Manny’s knee not a sore spot for Guillen

The sore right knee that will keep Red Sox slugger Manny Ramirez out of the All-Star Game wasn’t achy enough to prevent him from standing in left field for all 19 innings of a weekend loss.

A.L. manager Ozzie Guillen of the White Sox got an up-close look at the hobbled star in Chicago’s marathon 6-5 victory over Boston on Sunday.

“It got to the point where we said, ‘Please, Manny, hit a home run,”’ Guillen joked Monday.

Guillen said he understood Ramirez’s decision to skip the showcase event tonight. Ramirez, who is batting .306 with 24 home runs and 65 RBIs, had been voted in as a starter.

“They are in a pennant race. … Manny Ramirez is very important for that ballclub,” Guillen said. “I think we have to respect what Manny’s decision was. … He was limping around.”

Toronto’s Vernon Wells will replace Ramirez in the starting lineup and play center field. Detroit outfielder Magglio Ordonez was selected to take Ramirez’s spot on the roster.

Nomar a hit with kids, too

Some lucky Little Leaguers have themselves game-used Nomar Garciaparra mitts.

Garciaparra, who plays first base for the Dodgers after spending most of his career at shortstop with the Red Sox, said he has gone through a lot of new gloves as he tries to get comfortable across the diamond. Several mitts deemed unusable have gone to Little Leaguers.

“There’s no Nomar model first baseman’s gloves yet,” said Garciaparra, who tied for the N.L. lead in hitting at .358 with fellow All-Star Freddy Sanchez of the Pirates.

Garciaparra, selected in Internet fan balloting last week, is attending his first All-Star game as a National Leaguer and as a first baseman.

Rivera rules A.L. bullpen

There’s a definite pecking order in the American League bullpen.

The A.L. relief corps has talented young closers such as Bobby Jenks of the White Sox, rookie Jonathan Papelbon of the Red Sox and lefty B.J. Ryan of the Blue Jays.

But they all take a back seat to Yankees reliever Mariano Rivera.

“Papelbon will be watching Mariano Rivera. Jenks will be watching Mariano Rivera. He’s the best in the business,” A.L. manager Ozzie Guillen said. “You will see Mariano Rivera closing the game.”

Papelbon, Jenks and Ryan might have solid arguments to assume the closer’s role instead of Rivera. Papelbon and Jenks are tied for the A.L. lead in saves with 26, while Ryan is third at 24 and Rivera fifth with 19.

Jenks, for one, isn’t disappointed.

“Not at all,” he said. “Rivera is the best in the game for a reason.”

Bay watches with advice

Pirates outfielder Jason Bay wasn’t participating in Monday night’s Home Run Derby, but he had some advice for the participants.

“Stay out of left-center. You definitely have to pull it down the line,” said the right-handed power hitter, who will start the All-Star game at his home field, PNC Park. It’s 410 feet from home plate to a nook in left-center, the deepest part of the park, but just 325 down the left-field line.

“You wouldn’t call it a better park for right-handed hitters, but you definitely have to hit down the line,” Bay said.

Hitting his second stride

The best second baseman at the All-Star game might be playing left field for the National League.

Washington’s Alfonso Soriano made a much-publicized move from second to the outfield earlier this year, and has been just as impressive at the plate. Soriano, who will lead off for the N.L., is hitting .272 with 27 home runs, 56 RBIs and 20 stolen bases.

“If he was playing second base, he would probably be the best second baseman,” said the Phillies’ Chase Utley, who was elected to start in his first All-Star appearance.

The roster of second basemen for both leagues is filled with relative unknowns, at least when compared to Soriano.

Florida rookie Dan Uggla is an N.L. reserve. Boston’s Mark Loretta is the American League starter, with Seattle’s Jose Lopez in reserve. The Yankees’ Robinson Cano was also selected as a bench player, but he is on the disabled list with a strained left hamstring.

Soriano said he didn’t know who the best second baseman in the majors was because “I don’t follow it anymore.”

Would he be the best if he was still playing the position?

“Of course!” he said.

Long view for Leyland

Tigers skipper Jim Leyland was spotted at the Home Run Derby, in a seat four rows from the back of the upper deck down the first-base line at PNC Park.

Detroit, in Leyland’s first year as manager, is a surprising 59-29 and has a two-game lead on the White Sox in the A.L. Central.

Leyland has never stopped loving Pittsburgh, where he managed from 1986-96. Leyland said last month he would attend the All-Star game, watching not from a luxury box or suite but up in the 300-level, where his buddies sit.