Projo Sports Blog

July 10 (Bloomberg) -- Mariano Rivera usually closes games at Yankee Stadium. Next week, he may get to start one there for the American League All-Stars.

Boston's Terry Francona, the AL manager for the All-Star Game, refused to rule out picking the New York Yankees' relief ace as his starting pitcher or his closer for the July 15 game in the Bronx.

Rivera has saved 23 games this season and 466 in his 14- year career with the Yankees. Major League Baseball is holding next week's All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium to honor the final season of the 85-year-old ballpark. Rivera, Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez will be representing the Yankees.

Francona said he'll reveal the American League's starting pitcher at a press conference the day before the game.

"Everything and everybody and every situation will be treated with the utmost respect to where we are playing," Francona said today on a conference call with reporters "We are supposed to win the game, and that's what we are going to try to do."

Francona will manage the American League and Clint Hurdle of the Colorado Rockies will lead the National League because their teams won their leagues and played in the World Series last season. The Red Sox swept the Rockies in four games for the championship.

Rivera hasn't started a game since his rookie year, when he started 10. Starting the All-Star Game would insure the right- hander makes an appearance in a meaningful situation. He normally enters in the eighth or ninth inning to try to seal a victory.

 Tags  All-Star Game Boston Red Sox Mariano Rivera New York Yankees Terry Francona

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