MINNEAPOLIS - St. Louis right-hander Pat Neshek was a surprise pick for the NL squad, and the selection by manager Mike Matheny made as much of an impression on everyone else as it did on Neshek.
"To watch Pat Neshek and watch his face when he made this club, probably the best memory without a doubt so far," Matheny said.
The side-armer has allowed three runs in 38 1/3 innings as the primary setup man for the Cardinals, with only 17 hits and five walks against him. Matheny mentioned the importance of recognizing oft-ignored middle relievers in making his pick. But Neshek's case was special, considering the All-Star game this year is at Target Field.
Neshek's suburban high school in Brooklyn Park is less than 10 miles north of the ballpark. Neshek was drafted by the hometown Twins and debuted with stellar seasons in 2006 and 2007 before an elbow injury and surgery derailed his career. He caught on with San Diego in 2011 and then Oakland in "12, when his son, Gehrig, died one day after birth.
So Neshek's presence here has brought a smile to many faces.
"Personally and professionally, he was having some bad luck," said former Twins teammate Glen Perkins, a reliever for the AL team and a fellow native of Minnesota. "It's awesome. That's quite a story that he's here. I think everybody in Minnesota is excited that he's here, and they should be."
That includes Paul Neshek, his younger sibling who works on the Target Field grounds crew. Naturally, Paul Neshek will be stationed in the bullpen.
"Somehow he got that job for the game. He's real excited," Pat Neshek said.
As is his big brother.