There was no grand send-off for Arkansas native A.J. Burnett. No carefully choreographed moment to honor his career at Tuesday night's MLB All-Star game. He's not Mariano Rivera or Derek Jeter -- the players for whom the last two All-Star games also served as retirement parties.
Burnett, 38, suited up Tuesday for the first time as an MLB All-Star. Although he's been a productive big-leaguer for 17 seasons, it wasn't until this season -- his final season, he says -- that Burnett was elected an All-Star by his peers. He even had custom Batman-inspired cleats made for his All-Star trip.
One problem, though: Burnett never got called out of the bullpen. National League Manager Bruce Bochy had his chances, too. He could have, for instance, gone to Burnett instead of Francisco Rodriguez in the seventh inning.
Burnett wasn't the only NL pitcher who didn't play. Michael Wacha, Carlos Martinez, Jonathan Papelbon and Shelby Miller didn't pitch either; such is the nature of the All-Star game when you're a pitcher.
Give credit to Burnett, he didn't fume afterward. He said he was only half disappointed and gave an amusing reason why:
"I don't know how good I would've been at 11 o'clock at night anyway," Burnett said.
After the game, Burnett was in good enough spirits to take pictures and sign autographs with baseball fans in Cincinnati.
Wilkinson vs. Royal
Brad Dickson of the Omaha (Neb.) World-Herald, after Oklahoma and Texas went 1-2 in the Miss USA Pageant: "Or, as Oklahoma and Texas football fans wistfully call that, 'the good old days.' "
Road block
Organizers have nixed an event to temporarily put soon-to-be baseball Hall of Famer Randy Johnson's name on a Phoenix freeway that is permanently named for an Arizona soldier killed in combat during the Iraq war.
Johnson wore the number "51" while playing for the Arizona Diamondbacks, and Gov. Doug Ducey had planned to participate in a now-canceled event Friday to unveil signage for State Route 51 honoring Johnson.
The Diamondbacks announced the cancellation in a news release late Tuesday, saying concerns expressed by Pfc. Lori Piestewa's family were understandable.
The Diamondbacks said none of the organizers wanted to pursue the event, noting that Johnson has visited troops overseas and is working with Wounded Warriors.
Johnson's Hall of Fame induction is scheduled July 26.
Close but ...
Henrik Stenson has flirted with his first major championship on several occasions, including three top-three finishes in the British Open.
The Swedish golfer was asked Wednesday what it would mean to his career if he failed to capture one of the biggest titles.
After joking that he would be "devastated," Stenson noted how far he's come.
"If I look at the big picture, how much I've managed to achieve coming from a little junior in Sweden, standing there practicing, dreaming about playing golf worldwide and competing in the big events, I think I've come a very long way," Stenson said. A major title "would be icing on the cake, no question, but I would still go to sleep fairly happy even if it didn't happen. It's a bonus, and I'm trying hard to make it happen."
Sports quiz
Bud Wilkinson played football and this other sport while at the University of Minnesota.
Sports answer
Ice hockey
Sports on 07/16/2015