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CNN Live At Daybreak

Decision to End Baseball's All-Star Game Angers Fans

Aired July 10, 2002 - 06:40   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Did you watch the All-Star Game last night? Are you mad? The decision to end baseball's All-Star Game in a tie was greeted with boos and projectiles from very angry fans in Milwaukee. It's been several hours now since the game was called. I think it ended at 12:30 a.m. Eastern Time. Have the fans cooled down at all you ask?

Reporter Jenna Meuller from our Milwaukee affiliate WTMJ is here to tell us.

Good morning, Jenna.

JENNA MEULLER, WTMJ-TV REPORTER: Well good morning, Carol.

This morning fans are describing it as a bit of a baseball hangover I guess you could call it. There was so much anticipation here in Milwaukee for the game, a new stadium to show off, months of planning and then disappointment.

This is what we're looking at right here. This is the headline in this morning's Milwaukee "Journal Sentinel," "Fit to be Tied." Underneath you can see fans booing and giving the thumbs down. And this was really Milwaukee's night to shine. Milwaukee did shine, wonderful pre-game ceremonies, wonderful plays during the game, however, there is disappointment.

Joining us now is Victor Hazelwood.

Thank you for joining us this morning. You're up early. Did you catch the game at all last night?

VICTOR HAZELWOOD, BASEBALL FAN: Yes, I did. I caught it up to like the eighth inning.

MEULLER: So you didn't make it to the end. Now do you understand why fans are a little bit upset, not a little bit, some of them are very upset, actually?

HAZELWOOD: Yes, I got some people who came from California and came up like Florida and everything, spent like $3,000, $4,000, $5,000 I think I guess they would be a little upset.

MEULLER: Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig, Milwaukee's his hometown. He was actually booed for his decision. He said it was a no win situation for him. Do you agree with that or do you think there's something he could have done?

HAZELWOOD: I don't think he could have did anything. If they ran out of players and everything, they still have the season going on and so like they have to worry about the rest of the season. So it wasn't his fault and everything that they ran out of players. They have to give him like more players.

MEULLER: All right. There's been a lot of talk in baseball, there's been controversy of talk of a possible strike, there's been talk about steroid use. Do you think that the All-Star Game is kind of supposed to be a time to just think about baseball? Do you think that this kind of ruined it or do you think it was still a good game to watch?

HAZELWOOD: I feel still a good game and everything all the way up until the end because the people came, they had a good time, they partied and everything. So it was all good until that last controversy.

MEULLER: Which you didn't see anyway.

HAZELWOOD: No, no, I saw it on the morning news.

MEULLER: All right, thank you very much for joining us.

And what really gets under the skin of a lot of fans is that because there was no winner there was no MVP named. And that, of course, a new award going to be named after Ted Williams this year.

Reporting live from Milwaukee, back to you, Carol.

COSTELLO: I have to disagree with that fan, I know a lot of people were angry. I got e-mails this morning and it's really early here.

MEULLER: Oh yes, and last night we talked to fans. Maybe because some of them slept on it they feel a little bit better this morning, hopefully, I don't know.

COSTELLO: There was a lot of stuff thrown on the field?

MEULLER: Apparently, yes. There was a lot of stuff thrown on the field. A lot of boos. And people were just angry. They spent a lot of money for those tickets.

COSTELLO: Yes, some of them spent like, what, $175 a ticket?

MEULLER: Yes, and up.

COSTELLO: Unbelievable.

MEULLER: Yes.

COSTELLO: And the game was pretty good, like 25 hits, 14 runs. They had a spectacular catch in the game. MEULLER: Yes, a spectacular catch, a wonderful home run from Barry Bonds. The pre-game ceremony was absolutely wonderful. The same guy who put on the Olympics put that on. But you know it's tough that now that people are talking about the controversy instead of all the good.

COSTELLO: Bud Selig isn't the most popular guy in some circles. Do you think this will make him even less popular?

MEULLER: Well it's tough. I know that this was something that he was looking forward to ever since they built this stadium here in Milwaukee. This was the big night for him to shine, and for it to end up like this, I'm sure it's not sitting well with him this morning.

COSTELLO: OK, I only have one more thing to say, you know I'm a big baseball fan, probably you don't know, but I am. Shouldn't that be a manager's job to spread the players out and to get the game won by someone?

MEULLER: Well that would -- that would make sense. And Bud Selig did say he was in a no win situation when you have the managers coming to you saying we don't have the players to play the rest of the game. I don't know what your option is.

COSTELLO: Well maybe they should expand the roster, I don't know.

MEULLER: Well there you go, maybe you should be in charge.

COSTELLO: You know I should. I should stick up for Bud Selig.

Thank you very much, you're a lot of fun.

MEULLER: Sure.

COSTELLO: Jenna Meuller from Milwaukee reporting live for us on CNN.

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