By STEVE SERBY
Posted: 7:10 am
July 14, 2008
The Post's Steve Serby sat down with the reigning AL MVP and starting third baseman tomorrow night in the final All-Star Game to be held in the House That Ruth Built.
Q: Your first All-Star Game?
A: Philadelphia (1996), I was such a young lad at the time. I remember doing kinda like a mini-press conference as every player gets interviewed by dozens of reporters, and I remember having Cal Ripken walk through the room . . . and I think I saw Moses walk in! (smiles). It was awesome. The sea parted a little bit, he came in, gave me a hug, said "Congratulations,"
. . . it made me realize at 19 years old where I was, among so many stars and people that I respected.
Q: How did the idea come to you to let Cal Ripken play your position in the 2001 game?
A: The idea came to me about a week before the game; I called (Joe) Torre up and I said, "I'm sure the world would like to see Cal at short one more time, I'm sure he would enjoy it," and Torre ran it through the office in New York, everyone approved, and (chuckles) everyone in the stadium kinda knew what was going on except Cal Ripken. It was just a nice moment for him, for baseball and for the game.
Q: Your favorite All-Star moment as a hitter?
A: Probably the home run I hit in Colorado (1998).
Q: Who'd you hit if off ?
A: Andy Ashby.
Q: All-Star memories as a child?
A: My All-Star memory - it's kinda why I wear the white shoes
- I remember Keith Hernandez and Gary Carter and (Darryl)
Strawberry always wearing the white shoes to the All-Star Game. I thought it was cool, like, "Look at those guys with white
shoes." And then I said, "If I ever make an All-Star Game, I'm gonna get Nike to make me some white shoes," and I've done that
for like 12 years.
Q: If you were organizing an All-Star Game Home Run Derby, which five players would you pick?
A: Ted Williams; Barry Bonds; Ken Griffey; Reggie Jackson and Hank Aaron.
Q: What do you envision the All-Star Game atmosphere at Yankee Stadium to be like?
A: It's gonna remind people of the '84 Olympics in Los Angeles
. . . something that happens once every 20, 30 years, and the fact that it's the last one here makes it very special.
Q: World Series ring or alltime home run champion?
A: World Series ring.
Q: Why?
A: Nothing can duplicate being a world champion. When you lace it up in December, and you start getting ready for a long season, and you lace it up at spring training, it's about one
thought, about being a world champion.
Q: Why is being a New York Yankee so addicting?
A: You get to do neat things with an ill kid (cancer patient
John Challis) who's so courageous and brave, and you think about Virginia Tech and what we were able to do this year and how you influence people, and how really it transcends sports. And then obviously there's this Power of the Pinstripes, where when you put it on you feel like you're playing with . . . some of our great ghosts that played in this place, a stadium like this. I can go and on about that.
