If you haven't seen the video clips or read about it yet, the beginning of Cal Ripken's Induction speech -- the lede, as we call it in the writing business -- is definitely worth hearing.

He opened with a charming and self-deprecating anecdote about working with a 10-year-old boy on a baseball field a couple of weeks ago and. ...

"He was starting to have some success and he was feeling quite proud of himself, and he asked me, 'So, did you play baseball?'" Ripken said, and then said the rest of the conversation went something like this:

"Yes," Ripken answered.

"Professionally? What team?"

"The Baltimore Orioles, for 21 years."

"What position?"

"Mostly shortstop, a little third base."

At that point, Ripken said, the boy started to walk away before suddenly stopping and turning for one final question: "Should I know you?"

Needless to say, it got a pretty good laugh out of the extraordinarily large crowd.

•  Nice moment when Kansas City Royals broadcaster Denny Matthews, receiving the Ford Frick Award, quoted old Cubs broadcaster Jack Brickhouse from Brickhouse's 1983 Induction speech: "Today I feel like I'm 60-feet, 6-inches tall."

•  Aside from former Orioles like Earl Weaver, Brooks Robinson, Frank Robinson and Jim Palmer, the biggest ovation during the introductions of all the Hall of Famers was accorded to Willie Mays.

Commissioner Bud Selig was booed when he was introduced.

•  Terrific anecdote from Gwynn's speech, too. He was talking about being in the minor leagues at a time when the Padres and Angels shared a complex. Hall of Famer Rod Carew was working with the Angels then, and one day Gwynn learned that he was scheduled to speak with a group of Angels minor leaguers.

"I wasn't allowed in, so I kind of hid and listened to Rod talk about bunting," Gwynn said, before turning to Carew, who was sitting behind him on the stage, and saying, "By the way, Rod, I don't think a lot of those guys were listening like I was."

•  Gwynn shared a terrific philosophy of life, as well, saying, "I laughed a lot (in the minors). I learned later that laughter was a thing that would disarm people."

More Gwynn from his speech: "My father said if you work hard, good things will happen. And boy oh boy, was he right."

•  How did the speeches turn out?

Here's one self- evaluation:

"I thought I sped through mine," Ripken said. "I really wanted to make my points, speak slower and let the points sink in. But I couldn't ... I wish I could have said it slower and better. ...

"It was very similar to when I proposed to my wife. I made a sign with Christmas lights and turned it on and it said, 'Will you marry me?' because I didn't think I could say the words."

Likes: Love the fact that they used the word "artison" on Gwynn's Hall of Fame plaque. The first sentence reads, "An artisan with a bat whose daily pursuit of excellence produced a .338 lifetime batting average, 3,141 hits and a National League record-tying eight batting titles." Gwynn most definitely was an artisan. Excellent writing by the Hall of Fame's Jeff Idelson. ... Seeing Sparky Anderson, anytime, any place. ... Discussing the latest Bruce Springsteen news with Paul Molitor. ... Robin Yount's enthusiasm and sense of humor. ... Videos of Earl Weaver's old tantrums with the umpires. ... The Hall of Fame people do an outstanding job with the Museum, Induction weekend and everything else. If you've never been here, you should begin planning. I always tell folks Cooperstown is like the movies your friends say you've gotta see because of how great they are. Well, you know how often you go to those films and they fall a little short of the recommendation? Cooperstown doesn't. It not only matches everything good people say about it, it exceeds it.

Dislikes: Too bad Hank Aaron wasn't in Cooperstown, particularly given the hoopla about his home run record. He combines with Japanese Home Run King Sadaharu Oh to run an international baseball camp for children, and word was that he was in Puerto Rico this weekend doing that. ... Also missed Ernie Banks, who was in Dallas tending to his ill mother. ... And Carl Yastrzemski, who is reclusive and never shows up. ... See you back on the Barry Bonds* watch this week.

Rock and Roll lyric of the day:

"Looking out at the road rushing under my wheels
"I don't know how to tell you all just how crazy this life feels
"I look around for the friends that I used to turn to to pull me through
"Looking into their eyes I see them running too"

-- Jackson Browne, Running on Empty

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. -- From the small-world department: Hall of Fame outfielder Duke Snider already darn near felt like Tony Gwynn was one of the family long before Gwynn was set to join Snider in Cooperstown -- and not just because Snider lives in San Diego and got to know Gwynn long ago.

"My brother-in-law signed him, Cliff Ditto," Snider said during a conversation in the lobby of the swanky Otesaga Hotel on Saturday morning. "He signed Ozzie Smith, Tony, Randy Jones and Randy Johnson."

Snider always did get a kick out of Ditto's name -- says he regularly called him Cliff Cliff. Ditto died not too long ago of throat cancer.

"I used to kid Tony when I was a broadcaster, 'My brother-in-law signed you, Tony,'" Snider said. "He'd say, 'Yeah, he came to our house and offered a couple of thousand dollars and my dad threw him out of the house. He said, Come back when you have some real money.'"

• • • 

Hall of Famer Earl Weaver, the great former manager of the Baltimore Orioles, is thrilled that Cal Ripken will be inducted Sunday.

But that isn't the first thing that came up with Weaver. I couldn't resist asking him about Bobby Cox, the Atlanta manager who will set the major league record with his next ejection. Cox is at 130 now, tied with John McGraw.

"Where is he now -- is he in a slump?" Weaver cackled, referring to the fact that Cox tied the record a few weeks ago but hasn't been ejected since. "It's surprising that anybody could get thrown out more than I did, but we have a couple.

"The funny thing is, I thought AL umps were poor. I guess the umpiring in the NL is poorer."

• • • 

They were expecting record-setting crowds here this weekend, and that prediction sure looks accurate. Tiny Main Street was a sea of people on Saturday. You could barely walk through. Already, folks are staking out spots on the field where the inductions will be.

