t's the final All-Star Game at Fenway Park before Boston sports a new state-of-the-art ballpark early in the next millennium.
Tom Glavine
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A fitting scenario for the final All-Star Game of the century would include Roger Clemens, Mo Vaughn, Wade Boggs, and, yes, Tom Glavine.
The first three had long and illustrious careers for the Red Sox. For Glavine, who was born in Concord and grew up in Billerica, and is a six-time All-Star (most of any Massachusetts-born player), it would have been a heartfelt honor to play in his home state, right up there with his two Cy Young Awards, World Series MVP, and world championship with the Braves in 1995.
But, like the trio of ex-Sox, he won't be at Fenway tomorrow night.
''It's a little disappointing,'' said Glavine, whose nine-inning no-decision against the Red Sox Saturday left him with a 7-8 record and 4.14 ERA, his first sub-.500 record at the break since 1988, when he was 3-9. ''Obviously, Fenway is the ballpark where I grew up and where my emotions are. I've had a chance to play there and I would love to see the Braves and the Red Sox play in the World Series. That would be magical. But the All-Star Game would have been special, too. I just picked the wrong time to have the kind of year I'm having. If the game had been played a little later, maybe I could have rebounded and made it.''
Glavine's first two months were a nightmare, reminiscent of his early years with the Braves. He was 3-6 with a 4.99 ERA the first two months of the season, then came back in June with a 3-1 mark and 3.60 ERA. In his last six starts, Glavine is 4-1 with a 2.74 ERA, looking more like baseball's winningest active lefthander.
''I don't want to see the All-Star break,'' said Glavine. ''I would have liked to have seen it in April, but not now. I'm pitching pretty well now.''
When he was named to the All-Star team in 1991 and '92, it was the first time a pitcher had started back-to-back All-Star Games. But the '92 game was also one he'd like to forget - after setting an All-Star record at the time for most hits allowed in one game (nine) and in an inning.
In '92 he was 13-3 (en route to a 20-8 season) with a 2.57 ERA when Braves manager Bobby Cox tabbed him as the All-Star starter. Nine singles and five runs later on a balmy night in San Diego, Cox took out his ace.
''It was one of those nights when they hit everything I threw,'' recalled Glavine. ''I don't think I was doing anything wrong mechanically, but every pitcher goes through a time when he has an awful time of it. It just so happened it was during the All-Star Game, and I felt pretty lousy about it. It was embarrassing to pitch like that in front of all those great players and on national television, but in many ways I'm glad I got it out of my system in a game that didn't count in the standings for us.''
In his first All-Star Game in '91 in Toronto, Glavine, 12-4 with a 1.98 ERA at the break, was tabbed as the starter by Cincinnati's Lou Piniella. At the pregame press conference, American League leadoff hitter Rickey Henderson was asked about facing Glavine, to which he responded, ''Who?'' Henderson knew exactly who Glavine was when he popped out in foul territory to start the game.
And Henderson would surely know who Glavine was after the Braves lefthander won the Cy Young in '91 and again in 1998.
Glavine's success has spurred a greater interest in New England players by major league scouts, who now look at cold-weather pitchers as arms with less wear and tear than those of warm-weather pitchers.
A pioneer of sorts, Glavine's presence as a local kid in a Boston All-Star Game would have been poetic if not fitting.
''Who knows?'' he said. ''Maybe I'll still be pitching when the next one comes to Boston.''
