CINCINNATI (AP) – A.J. Burnett sat at his table during the National League media session Monday wearing a white T-shirt that showed off his tattooed arms, his hair styled in a faux hawk similar to the ‘do worn by one of his sons standing nearby.
The old man of this All-Star Game fit right in with a pretty young crowd.
“When I came up I would talk to the older guys. I never thought I’d be one of those guys,” the 38-year-old Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher said.
“It’s special to be the guy who’s been there and done that. … When I first came up there was one or two young guys and a lot of older guys. That’s how the game’s changed. Now there are one or two older guys and a lot of young guys,” he said.
After baseball spent two years of saying goodbye to longtime superstars Mariano Rivera and Derek Jeter, the All-Star gathering in Cincinnati is dominated by some dynamic, fresh faces who are transforming the game.