They don't keep official attendance records at the Hall of Fame because the induction ceremony is free -- so they can't count the tickets -- but the estimated crowd of 50,000 for the 1999 inductions of Nolan Ryan, Robin Yount and George Brett is the unofficial record.

With Ripken and Gwynn, they're expecting to surpass even that.

Hall of Famer Tom Seaver suggested taking attendance by figuring the population of Baltimore, polling who's home this weekend and then subtracting.

• • • 

Hall of Famer Bob Feller on HOF'er Willie Mays, talking about his great catch in center field in the 1954 World Series against Cleveland's Vic Wertz: "Most any center fielder could have caught that ball, but Willie put on a great act. He was a great actor. His hat flew off. There's nothing wrong with that -- sports is show business."

Feller on the historical overview committee snubbing Buck O'Neal two springs ago: "That's the biggest mistake the Hall of Fame has made since it's been open. He was a great ambassador for the game, the greatest ambassador since Babe Ruth."

• • • 

Likes: The marquee in front of the Cooperstown Fire Department on Chestnut Street: "CFD Congratulates Cal Ripken and Tony Gwynn, 2007 HOF" ... Cal Ripken's good buddies John Travolta and Kelly Preston are scheduled to attend the induction ceremonies. ... All of the families roaming around this town -- fathers and sons, parents and children. What a wholesome slice of America. ... The man on the street who approached my friend, Jerry Crasnick from ESPN.com, Friday night requesting an autograph. The guy thought Craz was Robin Yount. ... One of these years I've got to come back and actually stay at the Otesaga Resort Hotel. Gorgeous hotel set on a gorgeous lake. ... The drive from Albany, about 90 minutes, is pretty, too. Lush greenery, rolling hills. Except during one stretch on Route 88 I was following a hearse for several miles and passed a dead deer on the side of the road. Wasn't quite sure what that combination meant -- or was supposed to mean.

Dislikes: Hall of Fame weekend flies by so quickly. ... The thunderstorms in the area. They're supposed to move in and out the rest of tonight (Saturday) and Sunday. Hope the induction ceremony stays dry.

Rock 'n' Roll lyric of the day:

"Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack
"I don't care if I never get back."

-- Jack Norworth, Take Me Out to the Ballgame

More weird times with Barry Bonds* on Thursday.

After he declined to speak for three days of the homestand, you couldn't shut him up. He was at his charming best, discussing his interest in his family tree -- one of his hobbies is collecting old photos of his grandmothers and other old family members, he said -- his genes and how he views baseball before integration as a different game than afterward.

Maybe it was the fact that the Giants held Family Day on Thursday, and there was a softball game before the San Francisco-Atlanta game featuring the Giants' children. Bonds* pitched, and got off a good line when asked whether his arm was loose enough to make his pitching debut against the Braves.

"You see how many hits I gave up?" he quipped.

Asked whether he remembers playing in kids' games when he was a boy and his father, Bobby Bonds, was playing, Barry said mostly he remembers the games in Anaheim when his father was with the Angels. The kids played against Disney Characters, Barry said.

He didn't remember taking Mickey Mouse deep, but he did remember some female character chasing after him when he was running the bases. He thought it either was Sleeping Beauty or Alice in Wonderland.

I'll pause for a moment to allow you to get a mental picture of that.

In fact, let's just leave it right there for today.

Alice in Wonderland chasing after Barry.

Likes: Crystal Zevon's I'll Sleep When I'm Dead: The Dirty Life and Times of Warren Zevon. It's an oral history of the late rock 'n' roller's life -- the good, the bad and the weird -- and she did a wonderful job with it. He told her before he died to write it, write it all, and she sure did. Zevon was tormented by alcoholism, drugs and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, and he ranges wildly from very likeable to very dislikeable. His belief in good luck and bad luck -- part of the OCD -- makes the superstitions of most baseball players seem almost normal. He was a talented songwriter, and if you're interested in music or writing, it's hard to imagine you wouldn't enjoy the book.

Dislikes: Heading into this weekend's series with Florida, Barry Bonds* is in a serious slump. He's 5-for-his-past-42 at the plate. And that six-RBI game in Wrigley Field last week? Only game in his past 14 in which he's collected an RBI. The pack following him is getting restless, and the casualties are threatening to mount. Poor Brian Costello of the New York Post -- he had to have an emergency root canal Tuesday in San Francisco after his mouth started bothering him in Milwaukee. Perseverance, boys, perseverance.

Rock 'n' Roll lyric of the day:

"I went down to the Chelsea drugstore
"To get your prescription filled
"I was standin' in line with Mr. Jimmy
"And man, did he look pretty ill."

-- The Rolling Stones, You Can't Always Get What You Want

The game moves so much more quickly than it does on television. Broken bats whizzing past the pitcher's head, foul balls into the stands ... when you're close to the action and see the speed at which things move, it's a wonder people aren't seriously injured far more often than they are.

That they aren't is little consolation, obviously, in the wake of the tragic news out of Tulsa on Sunday night. First-base coach Mike Coolbaugh was hit in the head and killed with a foul ball, in case you haven't heard, and if that isn't tragic enough on its own, he had two small children and his widow is pregnant with No. 3.

As if screaming, foul line drives aren't enough to strike fear in the heart of every base coach several times a season, the death of Coolbaugh brings a sobering and unwelcome new angle to the job. San Francisco third-base coach Tim Flannery's mother e-mailed him the Coolbaugh story Monday and asked him to wear a helmet.

Flannery is considering wearing one of those old-style helmets in the coaching box, the ones players used to wear without the ear flaps.

Already, he occasionally has worn a plastic insert inside of his cap when a soft-tossing left-hander is starting for the opposition and the Giants (or Padres, when he was there) lineup is loaded with right-handers.

