Manuel hopes to see bit more of this All-Star game

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07/11/2010 -

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) -To Charlie Manuel, the whole All-Star experience whizzed by last summer. He's hoping to change one thing this time - the result.

The Philadelphia manager is set to guide the National League for the second straight All-Star game. The AL has not lost since 1996, extending its string with a 4-3 victory over Manuel's side in St. Louis.

``When the game starts, we were interchanging players and all of a sudden I look up and the game was over. I didn't really get to enjoy the game. I didn't get to see a whole lot of it. I saw it, but at the same time it went by so fast and were doing so many things,'' Manuel said Sunday.

``We lost, I know that. It gets kind of hectic. If we score a bunch of runs in the game, if we can get a lead and get out ahead, maybe I'll get to enjoy and see more of the game,'' he said.

Phillies slugger Ryan Howard plans to talk to Manuel. About a chance to get some more swings, that is.

St. Louis' Albert Pujols won the fan vote to start at first base. Manuel added Howard to the team, and the Phillies first baseman would like to be the NL's designated hitter.

``I might slip him a note or talk to him about what's going on,'' Howard said.

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NO-NO ON THE VUVU: ThunderStix at the All-Star game? Sounds fine. Vuvuzelas? Hush up.

The policy at Angel Stadium prohibits air horns, artificial noisemakers and other such items. Vuvuzelas, the loud horns that created such a buzz at the World Cup, fall into the banned category.

Fans who bring vuvuzelas to Los Angeles Angels home games are asked to leave them at the guest relations department. The plastic trumpets can be picked up postgame.

ThunderStix, the long, plastic balloons that are banged together to create a racket, have been part of the Angels' cheering section since the 2002 World Series championship.

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WINFIELD'S MEMORY: It's been 22 years since the Hall of Famer Dave Winfield's final All-Star game in Cincinnati.

That 1988 event is still fresh in his mind. His mother, Arline, was fighting breast cancer and flew to Ohio to be there, but didn't have the strength leave her hotel room to see the game in person.

She died on his 37th birthday Oct. 3 that year, only 18 months after her diagnosis. She was 65.

Now, Winfield is honoring his mom's memory by speaking out for breast cancer awareness through Susan G. Komen for the Cure and on the question-and-answer site Ask.com on a program called ``Answers for the Cure.''

``I know she'd be proud I'm involved now,'' Winfield said leading up to this year's All-Star festivities. ``Now we know so much more about breast cancer than we used to. Twenty some years ago we didn't know where to go for information.''

A 12-time All-Star, that '88 season was one of Winfield's toughest. While his mother was well enough to attend his wedding that February before he headed off to spring training with the New York Yankees, seeing her deteriorate was devastating.

Winfield still batted .322 in 1988 with 25 home runs and 107 RBIs in 149 games. He missed the final five games to be with his mom.

His mother detected her cancer too late when she found a lump, he said.

``That was quite a year for me,'' Winfield said. ``It was a difficult time. She had a mastectomy, radiation and went to doctors in New York and the Mayo Clinic. We did all we could do.''

Winfield knows he is doing his part in the efforts now.

``This is a great opportunity,'' he said.

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PITCHING SHUFFLE: AL manager Joe Girardi was forced to do a lot of shuffling to his pitching staff on the day before everyone gathers in Anaheim.

The changes began on his own pitching staff with the New York Yankees when CC Sabathia started on Sunday. That made the lefty ineligible to pitch in Tuesday night's game, so Girardi chose Detroit's Justin Verlander to take his spot.

Girardi also lined up the Angels' Jered Weaver to replace Oakland's Trevor Cahill, who started on Sunday. But when Girardi made the change he didn't realize Weaver was also throwing on Sunday. So Oakland reliever Andrew Bailey became the replacement for Weaver.

A couple of pitchers were left out of consideration because they threw this weekend, most notably Seattle's Felix Hernandez. Girardi saw firsthand Hernandez throw a complete-game victory over the Yankees on Saturday night.

``He threw (126) pitches (Saturday) and I wouldn't feel good about putting him in a game on Tuesday. I just wouldn't,'' Girardi said. ``He's deserving. He's been dominant. And that's the hardest part.''

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EARLY START: Los Angeles Dodgers teammates Andre Ethier, Hong-Chih Kuo and Jonathan Broxton got an early start to the All-Star festivities.

Los Angeles and the Chicago Cubs played Sunday at Dodger Stadium in baseball's last game before the All-Star break. Either, Kuo and Broxton were introduced before the game and were presented with their official jerseys for Tuesday night's game in Anaheim.Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.