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MLB ALL-STAR GAMEJuly 10, 2006Chris CarpenterAlbert PujolsScott RolenPITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA Q. Tell me what time you got to St. Louis and what time you came over here today. SCOTT ROLEN: It's been getting later and later as the day went on, people have asked us, so we're up to about 4:00 in the morning. Truth be told, probably 3:00. Probably got to bed about 4:00 and then through here this afternoon, about 4:30, if you want. Q. About 4:45 maybe? SCOTT ROLEN: Perfect. Q. Had that been planned that way or were you guys thinking about catching the plane right away? SCOTT ROLEN: It had kind of been planned that way all along. We could have flown from Houston. There was a big party flying up and we didn't have our families with us at the time so it was easier just to go back to St. Louis and fly here with our families. Q. Albert, what do you think about Eckstein being added to the team, do you think he should have been on it in the first place and how do you feel about him being on it now? ALBERT PUJOLS: It's great. He definitely deserves to be here. At the same time, you look at the guy who got voted in, he was having a great year. It's tough that he wouldn't be able to get that start because of the injury. Definitely Eckstein deserves to be here. He's a great player. He's obviously one of the guys that got us going in the lineup and it's good to see him being here in the lineup tomorrow. Q. Do you still intend to want to pitch tomorrow if it comes up? CHRIS CARPENTER: We talked about it and I think that I'll probably be held back in case of an emergency, you know, extra inning or something like that. I will throw if need be, but they have enough guys and enough innings that I won't have to be used. Q. Having nothing to do with the All-Star Game, Chris, a lot of teams right now are talking about trying to acquire pitching for the stretch run, and a lot of them say there isn't any pitching available and nobody wants to give up any young pitchers and almost a majority of pitchers here at the All-Star Game were either traded or released before they became All-Stars, you being one of them. Why are teams not able to evaluate their own as well as they claim they want to; why do you think that is? CHRIS CARPENTER: I don't know. I know in my case. I had an opportunity to come to an organization and a ballclub that is playoff-caliber. When you run out there with the guys on each side of me and the other guys that are on our team, it gives you a better chance to one, one. Two, I had a new look at my career, and basically, needed to reevaluate what I was doing and taking it a little more seriously and go out and have fun and enjoy it, instead of taking it for granted. I learned a lot from the guys that were there, and I think they helped me and I also think the change of scenery helped me. Q. How is the team looking, how is it going to motivate your team for the second half? ALBERT PUJOLS: Everybody looks good on paper, but still, we've got to go out there and perform. It's a long season. I know we've been struggling the last couple of weeks, but even though we finished pretty strong the last three games, and hopefully we can pick it up the second half. Q. Scott, Jonathan Papelbon was talking about eliminating the All-Star Team and he said that Tito got very emotional telling him because it reminded him of telling you when you had your first All-Star Game. Can you talk about your first All-Star experience and how it differs from this year? SCOTT ROLEN: My first All-Star experience, I was voted in. It was the first year Chipper went to left field. So deservedly or undeservedly, I don't think my numbers showed All-Star caliber that year but I was voted in. If you know Terry Francona, he's a human being. You know, he has feelings, he has emotions. Baseball is a big part of his life, but, you know, his priorities are that of his players and his people. You know, he's a great man. I really enjoyed playing for him, and he's truly happy, I would assume, for Jonathan Papelbon and I think he felt the same way for me and he connects very well with his players emotionally and as human beings. Q. What does it mean to you to be back to this point after the injuries you endured and to get back to this stage? SCOTT ROLEN: This is a nice All-Star for me. This is a special All-Star Game for me. You know, David Wright was voted in and certainly earned that and deservedly so. I kind of had to earn my way on this one, you know, which is great. A year ago or less than a year ago, you know, I had a surgery and pretty extensive surgery on my left shoulder, and you never know what's going to happen the following year. All I can say is that I have thanks that I need to hand out to people; Dr. Kremchek in Cincinnati and Hudson who was training me for a lot of years. They helped me from the beginning and did an unbelievable job. I can't thank them enough. They worked as hard or harder than I did and gave me an opportunity to be here today? Q. Albert, the interleague record this year and All-Star games have been predominately AL. Any reason for that do you think? ALBERT PUJOLS: I don't know. This is baseball. Sometimes you catch that streak, you know, and that's the way it goes. They have a great team, great league. Same thing on the National League. It's crazy, you look at those numbers and you can't believe it. But that's part of the game and that's why you play this game for so long and you never figure out why things happen. Like I say, they have a great team and a great league, and so do we. Hopefully we can turn this thing around. Q. Did Phil Garner talk to you guys about the long American League streak yet or does that come tomorrow, do you think? CHRIS CARPENTER: We actually just talked about it a few minutes ago. It's basically go out and play the way we can play. We've got a bunch of great players in that room, and go out and have fun and try to play hard and try to win the game and bring it back to the National League. I don't know how many years it's been, but it's been a long time and we need to try to go out and do the best we can, but also enjoy this experience.
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