All-Star Game Notepad: Gausman on Coors Field selection; Domingo Ayala entertains

With no shortage of scintillating stories and popular personalities, it was a fiesta of all things fantastic.

Minus numerous conversations at performing at altitude, the beauty of Coors Field as well as the hangover effect, the following is a smattering of other exchanges.

Kevin Gausman, San Francisco Giants

The Grandview HS graduate is one of three All-Star Game representatives to hail from the Centennial State, joining Mark Melancon of the San Diego Padres and Taylor Rogers of the Minnesota Twins.

To think he’d ever pitch in the Midsummer Classic – let alone one at Coors Field –  was never really a consideration despite incredible success at every level.

“When I was in high school, it was just about just trying to get to college. First off, let’s try to be eligible so we can go to college and then let’s try to go somewhere to play baseball. Anything after that was kind of a plus for me.

“You know when I got drafted by the Dodgers in the sixth round out of high school I was just like, ‘Wow, they drafted me in the sixth round?’  I was automatically going to LSU. Unless they gave me a crazy amount of money. I was just always going to go to school and I was going to go to college. I didn’t know that I was a draft-eligible sophomore until I got there. They do math in the third year of college, so it was perfect. I was terrible at math.”

Though he started for the Giants on Sunday like several other All-Stars, he would not follow the lead of fellow Bay Area starting pitcher Chris Bassitt of the Oakland Athletics and throw an inning on Tuesday night.

“That’s just one of those things. I’m pitching the first game back (after the break). So, I just don’t want to put myself in harm’s way. I’m trying to try to win games for the Giants. Pitching one inning here everybody says, ‘It’s just like your bullpen day.’ Well, it’s not because you’re facing the All-Stars in MLB. You’re throwing 88 in your bullpen; you won’t be throwing 88 out there, probably throwing 90. I think it would be nice to just be able to kind of enjoy it. I got to work out today and really prepare for my next start after the break.”

Domingo Ayala, Social Media and Baseball Personality

The self-described three-way player (hit, pitch and manage) is no stranger to the Colorado Rockies having missed his tryout at Salt River Fields the last few years. The hilarious performer entertained the American League clubhouse before answering a few questions ahead of the Home Run Derby.

How many home runs would you hit tonight in the derby?

“You know, you gotta wait til the ball lands. So, probably only like four or five. Because that’s how many swings I get.”

Because it’s too high?

“I have to wait like 25 seconds. You need line drive home runs here. And that’s not me. I hit towering home runs.”

Who do you think is gonna win tonight?

“Whoever I worked with beforehand.”

That was my next question. Who has come up to you and gotten some tips?

“Pretty much all of them. It’s just like a bidding war. Who wants to pay me the most with a private lesson. So I gotta decide.”

Is there one tip that could help out most players?

“Yeah, it’s all about launchings. You got to upper cut every time.”

Can’t you just pitch to the top of the zone to combat that approach?

“It’s all about velo. They just got to get there, 95-plus every time. Maybe one behind the back, behind the batter head, and then – boom – dot the corner three times.”

Of course, you would never use sticky substances. But if you did, what would work best?

“I like to use Gorilla Glue in my mustache. And then I kind of rub my mustache a little bit on the ball. Boom. Spin rate 44,000. I don’t even think I can hit that if I pitch to myself.”

That’s the final question. Could you hit against your spin rate?

“I probably be only like a .300 hitter. Not very good.”

The only thing I’m not sure that you can do is be a mascot.

“If the mascot can play shortstop in third base at the same time, I can do it.”