All-Star Game may feature a marquee matchup on mound

The brute strength of Roger Clemens. The finesse of Pedro Martinez. The intimidation of Curt Schilling. The towering presence of Randy Johnson.

Put them all together, and you have four of the most dominating pitchers in baseball. And you also have a glimpse of what to expect in just two weeks at the 75th All-Star Game at Minute Maid Park, where the stars certainly figure to shine bright on the pitcher's mound.

Clemens (10-2, 2.73 ERA), who starts Wednesday against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field, remains the favorite to start for the National League on July 13 in what figures to be a tremendous pitching matchup no matter whom he faces.

How about Clemens vs. Martinez? Or Schilling? Perhaps we could see Clemens, 41, against Kenny Rogers, 39, of the Texas Rangers in a matchup of baseball senior citizens.

One note of caution: Getting his third All-Star Game start isn't a given for Clemens. He still has three scheduled starts before the All-Star break and will either cement his spot in the starting lineup or open the door for someone else.

"It's a long way off," Clemens said. "I haven't even thought about it yet. I'll just have to wait and see what shakes down and get through these next three starts."

Clemens could be considered the sentimental favorite, not only with fans but also with some players. San Francisco Giants ace Jason Schmidt, who started the All-Star Game last year for the NL, has endorsed Clemens.

Schmidt, who at 10-2 is tied with Clemens for the league lead in victories and is third with a 2.43 ERA and second with 107 strikeouts, told the San Francisco Chronicle last week that Clemens should start the game.

"I would give it to him in a heartbeat," Schmidt said. "I was a childhood fan. I got the guy's book, Rocket Man, and read it in high school.

"For me, it's automatic. Give it to him. The accomplishments in his career are second to none. He'd be pitching at home, in very possibly the last year of his career. That would be awesome."

Rogers (10-2, 3.32 ERA), who threw a complete game against the Astros on Friday, and Schilling (10-4, 3.24) are tied for the AL lead in wins and appear to be the favorites to start for the AL. Martinez (8-3, 3.73) and Oakland's Mark Mulder (9-2, 2.76) are also strong candidates.

Starting the All-Star Game undoubtedly would make for a storybook night for Clemens, who put off retirement to pitch for the hometown Astros. He was named the Most Valuable Player of the 1986 All-Star Game in the Astrodome after tossing three perfect innings as the starter for the AL.

In last year's All-Star Game in Chicago, Esteban Loaiza started against Schmidt. Loaiza (8-3, 4.38 ERA) could be headed back to the All-Star Game, but he won't be starting again.

Clemens' most recent All-Star start came in 2001, when he was with the Yankees and faced off against Johnson in Seattle. But unlike with position players, fans won't have a say in who starts the game on the mound.

Fan voting determines the eight position starters in both leagues, but a separate ballot of managers, coaches and players will be conducted by Major League Baseball to select an additional eight position players and eight pitchers in each league.

The game's managers -- Jack McKeon of the Marlins and Joe Torre of the Yankees -- will join Major League Baseball in selecting seven of the eight remaining spots on the team -- four pitchers and three position players.