M's ask, what about Bell?
ARLINGTON, Texas - It may be hard for any team with four All-Star starters to wish they had more.
But last night the Mariners did - even with Ichiro, who will almost certainly start in center field for the American League, and Edgar Martinez, Bret Boone and John Olerud being voted to the opening lineup next Tuesday.
With playful cynicism that translated to "fix, fix," and "we wuz robbed," many felt in the clubhouse that David Bell should have been voted in at third base.
Instead, in what appears to be one of baseball's great comebacks, Cal Ripken Jr. got some 550,047 votes in the final days (558,336 previously) to overhaul Bell.
Amid calls for a recount, and for Katherine Harris to take over the vote, and jokes about hanging chads and butterfly ballots, there was a real feeling something hinky somehow happened with the vote.
"You know what happened," outfielder Mike Cameron said. "Cal made one appearance on national TV last week, and it got out the vote. He's going to go, and he deserves to go with his great career, like I assume Tony Gwynn will be on the NL team. But now David's not going to make it.
"I'm not going to touch that other stuff. We don't know what happened, but you gotta accept it was straight."
At this point, another Mariner who seems likely to miss is Cameron, who finished fourth in the three-way outfield vote.
"I got more than a million votes, and that's unbelievable," the Seattle center fielder said. "I have no hard feelings about missing, none at all. Although ... it would have been sweet to come out of that tunnel with my Mariner colleagues, like we did Opening Day."
Cameron said he'll be at the FanFest in Seattle, and the Home Run Derby on Monday. "I may not be playing," he said. "But I'm taking my son (Dazmon), and we're going to enjoy ourselves."
AL officials may not enjoy assembling the rest of their team. The league this year is short of pitching east of the Cascades and long on first basemen, with Oakland's Jason Giambi seemingly belonging on the team, and Mike Sweeney of Kansas City and Fred McGriff of Tampa Bay also logical representatives.
Statistically, Seattle could have as many as three or four pitchers on an All-Star staff of 11, in addition to the one lock, closer Kazu Sasaki. If Roger Clemens chooses not to show, a Mariner could start on the mound.
Realistically, one or two Mariners in addition to Sasaki could be on the mound.
The Big Four said all the appropriate things last night, with many references to the honor and privilege involved.
And each spoke about the baseball wonderland that is Seattle this summer.
"This many starters shows that Seattle has really turned into a baseball city," said Martinez, a six-time All-Star. "Hopefully, there will be more of us. I think our team deserves that."
Ordinarily, the Mariners' 38-year-old designated hitter might prefer taking days off at this time of the season.
"Not this year," he said with a smile. "With the game in Seattle, I wanted to be there. To be voted to the starting team makes it very special."
Doing all that in the city of his birth, makes it even more special for Olerud, an All-Star for the second time.
"This is a tribute to the season our club is having and to our fans," the first baseman said. "But I don't know if I'll get enough tickets for family and friends. This isn't like another home game, though. This is different, very different."
It doesn't get any different than for Ichiro - only the 18th rookie to start the All-Star Game, only the sixth voted to start and the first rookie outfielder to start since Tony Oliva in 1964.
"I've played only three months here, and I never imagined I'd be elected," the outfielder said. "I always try to get better for them."
For weeks, Ichiro has been saying he did not know for sure he would be voted in. He confirmed that yesterday, by revealing that he bought All-Star tickets.
"I wanted to be sure to go to the game," he said.
For Boone, a two-time All-Star, this season is far different than last, which was ruined by a knee injury.
"They should name more of our guys Wednesday, for the season we're having," the infielder said. "With what's going on in Seattle, with all the fun going on, there couldn't be a better place to play an All-Star Game or a better time to play it."
But Bell, who finished only 45,000 votes behind Ripken, seemingly has no chance of playing next Tuesday.
"It would have been nice, that's about all I can say," the third baseman said. "I'd have been happy to go, but I'm happy for Cal. For all he's given to the game and the fans, he deserves it."
He was not surprised to be out-voted.
"Maybe if it was two years ago and I had the numbers (21 homers, 78 RBI), I'd be more disappointed."
Listening to teammates kid him about being ripped off, a reporter asked Bell if he thought the vote from Broward County, Fla., had turned it around for Ripken.
"This is a little less important," he said, "than the vote they had in Florida."
Bob Finnigan can be reached at 206-464-276 or bfinnigan@seattletimes.com.