All-Star ambassadors
Conine, Perez named to represent at Marlins Park.
MIAMI Former All-Star MVPs Jeff Conine and Tony Perez were natural and fitting choices by Major League Baseball on Friday as ambassadors for the 88th AllStar Game in Miami.
With both having strong ties to baseball in South Florida, Conine and Perez will represent the Marlins and MLB in promoting and participating in various activities during the week leading up to the 88 th Mid summer Classic on July 11 at Marlins Park.
Each etched a lasting place in All-Star history by hitting gamewinning home runs for the National League during their careers.
Perez, a seven-time All-Star and the first Cuban-born player elected to the Hall of Fame, will give the Latin community an identifiable link to what is being planned as a multi-cultural event for the first MLB All-Star Game in South Florida.
Conine, still regarded as Mr. Marlin, authored the club’s most memorable All-Star moment with his pinch-hit-homerun in1995 that gave the NLa 3-2 victory.
“It’s a great honor, for one, and being an ambassador for our team
to finally showcase Miami and our stadium for an All-Star Game makes it evenbetter,” Conine said. “It’s very special just to finally be involved in another All-Star Game. To be on this side of it now hosting is a long time coming in Miami.
“It’s an event-driven town and they know how to throw a party. So it’s going to showcase not only our stadium but the city of Miami. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”
Conine and Perez are both members of the Marlins front office, holding the title Special Assistant to the President. Perez managed the team in 2001.
Conine found it difficult to comprehend that 22 years have passed sincehe stepped to the plate in the eighth inning at The Ballpark in Arlington, and hit the second pitch he saw from Oakland A’s reliever Steve Ontiveros about 410 feet to left field for a tie-breaking homer.
“It’s still pretty fresh inmy mind. Up to the point the biggest moment I had inmy baseball career until we won the World Series [in 1997],” he said.
Perez’s biggest All-Star moment came in 1967 in Anaheim, and it didn’t occur until the 15th inning when the Cincinnati Reds star hit a one-out homer off Catfish Hunter to decide the longest All-Star Game in innings (the 2008 game also went 15 innings).
Adding to the significance of Conine’s All-Star homer was that it came in the season that baseball resumed following the 232-day strike that prompted cancellation of the World Series in 1994.
When he received the MVP award following the game, Lesley Visser concluded the interview on ABC by saying, “I think this will help bring people back to baseball.”
Conine recalled that there was considerable lingering animosity toward the players and owners. The dramatic conclusion to the Midsummer Classic aided in putting the focus back on the game.
“People were angry. As players you could see where they were coming from,” Conine said. “It was a good game and I think that generated a lot of buzz.”
While the All-Star homer left a lasting impression, he hit another meaningful one to begin the season. It came in an 8-7Marlins loss to the Dodgers on Opening Day at then-Joe Robbie Stadium.
Thatwas the first major league game following the strike, and it was the answer to prayers and letters from a 7-year-old girl Conine had befriended during the benefit golf tournament he sponsored the previous year Joe Di Maggio’s Children’s Hospital.
Jennifer Bush, whowas hospitalized with a digestive disorder, became a big Jeff Conine fan, and she was heartbroken when the strike dragged on. She gained national attention for writing a letter to the Marlins urging the team president at the time, Don Smiley, to help end the strike.
Conine promised to hit a home run for her when play resumed, and in that first game back he connected in the eighth inning. Bush was at the game, and afterward he gave the home run ball to her.
“I still keep in touch with Jennifer on Facebook. “She’s married and has kids and is doing very well,” Conine said.
Conine had one of his best seasons in 1995 (25 homers, career-high 105 RBI) and went to play on both Marlins World Series championship teams. He never did return to the All-Star Game as a player.
Hemade the team the previous year but didn’t get into the game. His entire All-Star experience consisted of two pitches he saw from Ontiveros. It only took one to make lasting impact.
“As it left the bat I knew itwas going to be out,” said Conine, describing his trip around the bases as surreal.
“I’ve got another All-Star MVP ambassador with me in Tony Perez. We talked about All-Star moments. To be able to share it with the organization and the city is going to be a lot of fun.”
Ticket discount
MLB also announced that specially priced tickets for All-Star Fanfest can be purchased online at MLB.com for $13, which is 65 percent off the regular price. Fan Fest will run July 7-11 at the Miami Beach Convention Center.
Realmuto bats first
With Dee Gordon getting a day of Friday, catcher J. T. Real muto batted in the leadoff spot for the series opener against the Pirates.
Catchers at the top of the order are a rarity, but it was the 25th time Realmuto has been the leadoff hitter. He came into Friday hitting .340 there with a .373 on-base percentage.
“In general, I think you don’t see catchers there very often because there’re not many athletic guys like J.T. out there,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. “He’s the guy I’ve been able to put just about anywhere. It seems like J.T. is the guy swinging the bat really well. It gets him the extra at-bat.”