* Yankee shortstop Derek Jeter posted his third multi-hit all-star game in his 14th and final midsummer classic Tuesday night at Target Field in Minneapolis as the American League came away with a 5-3 victory. .... 2014 Canadians drafted … Canadians in the Minors … Canadians in College 2015 Canadian draft list Letters of Intent

By Bob Elliott

MINNEAPOLIS -- Derek Jeter told commissioner Bud Selig he didn’t want “anything special” for his final all-star game.

A year ago, Mariano Rivera entered at Citi Field and stood atop the mound alone on an empty diamond as players from both dugouts applauded.

Cal Ripken was at third when shortstop Alex Rodriguez moved him to short in his final all-star appearance in 2001 at Seattle.

The New York Yankees shortstop may not have wanted special treatment, but he received it. First, from fans, the National Leaguers, including starter Adam Wainwright who basically said he threw him a cookie the way Denny McLain did at the end of Mickey Mantle’s career.

Jeter was cheered when announced as the lead-off hitter for the American League in the bottom of the first in the 85th all-star game, which was won 5-3 by the AL before 41,048 fans at Target Field Tuesday night.

Catcher Jonathan Lucroy and umpire Gary Cederstrom walked from the plate and onto the grass.

Starter Adam Wainwright stepped back off the mound, put down his glove, stood and applauded.

Twins fans then did a pretty good impression of Yankee Stadium Bleacher Creatures, chanting “DE-REK JE-TER, DE-REK JE-TER.”

And after raising his cap and tipping it to the left, Jeter took ball one in the dirt and then did what he does best with an inside-out swing as he drove the ball inside the right-field line for a double.

“I was gonna give (Jeter) a couple pipe shots,” Wainwright told reporters after his exit. “He deserved it. I didn’t know he was gonna hit a double or I might have changed my mind.

“I thought he’d line a single to right or maybe a ground ball. I probably should’ve pitched him a little better than that.”

Hmmm.

Our guess is Jeter didn’t need any help.

And was Wainwright taking it easy on the other AL hitters as he allowed a triple to MVP winner Mike Trout and a homer to Miguel Cabrera in the same inning?

Jeter singled to right again in the third against Alfredo Simon, and in the top of the fourth Alexei Ramirez took over at short. Jeter left to another ovation, crossing the foul line about the same place he was in Oakland when he made the flip to the plate to erase Jeremy Giambi.

Frank Sinatra’s New York, New York was played as Jeter went the length of the dugout hugging each AL player, including Mark Buehrle of the Blue Jays, and then he headed out for another curtain call.

“Just because (Wainwright) said he was throwing a fastball for a strike doesn’t mean he was taking it easy on (Jeter), or giving him any freebees,” said Jose Bautista. “That’s what pitchers are supposed to do -- throw strikes.

“Every time he plays in the all-star game he gets almost two hits.”

Jeter’s all-star numbers show a .481 batting average (13-for-27) behind only Charlie Gehringer at .500 (10-for-20). He was only the third 40-year-old to lead off, joining Hall of Famer Willie Mays and Pete Rose. He’s the first Yankee to record three multi-hit games. Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra and Bill Skowron each did it twice.

 

Jays days: Jose Bautista struck out on a Wainwright curve in the first and bounced to third facing Zack Greinke in the fourth ... Bautista also bumped the right field wall trying to track down a Yasiel Puig foul ball, although it was not as severe a crash as 2011 at Chase Field when he crashed into the wall and came up limping ... “I was thinking that the ball was going to go into the seats, then I saw I had a chance, I was worried that the fans would reached out. But they didn’t. They gave me a clear shot. I should have caught it. Yu Darvish picked me up (with a strikeout).”... Bautista looked like he was born to play balls off the 23-foot high wall in right. He took a hop on Troy Tulowitzki and almost threw him out at second in the fifth and made a strong relay on Lucroy’s double to right ... Bautista tied Hall of Famer Roberto Alomar (1991-95) with his fifth straight selection as a Jay ... Bautista is 1-for-7 (.143) with one RBI in five games ... Lefty Mark Buehrle did not pitch in the all-star game (he started the second game of the second half Saturday at the Rogers Centre against the Texas Rangers). Buehrle is 1-0 allowing one run in five innings (1.80 ERA) while fanning five in three all-star games.

In game: Fernando Rodney struck out Daniel Murphy to end the eighth with two NL runners aboard ... Mike Trout doubled inside the line at third to score Derek Norris, who had singled off Pat Neshek to break the 3-3 tie in the fifth and then mighty mite Jose Altuve hit a fly ball to make it a 5-3 AL lead ... Trout is the youngest player with two hits and two RBIs in an all-star game since Ken Griffey in 1992 ... Dee Gordon scored the tying run in the fourth for the NL when he took over pinch running for Chase Utley who was hit by a Chris Sale pitch and came around on Lucroy’s second RBI double ... The NL got back in the game facing Jon Lester in the second as Alexei Ramirez singled with one out and scored on a Chase Utley drive to right. Lucroy then doubled home Utley ... The AL put up a quick three runs against Wainwright in the first four hitters into the game, as Jeter doubled, Trout, who plays like Mickey Mantle and grew up idolizing Jeter, tripled and one out later Miguel Cabrera homered into the first row in left for a 3-0 lead. Wainwright had allowed only three runs in his previous four starts, covering 29 2/3 innings (0.91 ERA) ... Max Scherzer picked up the win, the first in an all-star game since Hall of Famer Jim Bunning in 1957.

Canuck streak: There has been a Canadian in the all-star game every year since 1997 and the streak continued with Atlanta first baseman Freddie Freeman, who is WBC-eligible since his parents were born in Windsor, Ont., entering the game ... Gordon made a fine play to his left in short right and fired to first as Freeman did the splits, but later had a clank trying to field a grounder from Ramirez ... Freeman singled in the eighth.

And the winner is: The AL, who now trails the series 43-40-2, earns home field advantage for the 2014 World Series. Game 1 of the 2014 World Series, in Oakland, or Detroit, or Baltimore, or ... anyone else making a bid to host the Series?