"You're always thinking about it," Flannery said between hitting fungoes during batting practice before Monday's series opener with Atlanta. "Especially with a man on second, because you're coming way down the line. I'm standing about 40 feet from home plate sometimes with a man on second.

"Vin Scully (the legendary broadcaster) always said guys should wear helmets out there. Glenn Hoffman was hit in the head and was out for a couple of weeks with a concussion a couple of years ago (when he was the Dodgers third-base coach). Rob Picciolo was hit during spring training.

"It's always on your mind. I would have been hit between the eyes a couple of weeks ago if I hadn't moved on one ball. People see me moving my feet out there and they think I'm crazy, but that's why I do it -- I keep my feet moving like an infielder, anticipating a possible ball coming at you."

It's far from foolproof, or bulletproof. But so far -- thankfully -- it's worked for Flannery.

Meantime, baseball should consider outfitting base coaches in helmets. It can't hurt.

Likes: Jon Lester's return in Boston. Underrated comeback story of the year. Even Yankees fans should be pulling for the kid (well, how about if you Yankees fans pull for him to do well enough to get a no-decision before the Red Sox lose? That could work). ... Atlanta manager Bobby Cox, out on the dugout bench early each afternoon, talking baseball with anybody who passes by. ... Every time coming back to San Francisco and the Park Formerly Known as Pac Bell, it's like the first time. Gorgeous. ... Radio Margaritaville on Sirius Satellite Radio. Terrific mix of tunes. ... Omar Vizquel still playing snappy shortstop at 40. ... Watching John Smoltz pitch, anytime, anyplace.

Dislikes: Missed Fountains of Wayne on Conan O'Brien's show the other night. Darn.

Rock and Roll lyric of the day:

"Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery
"None but ourselves can free our minds
"Have no fear for atomic energy
"'Cause none of them can stop the time
"How long shall they kill our prophets
"While we stand aside and look?
"Some say it's just a part of it
"We've got to fulfill de book"

-- Bob Marley, Redemption Song

MILWAUKEE -- Miller Park is quiet now and, I assume, they're changing the marquee in front of Long Wong's Chinese-American Sports Bar & Restaurant over on Bluemound Road.

"Bonds Go Away" it read all weekend.

And so he is, quietly. He went 0-for-7 with two strikeouts and three walks (one intentional) in Milwaukee on Friday and Saturday, and he didn't play in Sunday's 7-5 loss.

There was a moment when the third consecutive Miller Park sellout crowd was thinking perhaps it would see Barry Bonds: eighth inning, Giants trailing 7-4 with none out and a pinch-hitter coming up for Ryan Klesko.

But alas, manager Bruce Bochy sent Ray Durham to bat for Klesko, and Bonds stayed on the bench.

"I didn't want to go through everybody, and I liked the matchup," Bochy said of the right-handed-hitting Durham going against lefty reliever Manny Parra.

Bonds had a bat in his hand during the ninth inning preparing to hit, but the Giants went 1-2-3 against Brewers closer Francisco Cordero, who earned his NL-leading 31st save. Milwaukee led 7-5 at that point, and Bochy said had the Giants gotten a runner on base, Bonds would have batted in the ninth in an effort to tie the game.

The Giants chartered back to San Francisco following the game, and Bonds should be in the lineup Monday night against Atlanta and John Smoltz.

Likes: The mid-game Brewers' Sausage Races. ... Roll Out the Barrel following Take Me Out to the Ballgame in Milwaukee. ... Kelly's Bleachers on Bluemound Road. Classic old baseball bar with lots of Brewers and old Milwaukee Braves stuff on the walls. And Pat, the owner, is cool.

Dislikes: Crack-of-dawn flights and no food on cross-country flights. ... The bratwurst in Milwaukee is good, but not nearly as good as the brats in old County Stadium. Now those were spiced just right, with a little zing to 'em.

Rock 'n' Roll lyric of the day:

"Yes I am a pirate
"Two-hundred years too late
"The cannons don't thunder
"There's nothing to plunder
"I'm an over-40 victim of fate
"Arriving too late
"Arriving too late."

-- Jimmy Buffett, A Pirate Looks at 40

MILWAUKEE -- Slow game (San Francisco 8, Milwaukee 4), no fireworks from Big Helmet and, in my opinion, the night's highlight occurred in the middle of the third inning:

Several writers got up and headed for the back of the press box in the middle of the third, which quickly caused other jumpy writers to follow them to a back room with rumors that commissioner Bud Selig was available.

Alas, it was only a fresh supply of bratwurst in the press box cafeteria -- which, no offense to the Commish, was probably better than a Selig appearance.

Selig, by the way, did swing through the press box for a group interview in the fourth inning.

Otherwise, pleasant surprise upon landing in Milwaukee today -- no summer humidity. Beautiful summer's day, temperature in the mid-70s and the Miller Park roof was open.

Um, not quite the same thing, Bruce: Aside from the bratwurst/press box story, the most interesting note of the day probably came 30 minutes or more after the game, when a handful of us were in Giants manager Bruce Bochy's office following the usual postgame interview session.

Bochy said he spoke with Barry Bonds* during batting practice about whether or not the big guy has been pressing at the plate.

"He said, 'I've been through this a lot, breaking Babe Ruth's (mark) last year, hitting the 700th home run, the season-high record (73 homers in 2001),'" Bochy said. "He's used to it.

"He did say that changing the balls (specially marked balls now are used for his at-bats) and everything does remind him of what's at stake, and he's getting used to it. The game stops, and they bring new balls in. ...

"I told him I felt the same pressure my first at-bat (in the big leagues) -- to try to get a hit."

