EAVESDROPS
The buzz from Tuesday night’s 89th All-Star Game at Nationals Park in Washington:
A’s closer Blake Treinen was skeptical about his reception at his old baseball home, having had an up-anddown season with the Nationals before his trade to Oakland last July. “To be honest, I didn’t know if I’d get cheers,” he said. “I didn’t know if my impression here was good or bad.” Treinen was wildly cheered in both the red-carpet parade and introductions. So, yes, they remembered the ups.
Colorado shortstop Trevor Story, 25, spoke with Brandon Crawford about the San Francisco shortstop’s pregame routine. “I’m just really trying to learn. This is the best place to do it,” said Story, adding that he looked up to Crawford when Story was coming up through the minors. “His defense is unbelievable. I just love watching him pick it.”
Crawford was approached repeatedly by reporters asking about his 2010 season at Double-A Richmond, which isn’t far from Washington. “I must be the only Flying Squirrel in here,” he said.
The best part of the All-Star festivities, at least before game time? “For me, it was the Home Run Derby,” said A’s second baseman Jed Lowrie, who was accompanied by his two small children. “The pageantry of it all. Watching it on TV is fun. But when you’re right there, it just has a different feeling to it. You’re sitting on couches on the third-base line.”
The 1937 All-Star Game, played at old Griffith Park in Washington, was known for a Dizzy Dean injury. Earl Averill hit a ball that broke Dean’s toe, forcing him to pitch differently and shortening the Hall of Famer’s career. President Franklin Roosevelt was in attendance, as was a 12-year-old usher named Ted Lerner ... who now owns the Nationals.
Union chief Tony Clark has noticed the negative fallout from bat flips, including Mark Canha’s in Saturday’s A’s-Giants game, and says everyone needs to chill. “You see a player flip a bat today, and suddenly it's headlines. Ladies and gentlemen, we’ve been flipping bats a long time. We’ve been picking and popping a long time. We’ve danced on the bump a long time. We can’t lose that.”
Crawford’s fondest All-Star memories from his childhood involve Ken Griffey Jr. and Barry Bonds. “Most of the games,” Crawford said, “they seemed to be doing something.”