Cristian Guzman's first All-Star game was Cal Ripken's last. On July 10, 2001, in Seattle, Washington's SAFECO Field, the Baltimore Orioles' Hall of Fame shortstop started at short before stepping over to third for then-Rangers' shortstop Alex Rodriguez, who'd been voted in as the starter, and whose idea it was for Ripken to begin the game in the position he manned expertly for most of twenty-one Major League seasons with the O's. After Ripken for an inning, A-Rod and then Derek Jeter at short for the American League, Minnesota shortstop Cristian Guzman got his shot as a pinch hitter in the bottom of the seventh with Yankees' catcher Jorge Posada on third, two outs and Cards' righty Matt Morris on the mound for the trailing National League...Guzman struck out, and then played the top of the eighth and ninth innings in the field in the AL's 4-1 win ...( Ripken, you'll remember, homered in his final All-Star at bat, taking the first pitch of the third inning from Dodgers' pitcher Chan Ho Park for a ride...) Guzman might get some time in the field tonight, as one of only three shortstops on the NL's roster...What to expect? What do you think? One of the 2 triples? 5 HR's? or 26 doubles Guzman's connected on out of the 126 hits he has in 405 '08 AB's? Or, more likely...another one of the 93 slap singles Guzman's collected so far this season on his way to leading the National League in hits at the Break.. . Guzman's "1st Half" #'s - ...
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