For anyone who doubts that MLB -- specifically, commissioner Bud Selig -- doesn't make political moves when it comes to the All-Star Game, we present the 2003 game played at U.S. Cellular Field as evidence. Roger Clemens, then pitching for the New York Yankees and assumed to be on the cusp of Farewell Tour I, was omitted from the roster. This didn't sit well with MLB, so the future Hall of Famer was added to the AL squad the day before the game.

That meant somebody had to be bumped off the roster to make room for the Rocket. Goodbye, Barry Zito, then pitching for the Oakland Athletics. The cover story was that the A's didn't want Zito in the game after he threw 106 pitches the Sunday before. Sandy Alderson, then-executive vice president of baseball operations in the commissioner's office, said Zito had ''acquiesced'' to the move.

This was news to Zito, who was clearly upset, saying: ''It's like when you're with a girl, and all of a sudden her friend comes up and tells you she doesn't want to date you anymore.''

Don't look for MLB to ride to Bonds' rescue the way it did for Clemens.