On baseball's big night, Londonderry's Brian Wilson shined.
With the National League All-Stars holding on to a tenuous one-run lead, Rockies manager Clint Hurdle called upon Wilson, the closer for the San Francisco Giants, to pitch in the bottom of the eighth.
The 26-year-old righty did not disappoint.
The first batter he faced was the White Sox' Carlos Quentin, and he went after a pair fastballs, Wilson induced a popup with a slider. Next was pinch hitter Carlos Guillen, and after a lengthy nine-pitch battle, Wilson struck him out with a fastball. After that, Hurdle took Wilson out in favor of Mets' closer Billy Wagner.
Two up, two down in the All-Star Game with a strikeout? That's as good as it gets.
"I walked off with my head held high," Wilson told mlb.com. "It's always awkward; during the season I don't really get taken out in the middle of an inning, but it was a good feeling."
Though his National League eventually fell to the American League 4-3 in 15 innings, Wilson, a first-time All-Star, had nothing but fond memories of his first time taking the mound at Yankee Stadium.
"It's a great experience," he said. "I'm just honored to represent my team and come down here. I got the opportunity to chuck the ball like I wanted to, and I really got to soak it all in."
Wilson also took full advantage of his All-Star appearance, taking in the Home Run Derby from the field, and feeling more like a fan than one of the game's best.
He watched in awe as the Texas Rangers' Josh Hamilton made history with 28 bombs in the first round.
"That's one of the most insane displays I've seen in sports," Wilson said. "I don't even know how to describe it. I felt like I paid money to watch that, and it was pretty exciting to watch the ball fly off the bat like that."
Though the game lasted more than 4 hours and 50 minutes, Wilson's memories will last a lifetime.
"It's pretty surreal," he said. "It's funny because I watched those guys as I grew up playing the game, and now to have the chance to face some of them is really exciting."
