All-Star game a boon for Boones

CHICAGO -- The All-Star game is doubling as a family reunion for the Boone family.

Seattle Mariners second baseman Bret Boone and younger brother Aaron, the third baseman for the Cincinnati Reds, were both chosen for the All-Star game this year. So the rest of the family came along for the show.

There are grandparents here, parents, aunts and uncles, cousins and children -- not to mention various friends.

"Having played in one and having experienced all the things that happened, I'm excited for them to experience the same thing," said Bob Boone, Bret and Aaron's father, and the manager of the Reds.

"And I get to watch."

Aaron and Bret Boone are the 14th set of brothers to become All-Stars, and their family is the first to send three generations to the midsummer classic. Bob Boone made four All-Star teams, and his father, Ray, was a two-time All-Star.

Bob and Ray wandered around the field during batting practice before Tuesday night's game, and the three generations got together for a family photo before the game.

"Oh, man," Ray said, a big grin crossing his face. "Anybody that's not proud in this situation, there's something wrong with them."

Asked who he'd root for, Ray Boone said he just wanted both grandsons to get a hit.

The Rocket's record

Roger Clemens got a lovely parting gift in his last All-Star game.

The future Hall of Famer matched the All-Star game record by making his eighth appearance Tuesday night. Jim Bunning, Don Drysdale, Juan Marichal and Tom Seaver also pitched in eight All-Star games.

Clemens pitched the third inning, striking out Jose Vidro and Edgar Renteria and retiring Javy Lopez on a grounder. He threw 15 pitches, 10 for strikes.

Clemens, who got his 300th victory last month, has said he is retiring after this season, his 20th in the majors. He didn't make the original All-Star team, only being added to the roster Monday after the Oakland Athletics asked the commissioner's office to replace Barry Zito.

He got a loud ovation when he was introduced before the game, and more cheers when he trotted in from the bullpen.

A welcome for Rickey

Paul Lo Duca can't wait to welcome Rickey Henderson to Los Angeles.

The Los Angeles Dodgers bolstered their offense Monday by signing Henderson, the all-time steals leader and one of the greatest leadoff hitters ever.

"I think it's a great move," Lo Duca said before Tuesday night's All-Star game. "Rickey's crossed home plate more than anybody in history, so he's been doing something right."

The Dodgers also traded for Jeromy Burnitz on Monday, a sign they're serious about making a run at the playoffs in the second half. At 49-44, Los Angeles is 7 1/2 games behind San Francisco in the NL West.

"I think it's a good sign," Lo Duca said. "We've obviously had some injuries."

A litle Prior knowledge

Chicago Cubs right-hander Mark Prior followed his normal off-day routine, working out before batting practice and then playing a little catch.

But that whole bullpen thing was a new twist.

Named to his first All-Star team, Prior wasn't sure how -- or even if -- he'd be used Tuesday night. But he was trying to familiarize himself with the rules of the bullpen just in case.

"I'll hang out and wait for the phone to ring," Prior said before the game. "I think that's what they do down there. I'm not sure. I'm learning the bullpen game."

A starter since he was a child, Prior has made only a few relief appearances. His last were in his final season at Southern California, facing Santa Clara on Jan. 31, 2001, and San Diego State on April 3, 2001.

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SOAKING IT UP: Four hours before the start of the game with a hot sun shining down, Jamie Moyer hit fly balls to his sons, Dillon and Hutton, in the outfield at U.S. Cellular Field.

Moyer, at age 40, is in his first All-Star game and sharing the experience with his two sons. He got into the game in the fourth inning, replacing Roger Clemens.

Things have not always been so rosy. Moyer began his career with the Chicago Cubs and also pitched for the Rangers, Cardinals and Red Sox. But it wasn't until he joined the Mariners in 1997 that the left-hander's career took off.

"The experiences I've had, the places I've traveled to, you can't put a value on that," Moyer said.

And he's not ready for the coaching ranks. With his uncanny ability to change speeds and move the ball around the plate to disrupt a hitter's timing, he's 12-5 with a 3.02 ERA this season, helping the Mariners bolt to the top in the AL West.

He and Red Ruffing are the only two pitchers in major league history to go from 23 games under .500 to 23 over during their careers. In 2001, he became the oldest pitchers ever to become a first-time 20-game winner and then went 3-0 in the postseason.

Why has he been so effective after so many years?

"It's a combination. There's not one specific thing. The desire to play, I still have it," he said.

Moyer said he appreciates his success at a later stage of his career, probably moreso than if he'd been a great pitcher earlier.

"It could be gone tomorrow. It's that fragile," he said.

Moyer's wife, Karen, is the daughter of former Notre Dame basketball coach Digger Phelps. She couldn't make the trip, staying back in Seattle while expecting the couple's fifth child.

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POSADA & SON: Jorge Posada IV, the 3 1/2-year-old son of the New York Yankees' catcher, once again waddled out onto the field when his father was introduced in pregame ceremonies. His father quickly followed, and they both took their spot along the third base line.

The youngster, in pinstripes and eyeblack, also did it at last year's All-Star game in Milwaukee.