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Long wait pays off as Cook excels in extras

Pitcher throws three scoreless innings; Holliday hits homer

By Tracy Ringolsby, Rocky Mountain News

Published July 16, 2008 at 12:44 a.m.

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Aaron Cook delivers a pitch during the 12th inning, his third and final inning of the game.

Photo by Kathy Willens / Associated Press

Aaron Cook delivers a pitch during the 12th inning, his third and final inning of the game.

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All Rockies right-hander Aaron Cook wanted was a chance to pitch in the All-Star Game.

"It's special being here, but you don't want to just be a bystander," he said before Tuesday's game.

Cook wasn't.

His opportunity didn't come until the 10th inning, but he put on a brilliant display in that inning of what has allowed him to move into the class of elite pitchers. He then took advantage of a break to escape the 11th without giving up a run and got out of another jam in the 12th.

His performance kept the National League in the game, which the American League finally won 4-3 in 15 innings.

"(Bob McClure) always said, 'Keep your emotions under wraps,' " Cook said of his former minor league pitching coach. "Be calm and make quality pitches."

McClure, now the pitching coach for Kansas City, would have been proud.

Rockies teammate Matt Holliday gave the National League an early lead, leading off the fifth inning with a home run . It was Holliday's first hit in his seventh All-Star at-bat and the second All-Star home run by a Rockies player (Todd Helton, 2003).

Rockies manager Clint Hurdle had held Cook because of the possibility of extra innings. It turned out he was needed.

Two pitches into the bottom of the 10th, Cook found himself with runners on first and third, through no fault of his own.

Texas' Michael Young grounded Cook's first pitch to the right side of the infield and it went off the glove of Florida second baseman Dan Uggla for an error. Carlos Quentin hit the next pitch at Uggla, the ball skipping between Uggla's legs for another error.

After Hurdle ordered an intentional walk to Carlos Guillen to load the bases with nobody out, Cook let his sinker do the work.

Grady Sizemore and Evan Longoria grounded into back-to-back forceouts at the plate and Houston shortstop Miguel Tejada made a strong play on Justin Morneau's chopper, getting Morneau by a half-step at first.

In the 11th, Cook gave up a leadoff single to Texas second baseman Ian Kinsler, but with Cook's quick delivery, catcher Russell Martin of Los Angeles was able to throw out Kinsler attempting to steal second on a pitchout.

Cook then walked Tampa Bay catcher Dioner Navarro and gave up back-to-back singles to Boston's J.D. Drew and Young, but got a lift when home plate umpire Derryl Cousins called out Navarro when he attempted to score from second. Quentin then grounded out to end the inning.

Guillen led off the 12th with a double off the left-field wall and Sizemore grounded out to second. Cook then struck out Longoria and after an intentional walk to Morneau, Kinsler grounded out to third to end the inning, and Cook's night was done.

"I had a blast," Cook said. "This is something a lot of people are going to remember for a long time, the last All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium."

Comments

  • July 16, 2008

    6:31 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    Hambone writes:

    Knowing we have Apodaca instead of McClure is absolutely brutal.

  • July 16, 2008

    10:07 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    Chadley25 writes:

    Cook was brilliant. I'm still a little bitter that the AL won again, but Cook did his job very, very well. Not even Dan Uggla's nightmarish evening could mar the amazing job that Cook did.

  • July 16, 2008

    10:43 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    lovetherocks writes:

    Aaron Cook.....what a composed, brilliant job he did! We need more hardworking, team-oriented (not a me-me) players like him. It seems he plays the game because he loves the game. Now, take Holliday for instance: gifted, strong, but terribly selfish. Greed has taken over his soul and the whole team has suffered because of that. Some on.....$100 million not enough? Remember it is the love of money that will sink him. Think about it Matt: how about being loyal to the organization that gave you a chance to play baseball? You want loyalty and adoration: you can have it here but you need to be loyal in return. Dump your greedy agent and go back to the one you had before. And start playing the game because you love it, not because you love money. Your life here will be happier.

  • July 16, 2008

    12:26 p.m.

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    arvada_mark writes:

    It's nice our guys showed up last night. Cook could have easily been the MVP. But there's no stopping that juggernaut they call the eastern media, so they all voted for their guy. Plenty of guys had 2 hits last night. Drew did nothing any more special than half a dozen other guys. No game winning hit, heck, not even a lead garnering hit. His homer merely tied the game. But wait, this is the great Red S-u-x Notion. How about the MVP being the guy who actually won the game for them? Sounds crazy, I know, but Young did make the winning stroke, something Drew failed at doing. Even better, how about Uggla for MVP of the AL squad. I mean that was bad. 3 errors is bad enough, but then 3 strikeouts as well. Didn't he hit into a double play also? And what about Hurdle not shaking hands with the Hall of Fame managers during the pregame introductions?

  • July 16, 2008

    12:34 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    arvada_mark writes:

    lovetherocks, so you are saying you would take a $100 million contract from the Rox (who have no commitment to winning on an annual basis) over the $200 million the Yankees, probably, will offer him (a club that has a bad year every year it doesn't win a title)?
    Wow, forgive me if I don't believe you. I mean, $100mil is nice, but there is nobody in the world who can honestly say that $200mil is not better. I am going out on a limb here, but I will say that $200mil is just about twice as good as $100mil.

  • July 16, 2008

    2:45 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    janfan writes:

    Cook was the highlight of the long, rather dull game. I was glad the announcers acknowledged the great pitching he did. It was also good to see Holliday hit the 1st homerun/run of the game. The Rockies showed up great in the game, whereas the topdogs, uberstars did nothing for their team. Hmm, wonder if the Rockies FO saw it that way.

    I agree with arvada_mark that Drew as MVP was lame. But, giving him a big, honk'n, gas-guzzling, SUV as a prize was just a joke. These guys are filthy rich. He can buy his own and not miss the money! It dimishes the honor of the award in my mind. And the choice of winner makes the honor meaningless. If they had to pick someone from the winning team then, yeah, it should have been Uggla. He did more for the AL than anyone else.

    I gotta agree with lovetherocks, too. Holliday is supposed to be a nice, unegotistical, family-loving guy with his head on straight. If so, why would he need more than the Rockies can afford? (noone is worth $150 mil. IMO - how much does one need to live a luxurious life??) If money is more important to him than the Rockies, his life in CO, and the quality of life for his family, then I will be disappointed in him and lose respect. Yeah, it's a business. I wonder how much say he has, if any, in a trade made by the FO. I just can't imagine he wouldn't be able to go to them and say "I'd really like to stay and work something out", but what do I know? I think after his performance at the ASG it's more obvious the Rockies need him for the team, the fans, and to promote the Rockies.