CHICAGO (AP) – Dontrelle Willis was in a hurry.

As baseball started to take its annual three-day break, the Florida Marlins phenom known for his unusual windup high-kicked his way out at Olympic Stadium right after beating Montreal on Sunday.

The 21-year-old lefty had a place to be – his first All-Star game.

“Dontrelle is a great pitcher,” said his catcher, 10-time All-Star Ivan Rodriguez. “He got his ninth win of the first half and that’s why he’s in Chicago.”

Seeing a rookie who was in Double-A only two months ago make it so far so fast was among the many highlights in the first half. So was the fast start by the Kansas City Royals.

And so was the surprising emergence of journeyman Esteban Loaiza. He’s already matched his career high with 11 wins for White Sox and is a good bet to start at his home park against San Francisco’s Jason Schmidt in the showcase Tuesday night.

“I never thought I would make it,” Loaiza said.

Roger Clemens, Sammy Sosa and Rafael Palmeiro will be absent, however, despite making history. Clemens earned his 300th victory while Sosa and Palmeiro hit their 500th home runs.

Sosa, the most popular player in Chicago and perhaps in the majors, didn’t win a starting spot in fan voting and his fellow ballplayers didn’t pick him, either.

Chances are, a corked bat cost him. Slammin’ Sammy was suspended for seven games after getting caught – since returning, he’s gone wild, hitting .344 with 12 home runs and 23 RBIs going into Sunday night’s game against Atlanta.

The episode was among many things fans probably never thought they’d see.

An umpire attacked at U.S. Cellular Field, site of the All-Star game. A camera – part of the Questec system that many umpires and pitchers dislike – clubbed by Curt Schilling. Then, that Italian sausage toppled by Randall Simon’s two-handed chop.

Plus a slew of brawls, almost all of them triggered by inside pitches. There was another one Sunday after All-Star Albert Pujols of St. Louis was hit in the shoulder by the first pitch from San Diego’s Adam Eaton.

Pujols and every other slugger is chasing Barry Bonds, as usual. The San Francisco star leads the majors with 30 home runs but as of now, he does not intend to take part in the All-Star home run derby.

At least he’ll play in the game – with home-field advantage in the World Series going to the league that wins, NL manager Dusty Baker will once again enjoy writing Bonds’ name on his lineup card.

While other hitters take aim at Bonds, every team in baseball is looking up at the Braves. No wonder a bunch of them won’t have far to go for the All-Star festivities after wrapping the first half at Wrigley Field.

Seven Atlanta players were picked, though second baseman Marcus Giles was scratched after sustaining a concussion in a collision with Cubs’ All-Star pitcher Mark Prior.

The Braves went into the break with the best record in baseball, not missing a beat even after a series of offseason moves that included losing free agent Tom Glavine.

Newcomer Russ Ortiz and resurgent catcher Javy Lopez lead Atlanta’s All-Star parade. Asked how many of his own players he would’ve chosen, Braves manager Bobby Cox said, “I might have named nine.”

The New York Yankees, meanwhile, are sending four players to the game. Japanese star Hideki Matsui was elected in his rookie season, though none of the Yankees’ pitchers made it – then again, only about one-third of the Yankees participated in player voting for All-Star spots.

With owner George Steinbrenner sniping at manager Joe Torre and shortstop Derek Jeter, it’s been an odd year for the Yankees. Six Houston pitchers combined to throw the first no-hitter against the Bronx Bombers since 1958, but New York still headed into the break with a two-game lead over Boston in the AL East.

While the World Series champion Anaheim Angels struggled, the Royals surged. Not much was expected from Kansas City, especially with an opening-day payroll that was the second-lowest in the majors to Tampa Bay.

Instead, manager Tony Pena’s team got off to a fast start. Now, with Jose Lima going 5-0 since being signed from the independent Atlantic League, the Royals take a sizable lead into the break.

“This might surprise some people, but it doesn’t surprise me,” Pena said. “Everyone believes in themselves and knows what they have to do to win ballgames.”

AP-ES-07-13-03 1920EDT