Likes: Milwaukee second baseman Rickie Weeks bowling over catcher Guillermo Rodriguez in the fifth inning Friday night. Clean, hard play, textbook way to knock over a catcher and he jarred the ball loose and helped produce a second run on the play. ... Giants center fielder Dave Roberts, one of the game's good guys. ... On-time flights. It's always dicey flying the day of a game -- always nervous that weather will delay things, or a connection will be missed -- but Friday was no problem. ... Gilles Frozen Custard, a landmark in Milwaukee. Hope to get over there sometime this weekend.

Dislikes: Media throngs like the one now following the Giants. Ya gotta do what ya gotta do, but give me a quiet spring training morning and a 30-minute clubhouse sitdown with somebody who is interesting, passionate and entertaining.

Rock 'n' Roll lyric of the day:

"Lord, I was born a ramblin' man
"Tryin' to make a livin' and doin' the best I can
"And when it's time for leavin'
"I hope you understand
"That I was born a ramblin' man."

-- Allman Brothers, Ramblin' Man

You know all about timing being everything in baseball, so how perfect is this:

I just canceled the final portion of two months' worth of hotel reservations the other day.

Barry Bonds* hadn't homered since July 3.

He was in an 0-for-21 slump.

I was in the air Thursday afternoon, heading home from my own post-All-Star break break.

So of course the guy smashes two homers to reach No. 753, the magic number which -- following multiple conference calls with our staff at CBS SportsLine.com, dozens of phone calls with my editors, several séances and many coin flips -- we all agreed would put me on the road to join Mr. Bonds* and the Giants' Traveling Circus and Road Show.

A flight Thursday from Seattle to Milwaukee would have been perfect. Instead, I was flying from Seattle to San Diego, and Bonds* hammered the homers while I was in the air. I phoned the travel agent as soon as I landed and arranged a crack-of-dawn flight for Friday morning in an effort to get to Miller Park in time for that night's game.

Flight arranged, I'm on hold with the good folks at the hotel right now, attempting to talk my way into a room. They're sold out, of course. Nothing in Milwaukee for Saturday or Sunday nights.

Which leads back to the two months of hotel reservations. When Bonds* started the season by hammering eight homers in April and a couple more in early May, projections were that he would blow past Hank Aaron's record by June, certainly by early July at the latest.

So by early May, I had two months' worth of hotels booked while planning to follow Bonds* on this odyssey, rooms in cities from coast to coast from mid-May to mid-July.

Week by week, I've been canceling them while Bonds* went into the ol' Four Corners stall game.

This week, I was about to start Round 2 of reservations and, well, ah, that was kick-started in wild fashion with the Giants' wild game in Wrigley Field.

Now none of this is complaining, mind you. And probably, you don't even care about some of the logistics that go with the crazy and odd life of a baseball writer.

But I know some of you like to turn the leaf over from time to time to see what's underneath, and I certainly enjoy doing the same myself. So there you go.

Besides, we'll be talking, writing and reading plenty about Bonds* over the next several days and, likely, weeks.

So for now, you have yourself a good day and I'll see you Friday from Milwaukee's Miller Park.

Oh, and the hotel lady just came back on the phone and, miracle of miracles, she squeezed me into a room for the weekend.

Meaning, I don't have to pitch a tent in the front yard of commissioner Bud Selig's Milwaukee home.

So I've got that going for me.

Likes: Haven't been to Miller Park since the infamous All-Star Game that ended in a tie, and now there are all kinds of reasons to go to Milwaukee. The Great Home Run Chase, a winning baseball team and, possibly, October baseball. I like Milwaukee and it's about time there are reasons to return. ... I also like the bratwursts. Mmmmm. ... Nothing like a daytime run along Lake Michigan, especially out by the Milwaukee Art Museum, to get you ready for a game that night. ... Still miss County Stadium, though. The place had character, and the bratwurst steam had seeped into the old concrete for so many years that the place had a unique smell. ... This is the 25th anniversary of the Brewers' only World Series appearance, you know. Prince Fielder, J.J. Hardy, Rickie Weeks, Corey Hart and Co. are giving the city a product worthy of Paul Molitor, Robin Yount, Pete Vuckovich, Rollie Fingers and the rest of that classic old gang.

Dislikes: With the Giants solidly in last place in the NL West, the coming days are going to be all about the home runs and the individual. Records are always better when they come in meaningful games, which the Giants pretty much won't be playing the rest of the way.

Rock 'n' Roll lyric of the day:

"When the Hammer hits one out
"That's what baseball's all about
"He's on the Braves' round-trip express
"Doing what he does the best."

-- Ernie Harwell and Bill Slayback, Move Over Babe (Here Comes Henry)

The only position player not to play for Tony La Russa's NL All-Stars was Albert Pujols, and if you thought that was odd, so did he.

Pujols said after the game that he is not hurt -- doesn't have any nagging aches and pains.

"Ask the manager, he knows everything," Pujols said. "Believe me, it seems strange to me, too."

Holding a position player back in case of extra innings certainly is a smart move, so from that angle, La Russa was attempting to do the right thing. But to hold Pujols back instead of someone else just seemed plain wrong.

"Once (Miguel) Cabrera's shoulder made him unavailable, (Freddy) Sanchez was going to be the do-everything guy and became the third baseman," La Russa said. "So you had to save somebody you could use all over the place and, you know, the game was close enough to where we tied it there in the ninth, somebody has to play the 10th.

"So Albert was the guy. He's very versatile."

----

Yes, that was a Tampa Bay Devil Ray smashing a home run. Carl Crawford got Milwaukee closer Francisco Cordero in the sixth, the first time a Devil Ray went deep in All-Star history.

----

Interesting take on power from All-Star MVP Ichiro Suzuki when asked if he concentrated on home runs, how many he could hit.

"Tough question," Ichiro said. "If I'm allowed to bat .220, I could probably hit 40. But nobody wants that."

AL manager Jim Leyland was impressed.

