Tracy Ringolsby's weekly baseball notebook

Even before the first pitch of the All-Star Game was thrown, Colorado Rockies manager Clint Hurdle had requested a meeting with commissioner Bud Selig to discuss concerns about the selection of pitchers for the event."You have two primary responsibilities," Hurdle said, "to see the game through to its conclusion and to return the players to their teams healthy."As a result, several adjustments now are expected to the process of filling out the All-Star pitching staffs. There could be an expansion of the number of pitchers allowed on each team, which would allow an All-Star manager to pick additional pitchers to compensate for those who pitch Sunday and aren't available for the game Tuesday.The status of All-Star pitchers has become a topic of debate this year.First, Rockies right-hander Aaron Cook was asked if he thought his three-inning All-Star effort could have had a negative impact, and when he said "it could have," the media picked up on possible All-Star-generated ailments for Cook.Then Philadelphia manager Charlie Manuel complained that closer Brad Lidge warmed up too many times during the All-Star Game.And, finally, when Baltimore closer George Sherrill was placed on the disabled list, his All-Star experience was mentioned.It's not out of the question a pitcher could suffer because of an incident at the All-Star Game.But it's also very possible that post-All-Star struggles merely are a residual of the grind of a 162-game schedule, and pitchers who carried a heavy first-half workload can hit a downturn in the second half.Some numbers to consider:Of the 23 pitchers who appeared in the All-Star Game, only eight - Ryan Dempster and Carlos Marmol of the Cubs, Billy Wagner of the Mets, Brian Wilson of the Giants, Brandon Webb of Arizona, Roy Halladay of Toronto, Joe Nathan of Minnesota and Jonathan Papelbon of Boston - have lower ERAs after the All-Star break than before. Wagner, however, is on the disabled list.- The combined record for the 13 starting pitchers who appeared in the All-Star Game was 137-55. They also had a 2.78 ERA in 240 starts before the break compared with 47-24 with a 3.67 ERA in 97 starts after the break.- The combined record for the 10 relief pitchers who appeared in the All-Star Game was 14-20 with 229 saves and a 3.19 ERA in 412 appearances before the break, compared with 7-4 with 76 saves and a 2.49 ERA after the break.Doubling up:Cubs right-hander Ryan Dempster is the third pitcher since 1969 to record 25 saves or more one season and win at least 15 games the next, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.Dempster, who had 28 saves as the Cubs' closer in 2007, is 15-5 as a starter this year. The two previous pitchers to reach that level accomplished both in a relief role, and both did it in 1973-74 - John Hiller with 38 saves for Detroit in 1973 and a 17-14 record in 1974, and Mike Marshall, who went from 31 saves for Montreal in 1973 to 15-12 for the Dodgers in 1974.He said it:"People are going to be tripping over themselves to get to this guy. Not only is he a phenomenal competitor, not only does he have three above-average pitches, he is one of the greatest teammates a guy can have. He is such a phenomenal presence in the clubhouse." -- Ned Yost, Brewers manager, on left-hander CC Sabathia, a free agent after the season.Numbers game:38 at-bats for Washington right-handed pitcher Jason Bergmann without a hit, walk or sacrifice bunt. He is tied with Darryl Kile (Houston, 1991) for the ninth-worst offensive season in baseball history. Bob Buhl of the Milwaukee Braves and Cubs set the all-time record by going 0-for-70 in 1962.Infield chatter:After two-plus seasons in Philadelphia, and at the age of 45, left-handed pitcher Jamie Moyer still is going strong and has indicated an interest in returning in 2009. Moyer is 11-7 with a 3.81 ERA. He also has survived the hitter-friendly environment of Citizens Bank Park, having gone 14-8 with a 4.69 ERA in the park.The Angels are looking for shortstop protection in light of the loss of Maicer Izturis with a torn ligament in his left thumb. Toronto's John McDonald, David Eckstein and Marco Scutaro, Cleveland's Jamey Carroll and Baltimore's Juan Castro are possibilities.Right-hander Todd Jones, 40, bid adieu to his Tigers teammates and headed home to Pell City, Ala., amid indications the sore shoulder that has him sidelined could lead to his retirement, although he wants to stay in the game in a nonplaying capacity.Out in left field:Left fielder Manny Ramirez certainly has produced since joining the Los Angeles Dodgers, but it hasn't translated into wins.Ramirez hit .380 with six home runs and 21 RBI in his first 25 games with the Dodgers, but even with that production, the team went 11-14.Closing statement:Is anybody really surprised about the battle with agent Scott Boras and Pittsburgh Pirates president Frank Coonelly, which centers on whether the Pirates came to a proper deal with No. 1 draft pick Pedro Alvarez for $6 million?The Pirates announced the signing of Alvarez, but he has never shown up for a physical or to sign the deal.He now is in limbo because the Pirates have placed him on the restricted list and The Major League Baseball Players Association has filed a grievance, claiming the Pirates actually agreed to terms with Alvarez after the signing deadline of 11:59 p.m. EDT Aug. 15.What adds to the intrigue is Coonelly drug Kansas City into the battle with Boras - a nemesis of Coonelly from Coonelly's days in the commissioner's office where one of his responsibilities was to try and limit signing bonus for drafted players.Coonelly has claimed Alvarez's contract was filed before Kansas City filed its deal with No. 1 draft choice Eric Hosmer, the No. 3 draft overall, right behind Alvarez.Hosmer also received $6 million from the Royals and also is a Boras client.Royals owner David Glass is apparently irate at Coonelly for allegations that could lead to the Hosmer deal being negated.The Royals have been emphatic that their deal was handled in a timely fashion.(Tracy Ringolsby writes for the Rocky Mountain News in Denver, Colo. E-mail ringolsbyt(at)RockyMountainNews.com.)