For Rays’ Shane McClanahan, All-Star experience trumps results on the field

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The most indelible image of Shane McClanahan’s All-Star experience was the smile.

His lone inning as the American League starter Tuesday at Dodger Stadium did not go particularly well. He allowed a leadoff double, an RBI single and a two-out home run — two runs on four hits in all — while needing 23 pitches to get three outs.

But as he started to walk off the mound, he took a look around and flashed a grin that made clear the kid was all right.

“It’s the All-Star Game — it’s pretty cool,” McClanahan said. “I was just happy to be there. The fact that I got the start, too, was even cooler. … Just trying to take it all in. It might be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. So you’ve just got to enjoy it when you can.”

McClanahan, 25, still was smiling when he rejoined the Rays Friday, recounting a series of highlights:

The memorabilia and other treasured keepsakes he received; the experiences he shared with his parents, girlfriend and others he invited west; and most of all the interaction with bigger name stars, especially Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw, the closest thing to an idol McClanahan had growing up.

“It was awesome,” McClanahan said. “Definitely probably the best experience on a baseball field I’ve had. I was surrounded by great guys and had a lot of fun and family. It was a really good time.”

The itinerary for Monday’s workout day, starting with the news conference where he was announced as the starter (after getting a phone call during breakfast with the news), was a blur. It also was somewhat surreal as he shared a stage, and later posed for a photo, with Kershaw, the National League starter.

(And no, McClanahan said, he did not remind AL manager Dusty Baker later that he appeared against Baker’s Astros in the 2020 playoffs after Baker said on the stage that he had never seen him pitch: “Who am I going to correct Dusty Baker?” he said. “He’s Dusty Baker.”)

The weirdest part of being an All-Star, McClanahan said, was taking the mound accepting that the results wouldn’t matter.

“It was very weird. Because that’s kind of been literally the polar opposite of where I’ve been all year,” he said. “I feel like that’s how everybody was kind of looking at it. It’s a game that’s supposed to be fun and doesn’t mean anything — any more, at least.

“Obviously, I wanted to do well, but it was a great experience. It was one of those things where the experience triumphs the results.”

McClanahan made the most of it, chatting with longtime aces such as Kershaw, Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole, and anyone else he found himself near, even meeting new Hall of Famer, David Ortiz.

“Every single person there is definitely unique in their own way,” McClanahan said, “and I tried to talk to as many people as I could.”

He returned with an autographed All-Star jersey, signed balls, custom adidas cleats (which he didn’t wear but will add to his display case) and other “cool stuff.” Most prized? Kershaw’s signature on the jersey McClanahan brought from his Tampa home. “And personalized,” he noted.

McClanahan had gotten a sense of what to expect from teammate Corey Kluber, a three-time All-Star, and exchanged texts with his bosses when he got there, pitching coach Kyle Snyder reminding him to enjoy “a heck of an accomplishment.”

McClanahan told Rays manager Kevin Cash he hoped to get through the inning on three pitches (”I was hoping that too,” Cash said, “but that’s fine.”) and joked that he might throw 120 mph (”I was glad he didn’t do that,” Cash said.)

As McClanahan took the mound, he had plenty of support.

Cash, watching from his St. Petersburg home, noted the pride the entire Rays organization took in having a homegrown All-Star — a 2018 first-round draft pick from USF — start the game. He said he was thrilled to see the AL team erase the early deficit in a 3-2 win.

“Probably the happiest I’ll ever be for a (Yankees star Giancarlo) Stanton homer,” Cash said.

Snyder was with his son and wife in Sarasota for his father, Don’s, 72nd birthday. McClanahan’s appearance added to the joy of the festivities. “For me to sit next to my father and have a pupil, somebody that you’ve had an opportunity to kind of coach and direct, doing something as remarkable as that, is pretty cool,” Snyder said.

Second baseman Brandon Lowe agreed to an All-Star break getaway with his wife, Madison, but — in a nod to his good friend and great teammate — with one caveat: “I don’t care what we’re doing, we have to be watching for first pitch. … That was so much fun to see the graphics, posting up the best ERA in the majors and all this other stuff. It was really cool to watch.”

The way the game went didn’t matter to them, either. Snyder said he expected McClanahan to be a little hyped up when he took the mound but knew all was good when he saw the smile at the end.

“Perspective,” Snyder said. “He went there and took full advantage of the experience, locked it in for 40 minutes and couldn’t have enjoyed it more. No matter what the outcome is, he’s going to relish that for the rest of his life.”

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