"I had heard this about Ichiro but never paid much attention to it," Leyland said of Ichiro's power stroke. "They said he hits balls out in batting practice like it's nothing. He probably hit more home runs tonight in BP than any player on the field, and he made it look easy. I can't believe it. This one happened to be an inside-the-parker. I can't believe what ease he was hitting balls over the fence, like it was nothing.

"I'm not really too happy about that because we play them Thursday. That's who we open up (the second half) with."

----

Minnesota's Torii Hunter was talking about how intense Leyland was in the dugout, and his read was right.

Did the skipper enjoy the game?

"No," Leyland said. "I didn't enjoy it a bit. I enjoyed it about five minutes ago (when the game ended) and I'm dead serious about that.

"I'm talking how great baseball is going and everything, but really, I have absolutely no thump with anybody in baseball. I would like to recommend that in the All-Star Game that they have the DH from now on and I'll tell you why: I didn't enjoy managing the game from the standpoint that you have to make double-switches, you have to worry about changing players around.

"We had guys in different spots all night long and it really makes you work too hard as a manager for this game, to be honest with you. I'm not complaining, I'm just making a point. I'm very serious about it. Because when you don't have to double-switch, you don't have to worry about a pitcher hitting. I mean, these guys are all valuable players to other teams and you worry about stuff like that.

"I just hope that maybe they will consider that."

Agreed. I've been lobbying for that for years. I wish baseball would do away with the DH completely. But the one time it makes total sense, in the All-Star Game, it's only employed in AL parks.

So a few minutes before 2 p.m. on the far side of the NL clubhouse Tuesday, Barry Bonds* reclined in the chair in front of his locker, strapped a sock across his eyes and said, "Trey, wake me up at 2:45."

And Trey Griffey, Ken Jr.'s son, had a big responsibility.

"Hey Trey, make sure you charge him a couple of grand for that," Ken Jr. told his son.

Griffey's locker was about four down from that of Bonds*, with three empties between them. Griffey did take the occasion to kid his older teammate. Bonds turns 43 later this month; the oldest All-Star ever was Satchel Paige, who was 49 in 1953.

"Six more years to get Satchmo!" Griffey called toward Bonds, who was attempting to nap.

Then Griffey turned back toward a cluster of reporters at his locker and said, "You'll see him next year at Yankee Stadium."

Then Griffey broke everyone up by looking at ESPN television's Pedro Gomez and saying, "And you'll be covering him."

----

Part of the reason the Washington Nationals signed first baseman Dmitri Young was because general manager Jim Bowden figured perhaps Young would be a good trade chip come July.

So far, so good: Young is holding up his end of the deal, second in the NL with a .339 batting average.

Now. Is he expecting to spend August and September with a contender?

"If it happens, it happens," Young said. "I'm not thinking about it. I'm with a bunch of great guys in D.C. I really like it there."

----

Early-game reactions:

Loudest pregame boos: For Dodgers Russell Martin, Brad Penny and Takashi Saito.

Loudest pregame cheers: Giants outfielder Barry Bonds. They milked it, too, with the public address announcer allowing for extra time between introductions with Bonds.

Second-loudest pregame cheers: Giants manager Bruce Bochy, Oakland pitcher Dan Haren,

Best pregame move: Washington's Young removing his cap and shaking his Afro when he was introduced.

----

Commissioner Bud Selig was earnest, honest and typically non-committal about a vast array of things during a lunch with the Baseball Writers' Association of America on Tuesday afternoon, including his plans for attending Bonds' chase of Hank Aaron.

While it is widely believed that Selig will attend some of the games at which Bonds would be expected to hit No. 756, he said he will make that decision "at the appropriate time."

Most interesting from Selig regarding the Bonds stuff was that the commissioner remained intentionally vague on what he might do if the Giants were to hold Bonds out of a road game (or two or three) to position him to hit No. 756 in San Francisco.

"I'll determine that at the time," Selig said. "I would hope everybody uses good judgment, and I expect that they will."

Pressed on whether he would order the Giants to play Bonds if it came to that, Selig replied: "I'm reading a book about Albert Einstein right now, and this is not the Theory of Relativity. I'm 300 pages in, and I still don't know what the hell he's talking about. This is easy. Play the best players. If the player needs a day off because his knee is bothering him, then he isn't the best player that day."

On other issues:

•  He agreed that regulating September rosters might be a good idea so that a team with a flock of September call-ups doesn't decide to play all kids in what is a meaningful game for other teams in the stretch run. "I think that's a fair question," Selig said.

•  He said he likes the first round of the playoffs being a best-of-5 series. "On the other hand, to play 162 games, go through all that heartache and then be gone (from the playoffs) in three games, that's tough," Selig said.

•  On Game 7 of the World Series being scheduled for Nov. 1, Selig said this isn't a one-year shot. Most likely, he said, the schedule will continue to play out that way. "I'd like to figure out a way to end the season a little earlier and start the playoffs a little earlier," Selig said. But right now that's not feasible, he said, and "the objective for the sport is to have as many people see the World Series as possible. Starting on the night with the least television viewership (Saturday) didn't make any sense."

•  He said he has not decided on All-Star Game sites beyond 2009, when the game will be played in St. Louis.

•  He does not like agent Scott Boras' proposal to make the World Series a best-of-9 event with the first two games played at neutral sites. "Some teams play for decades to get into the World Series, and now you open 1,500 miles from home?" Selig said. "I'll leave it to what my friend Derek Jeter said: It's long enough now."

----

Likes: The trend toward signature players remaining with their organizations. Mark Buehrle with the White Sox, now Ichiro Suzuki with Seattle. One of the negatives in the free agency era is far too much player movement among teams. Fans find it harder and harder to follow where everybody goes. Baseball's current revenue sharing system isn't perfect, but it's far better than what we had 10 years ago and it does appear to be helping teams keep their players. Look at Minnesota with Johan Santana and Joe Mauer, and Cleveland with C.C. Sabathia. ... The pregame ceremony honoring Willie Mays was classy and well done. ... The Giants' cream-colored home uniforms, rather than the basic home whites. ... Ghirardelli chocolate in San Francisco. The hot fudge sundae at the Ghirardelli stand on the fifth level of AT&T Park made it seem like perhaps extra innings might be a good thing Tuesday night.

