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ATLANTA – The buzz from Monday’s workout day on the eve of the 95th All-Star Game at Truist Park:
- Finally. The All-Stars will wear their own uniforms. It wasn’t a good look the past several years when players wore matching National League and American League threads, some of which made them cringe. Because the game will be played in an NL park, Giants All-Stars will be in their home creams, which thrills Logan Webb. “I’m a big fan of players wearing their own uniforms. That’s what I grew up watching,” Webb said. “If I’m a Yankees fan, I would like to see Aaron Judge wear pinstripes.” It was a tradition for All-Stars to wear their own unis from the 1930s through 2019, but then MLB made a change. Thankfully, now it’s a change for the better.
- Webb has a different game plan after giving up three runs in the third inning at the 2024 Texas-hosted game. “Quicker outs,” said Webb, who warmed up last year as if he were a starter, and his timing was off. Tuesday, he’ll do less pregame throwing and will amp it up before his inning. He’s supposed to get the third again.
- During the workout, the National Leaguers all wore 44 (Hank Aaron’s number) and American Leaguers wore 3 (Babe Ruth’s number). Why? Because this is Aaron’s town, and the date was 7/14, representing the Ruth record that Aaron broke (714 homers). CC Sabathia, the Vallejo native who’ll be inducted into the Hall of Fame this month and works in the commissioner’s office, suggested the idea.
- Bryan Woo (Alameda High School) and Steven Kwan (Washington High in Fremont) are teammates for the first time, representing the Mariners and Guardians, respectively. “When you have an Asian last name and played baseball in the Bay Area, that’s a natural connection,” said Kwan, who’s 2 ½ years older. “You have Japanese players from overseas, and respect to them, but there aren’t really a lot of Asian American players, especially from the Bay Area.” Woo and Kwan didn’t know each other as kids, in college or in the minors but got together a couple of years ago for a charity event in Alameda, and now they’re buddies.
- Neither Woo nor Kwan was aware of a third Bay Area-born All-Star, Tarik Skubal, a Hayward native who spent part of his youth in Fremont before his family moved to Arizona when he was in junior high.
- Baltimore’s Ryan O’Hearn, the AL’s starting designated hitter, has been a topic of many trade rumors including with the Giants. It might not appear a match so long as the Giants plan to move Rafael Devers, who like O’Hearn swings left-handed, to first base. Nevertheless, we asked the question. “Great franchise. Storied franchise. Beautiful ballpark. Good team. There’s a lot of positive things about the San Francisco Giants. If that happens, I’ll cross that bridge when we get there.” Bay Bridge or Golden Gate, he didn’t say. For now, he’s trying to avoid all distractions and telling family members not to send him any trade rumors, including this one.
- Somehow, Pat McAfee hosted the news conference featuring the managers and starting pitchers. He mispronounced Ketel Marte’s name, called Aaron Boone “coach” and made a “the MLB” reference, which is what nobody calls it who follows the game.
- MLB doesn’t want to mix politics with baseball, but that’s exactly what happened when the league pulled the All-Star Game out of Atlanta in 2021 and moved it to Denver because of the Georgia law viewed as restricting access for voting, including for African Americans. At the time, Rob Manfred and Dave Roberts said they supported the change, so it was a fair question when Roberts, the NL manager, was asked why the game is back in Atlanta even though the law remains in place. Roberts gave a pro-MLB and pro-Atlanta answer and said he’s focusing on the game and players.
- Cool Brent Rooker story. The A’s designated hitter competed in Home Run Derby, and the guy throwing him pitches was 50-year-old Joe Caruso, who worked with Rooker from age 9 through high school in Memphis, coached him in summer league, and continues to throw to him in offseasons.