead and it was a pretty big deal, because the only pitchers left were me and Mariano. If we tie it up, what do you do then? That was before the debacle in Milwaukee when they ran out of pitching. In 2000 that could have been the first debacle of a tie game in an All-Star game. I didn’t even realize that until after I came out of the inning. (Manager) Joe (Torre) told me, ‘Man, that was a big inning; we don’t have any more pitching beyond Mariano.’ And obviously he has all the confidence in the world in his guy; he’s sending the eighth inning out there to a rookie, a young kid.”

Chipper Jones

Year: 1996

Location: Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia

Team he represented: Braves

His part: Went 1-for-2 with a single off Charles Nagy.

Jones’ memories: “I had a long talk with A-Rod (Alex Rodriguez) during the home run-hitting contest. We were sitting on the steps of the home dugout at old Veterans Stadium. And it was really our first chance to kind of get to know each other. His team beat my team for a state championship my senior year (in high school in Florida). It was the first time we really got to know each other and pick each other’s brain. Both of us being the first pick in the draft, we kind of kept tabs on each other up until that point. It was just one of those moments you have with a guy you know is going to be a great player and potential hall of famer, and I was right. I can remember him asking me a bunch of questions about Bobby (Cox), talking about high school, reminiscing.”

John Smoltz

Year: 1989

Location: Angel Stadium, Anaheim

Team he represented: Braves

His part: Gave up a run in the second inning to take the loss in a 5-3 game after permitting singles to Ruben Sierra and Terry Steinbach and watching Bo Jackson beat out a double-play grounder.

Smoltz’s memories: “Tommy Lasorda told me I was pitching second, so I was trying to get guys to take me to the bullpen before the start of the game. They all wanted to watch the first inning in the dugout. They said, ‘We’ll just take you back after the top of the first.’ Well, Rick Reuschel is pitching and it doesn’t look like he’s going to get out of the top of the first. He gives up a home run, a home run and a single, and it’s like, ‘Uh oh.’ So Lasorda gets on the phone and says ‘Hey, get Smoltzie up,’ and I’m right there. I’m 10 feet from him and I’m panicking. I get that white chill feeling. And he goes ‘Oh kid, how long is it going to take you to get ready? We need you to get down there fast.’ So I had to go in the hallway in my spikes on the cement. (After) like eight, nine pitches, I was in my first All-Star game. If there was any chance to get nervous it was gone, because it was like panic. So it’s first and third, one out and I get a routine double play Bo Jackson hit, I (should be) out of the inning and he beat it out, and I lost the game. … Nolan Ryan (became) the oldest pitcher ever to get the win; I was the youngest pitcher ever to get the loss.”

Billy Wagner

Year: 1999

Location: Fenway Park, Boston

Team he represented: Astros

His part: Struck out Tony Fernandez and John Jaha in eighth inning for NL in a 4-1 loss.

Wagner’s memories: “I saw my first big league game ever in Boston in ’92 and it was always a favorite. And ’99 to be selected, knowing that they’re going to have the All-Century team, it was phenomenal. … (In ’92) I was playing in the Cape League and the Boston Globe had given four of us tickets and me and my roommate and two other guys went into the city, ate, went to the game, just had a blast. We sat halfway up on the first-base side. I was sitting in seat 13. Every time I go to Boston, I go back to that seat and sit there. It was pretty neat.

"(In ’99) I finished the game. The last guy was John Jaha. Dave Nilsson was catching me. He and Jaha were big buddies from the Brewer days. I’d thrown two fastballs and he didn’t want to throw a breaking ball because he knew Jaha couldn’t hit it. He kept trying to get me to throw a fastball, and I threw a breaking ball and struck him out. (Nilsson) was telling me, ‘I didn’t want to do that to my buddy.’”

Takashi Saito

Year: 2007

Location: AT&T Park, San Francisco

Team he represented: Dodgers

His part: Pitched perfect seventh, retiring Brian Roberts, Jorge Posada and Torii Hunter.

Saito’s memories (through his interpreter): “Because the All-Star game was in San Francisco, I was able to invite my family from Japan. But because I was a Dodger, a lot of people booed me and I had to explain to my kids why people were booing me at an All-Star game. I was throwing out stuff for fans in stands. While I was doing that people were booing me and my kids (daughters, 10 and 14) are asking, ‘Why are you giving people who are booing you free stuff?’ … Because Ichiro (Suzuki) makes it every year, people over there (in Japan) might think it’s easy to make it, but to me it was a big deal.”

Bobby Cox

Year: 1992

Location: Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego

Team he represented: Braves

His part: Managed NL in 13-6 loss.

Cox’s memories: “I remember talking to Willie Mays for about an hour, meeting President (George H.W.) Bush. It was fun. All-Star games are, once you get there (after choosing the pitchers and reserves). (Mays) came by. He watched a lot of our games in those days. He wanted to meet (Ron) Gant and (David) Justice. I brought them in. He stayed a long time. Willie is a great guy, knows his baseball. He’s wonderful.”