Dislikes: All-Star Game week always whizzes by so quickly. We need a pause button, man!

Rock and Roll lyric of the day:

"Man it's a hot one
"Like seven inches from the midday sun
"I hear you whisper and the words melt everyone
"But you stay so cool
"My mu equita my Spanish Harlem Mona Lisa
"You're my reason for reason
"The step in my groove."

-- Santana, Smooth

National League starting pitcher Jake Peavy, following a discussion with manager Tony La Russa on Monday's workout day, expects to go one inning tonight in the All-Star Game. The current NL plan is to follow him with Los Angeles' Brad Penny in the second inning.

Padres starter Chris Young, who won the Internet voting, has been told by La Russa to expect to pitch the fifth inning.

One inning and out is fine with Peavy, who had dinner with 17 family members at Morton's Steakhouse on Monday night and said nerves did not keep him awake.

"We talked about (La Russa) wanting to send us all back to our teams in the same shape we came here -- healthy," Peavy said.

The NL starting battery is interesting from the standpoint that Peavy will pitch to Los Angeles catcher Russell Martin. The way things stand now in the NL West, the Padres and Dodgers are positioned for a sprint to the finish.

Is it dangerous for the Padres from the perspective that Martin, by catching Peavy, could learn a few of the ace's more intimate pitching secrets and exploit them down the stretch?

"Naw," Peavy said. "With all the video, Russell knows how I work him and try to get him out. He's a really good catcher. I'm excited to work with him."

Martin, perhaps, might have other ideas. Asked whether he could learn anything the could help him in the future from catching Peavy, Martin grinned and replied: "I hope so. I really do hope so. I need it."

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No official word pregame who will follow starter Dan Haren to the mound, but AL manager Jim Leyland indicated to Boston's Josh Beckett that he'll be up next. That likely would leave Cleveland's C.C. Sabathia and Detroit's Justin Verlander as the Nos. 3 and 4 pitchers.

"I'm nervous about that," Sabathia said before the AL pregame batting practice. "I've never come out of the bullpen. Every game I've ever pitched, I've started.

"I'm going to talk to some of these guys like (J.J.) Putz and see what to do."

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Most talked about All-Star party: The Sabathia Birthday Bash/Playboy/Crown Royal party at the Galleria, which attracted a large percentage of the All-Stars themselves.

What a time for Sabathia, a native of Oakland, who not only gets to participate in an All-Star Game in his backyard, but who also was celebrating his 27th birthday early (it's July 21).

"We had a blast," Sabathia said. "I wasn't expecting anything like that. It was fun, though."

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Yankees catcher Jorge Posada, dreaming about next summer's All-Star Game that will be held in Yankee Stadium: "If I don't make another All-Star Game, I'd like to make that one. That's the perfect scenario."

So, in his castle (AT&T Park), in his kingdom (San Francisco) ... how should you expect to see Barry Bonds* pitched on Tuesday night? Sounds like Bonds* could see plenty of fastballs.

"I thought about that," said Detroit's Justin Verlander, whom you could see fairly early in Tuesday night's game. "I might just throw gas. I can't say for sure. But I like the challenge of throwing a fastball. I like that."

The more Verlander spoke, the more he liked the idea.

"I'd probably go, 'Here's my fastball, hit it' until I got to two strikes," Verlander said. "It would be really exciting if he put a good swing on one of my fastballs to see how far he hit it."

Cleveland's C.C. Sabathia spoke in similar tones. And the prediction here is that you may see him really early: It makes sense for AL manager Jim Leyland to follow right-handed starter Dan Haren with the lefty Sabathia and then come back to the right-handed Verlander.

"Fastballs," Sabathia said when asked how he'll work Bonds. "Why not? It's the All-Star Game. That's what the fans want to see.

"But if it gets to 2-and-0 or 3-and-0, I might lob it up there like a softball."

As he spoke, Sabathia made an exaggerated under-hand motion.

To which I couldn't resist asking: "Really? You'd throw it underhanded?"

Sabathia, laughing: "I might, just to get it there. I don't want to get booed in this park. I don't want to walk him."

That's one thing, unlike in the regular season, that you probably won't see.

"I'm going to answer this question even though it hasn't been asked," Leyland said. "I will not intentionally walk Barry Bonds in the All-Star Game."

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Leyland, who managed Bonds* in Pittsburgh, remains fond of him.

"I'm so happy for Barry," Leyland said. "I said the other day, what's so wonderful to me, it appears to me that a lot of parts of the country evidently voted for him. I don't think San Francisco could swing that much to get him in the starting lineup.

"I think it's a great tribute to a great career. I do talk to him from time to time, but I'm looking forward to having a chance to spend a little time with him.

"He'll probably blow me off, but I'm looking forward to it anyways."

With that, Leyland elicited quite a bit of laughter in the press conference.

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The Mets' Jose Reyes remains one of the game's most dangerous weapons on the basepaths, though NL manager Tony La Russa said he wasn't sure how much he would ask Reyes to steal if Reyes reaches base because, well, one of a manager's duties in the All-Star Game is to return the players to the organizations to which they belong in good health.

When I asked Reyes whether his legs were sore or tired and whether he'd be able to swipe any bases in the game, he smiled and said, basically, you bet.

"I'm going to play the game the way I play the game," Reyes said. "If I get a chance, I'm going to take the chance."

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A cute Mets feature in Shea Stadium apparently will make its way west. "Speaking Spanish with Professor Reyes", or something titled close to that, is a very popular feature on the scoreboard in Queens.

In it, Reyes essentially "teaches" the fans a new Spanish word or phrase such as "fiesta." After the crowd responds, the Shea Stadium scoreboard operator runs one of two choices of a Reyes response: Either one that tells the fans they did very well, or one in which he tells them they did poorly and let's try it again.

"It's going to be great," Reyes said. "People like it. Albert Pujols likes it. Andruw Jones likes it.

"Every guy likes it."

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Entertaining moments in the Tony La Russa-Jim Leyland friendship: La Russa attended Monday morning's press conference to announce the starting lineups in a regular shirt, while Leyland wore a sport coat over his shirt.

"I'm a little sore, we talked about coming to this thing today, and I asked him what to wear and he said, 'Oh, it's California, don't worry about a sport coat,'" La Russa said. "He got me already."

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We had the Thrilla in Manilla with between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier.

Might we have the Fray by the Bay sometime in the next day or so? San Diego pitcher Chris Young and the Cubs' Derek Lee, combatants in the Padres-Cubs brawl in Wrigley Field last month, are here sharing the NL clubhouse.

"I haven't even seen him yet," Lee said Monday. "It's not even an issue."

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Most enjoyable part of an All-Star Game? Mets third baseman David Wright, participating in his second game, says it's simple.

"Being around the guys," Wright says. "Getting to the clubhouse early, talking to guys about what happened during the first half. I'm always a big fan of Big Papi -- I love David Ortiz. He's always great to me. I love Pujols, Griffey.

"Baseball's a big fraternity, unlike some other sports. The older guys put their arms around the younger guys."

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Ortiz, as is his custom, attended the press conference dressed to the nines, with a snazzy suit and designer sunglasses. Torii Hunter wore a black sport coat with a large hyena stitched across most of the left front. He said it was a tribute to his former teammate, the late Hall of Famer Kirby Puckett. Puckett referred to himself as a "hyena", Hunter explained, and he's now taken up the title.

Can't say I've ever seen a hyena on a sports coat before.

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The NL is 0-9-1 in the past 10 All-Star Games dating back to Philadelphia in 1996, which means the guys on the AL club face the pressure of screwing it up for their league every year -- especially with World Series home-field advantage riding on the outcome.

"I haven't thought about that," AL first baseman Justin Morneau said. "You look at our lineup, it's strong. I was trying to figure out the other day where you hit guys. We like our chances."

----

Hunter, who can be a free agent this winter, on his future: "My main goal is to try to be with the Twins. I've been with those guys for 15 years."

Minnesota manager Ron Gardenhire, here as one of Jim Leyland's coaches, on Hunter's place with the Twins: "You've got pin holes and you've got man holes. Torii Hunter leaving us would be a man hole."

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A radio guy from England asked David Ortiz who the David Beckham of baseball is.

I had to stop for a minute and think, because I have as much interest in soccer as I do in knitting. Beckham, hmmm ... I did see his wife dressed in hot pants at Dodger Stadium a couple of weeks back, the former Spice Girl, and that sparked some interest.

"Maybe Alex," Ortiz said, bending A-Rod as the Beckham of baseball.

Not yourself, the radio guy asked, clearly surprised.

"I'm second," Ortiz replied, grinning.

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Who knew Seattle's J.J. Putz was such a big star? Granted, the guy is having an underrated and sensational year as closer for the Mariners. But Detroit's Justin Verlander said Monday the coolest thing about coming to his first All-Star Game was meeting everybody.

Favorite guy he's met?

"J.J. Putz," Verlander said. "He's really cool. And David Ortiz. Ichiro, he was cool."

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Might there be a revisiting of the game in Milwaukee, when Bonds* picked up Hunter after Hunter robbed the big man of a home run?

"If he hits one out there, he might (pick me up) because if he hits one out there, I'm going to take it away," Hunter said.

----

The AL's current 10-game unbeaten streak is the second longest in All-Star Game history. The NL won 11 consecutive from 1972-1982.

Likes: AT&T Park. It remains one of the most gorgeous settings in the game. ... The weather -- it is postcard perfect here in San Francisco. ... Hall of Famer Willie McCovey handing out bats to the Home Run Derby participants. ... Hall of Famer Al Kaline's presence here as an honorary captain of the AL. ... Trevor Hoffman's son sitting with him at the interview table during the NL press conference sessions on Monday. The kid can learn a whole lot from dad. ... The Counting Crows' two-song set before the Home Run Derby, including Mr. Jones and Accidentally in Love. ... Michaelangelo's Café in San Francisco's North Beach. ...Beard Papa's Fresh Cream Puffs on Mission here. The vanilla bean cream puffs are exceptional.

Dislikes: The ... Home ... Run ... Derby. But that's just me. On a larger scale, I'm for anything that helps baseball thrive, so if people want to watch it, great. I'll just let you sit there for three hours. I'll watch the game.

Rock and Roll Lyric of the Day:

"I know the rent is in arrears
"The dog has not been fed in years
"It's even worse than it appears
"But it's all right."

-- Grateful Dead, Touch of Grey

I don't know that you can actually measure it in units like they do on your utility bill, but one of the fun things about coming into a city for a big event such as the All-Star Game is the palpable electricity you can feel practically from the moment you step off of the airplane.

Oh, the game is great, the other events like the FanFest are cool and it's always quite a thing to see so many great baseball players in one locale.

But some of my favorite moments involve simply walking around the city and soaking it all in.

Not that there's much time to do that, what with all of the interviews, press conferences and writing that buries most of us writers during these three days, but I did get out a bit Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning. The ballpark was mostly deserted Saturday -- the proverbial calm before the storm -- other than a handful of folks walking around and taking pictures.

Not surprisingly, one of the more popular photo-op stops appeared to be the exquisitely well-done Willie Mays statue on Willie Mays Plaza outside of AT&T Park. Lots of people were posing by the statue of Willie finishing one of his powerful swings in classic Mays style.

All-Star week signs are everywhere -- on the sides of city busses, on flags attached to light posts downtown, on city buildings, and there's even an "'07 ASG" insignia etched into each pane of glass in the landmark Westin St. Francisco Hotel's revolving door entrance on Powell St -- near the site where then-President Gerald Ford survived an assassination attempt by Sara Jane Moore on Sept. 22, 1975.

Given the combination of weather that's expected (Sunday was just gorgeous, warm and sunny), the postcard-perfect ballpark and the event itself, it's difficult to imagine this not being a memorable week.

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All-Star-worthy quote from Cubs manager Lou Piniella last week, in case you missed it, after the club walked Washington's Ryan Zimmerman intentionally to load the bases in hopes of setting up a double play with Dmitri Young coming to the plate. Young blasted a grand slam.

Quoth Piniella: "We tried to set up a double play, but the shortstop doesn't play in the bullpen."

Likes: Gotta admit, my ears perked up while awaiting my flight Saturday when a lady came over the public address system in the San Diego airport and paged Pedro Martinez. I don't think it was that Pedro Martinez, being that he's off on an injury rehab assignment in hopes of returning to the Mets in August, but the name sure stuck out. ... Willie Mays Plaza at AT&T Park, and the statues of Mays and Willie McCovey. They're really good, and down in San Diego, the Padres were smart to employ the designer of the statues in commissioning a work featuring Tony Gwynn, who will be inducted into the Hall of Fame later this month. ... Mets general manager Omar Minaya walking the sidewalks of San Francisco on Sunday morning looking like any other tourist -- shorts, a shirt and a Mets cap. ... Hearing Tony Bennett's I Left My Heart in San Francisco piped over the hotel sound system in the lobby upon walking in to check in the other day.

Dislikes: All the construction at the Oakland airport. But it needs to be done, because what a brutal airport it is.

Rock and Roll Lyric of the Day:

"I left my heart in San Francisco
"High on a hill it calls to me
"To be where little cable cars
"Climb halfway to the stars."

-- Douglass Cross and George Cory, I Left My Heart in San Francisco

What you'll be talking about next week: All-Stars, cable cars and McCovey Cove. You'll no doubt be spending all sorts of quality time debating the pros and cons of who's been selected and who's been snubbed. For now, though, here's a couple of tips if you're planning on voting online for the final roster spot in each league: San Diego's Chris Young deserves the final spot in the NL and it's difficult to see how Twins' set-up man Pat Neshek isn't an All-Star. I know he's a set-up man and they're often overlooked, but stop over looking: The guy has allowed just five earned runs in 35 2/3 innings. He's 3-0 with a 1.26 ERA. Plus, he throws with that way cool submarine-style delivery.

What I'll be talking about: Carlos Beltran's legs. No, you sicko, not in THAT way. Rather, like this: If Beltran is going to start in center field in the All-Star Game -- and he's been voted in to do so, even though Alfonso Soriano should be starting instead -- he's going to have to cover most of the outfield. Barry Bonds will be starting in left field, and the statue of Willie Mays outside of AT&T Park now has more range than Bonds. So Beltran is going to have to play all of center field and half of left field. Oh, and Ken Griffey Jr. is starting in right field, and he isn't exactly as fleet as he once was, either.

What you should be talking about: All-Star games past and present, the beautiful city of San Francisco and, before we get there, the AL Central race. Minnesota had an excellent weekend in Detroit, and the Twins, Tigers and Indians should sprint to the finish. Minnesota is missing two key words from last season: "Francisco Liriano", which is going to make it really difficult for the Twins to pull off the magic they performed last season in storming back to win the division. Also, Kansas City is serving notice that its coming on: The Royals in June put together their first winning month since July, 2003. Third baseman Alex Gordon, after a wretched start, has really turned into the player the Royals thought he would.

What they'll be talking about in the AL: How about Detroit's schedule into the All-Star break? After taking on Minnesota over the weekend, the Tigers host first-place Cleveland for three games beginning Tuesday and then host Boston for three beginning on Friday. Talk about heavyweight battles. The symbol for this stretch of the Tigers' schedule should be the statue of Joe Louis' fist in downtown Detroit.

What you'll be talking about real soon: Bonds*, Barry Bonds*. After popping his 750th homer on Friday night in San Francisco, the giant Giant is only five away from tying Hank Aaron and six from breaking baseball's all-time home run record. The Giants finish the first half of the season with a six-game trip to Cincinnati (bandbox ballpark) and St. Louis, which could bring Bonds* even closer to Aaron by the break.

Likes: Cal Ripken and Tony Gwynn did a nice job on the All-Star selection television show. Though neither was particularly critical, watching two men about to be inducted into baseball's Hall of Fame talk about the game is a pretty good way to spend a summer's evening. Particularly good was Ripken telling the kids watching that one thing he likes about Barry Bonds is that Bonds chokes up and hits all those homers, so it's OK for the kids to choke up. ... The television commercials promoting the All-Star Game showing the players on the cable cars in San Francisco. Very well done, especially when they all go careening into McCovey Cove. Nice touch. ... The film Ratatoullie didn't quite live up to the critics raves, but it was pretty clever. ... The marquee outside a Chicago bar across from Wrigley Field during this weekend's Cubs-Brewers series that read, "Brew Crew Has No Clue."

Dislikes: Six days after the aborted deal with Florida and Jacque Jones remains chained to the Chicago Cubs bench. Free Jacque Jones!

Rock and Roll Lyric of the Day:

"I never saw the East Coast 'til I moved to the West
"I never saw the moonlight 'til it shone off your breast
"I never saw your heart 'til someone tried to steal it, steal it away
"I never saw your tears 'til they rolled down your face"

-- Tom Waits, San Diego Serenade