PHOENIX - As an All-Star from the host team, Arizona Diamondbacks right fielder Justin Upton has certain duties to fulfill at this week's Major League Baseball All-Star festivities.
He has visited FanFest. He'll walk during the red carpet show introducing the all-stars today.
And he'll participate in a wedding today at FanFest.
Yes, a wedding. He said he has to make some sort of an announcement at the ceremony.
"That should be interesting," Upton said Monday morning during All-Star news conferences at the Arizona Biltmore. "I don't know if I've ever been part of a wedding. I'm looking forward to that, I think."
Upton, 23, seemed to embrace the role of ambassador, meeting with fans and signing autographs during the all-star events and giving the media politically correct answers. Upton, who has hit 15 home runs in the first half of the season, wasn't selected for Monday's home run derby at Chase Field, but he expressed no frustration on the podium in front of reporters.
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"No regrets at all," Upton said. "I would have loved to have done it right here in front of the fans in a stadium I'm comfortable in, but this is how it goes."
Upton earned his second All-Star honor after hitting for average (.293) and power and cutting down his strikeouts. (He has struck out 72 times after putting up 152 strikeouts last season). He has also displayed greater maturity and has become a team leader, his manager, Kirk Gibson, said.
"He's been great with people," Gibson said. "He understands really what his role is, and who he is, how people are going to want to get additional things out of him. He's found a way to manage that very well and still compete and do his job and do it well."
In his own words, Upton touched on the subjects of growing up, trade rumors and his surprising team.
On how his maturity has developed:
"Just watching the people around you, whether good or bad, try to take something from every player. Every player is in the big leagues for a reason. You can take one thing from each person. That makes you learn something every day."
On hearing trade rumors during the offseason:
"You try not to think about it. You just try to go about your business the same way you would if your name wasn't floating, so you just try to let it roll off your back until something serious happens.…
"When I first found out about it, I was playing golf, and I kept playing golf."
What it was like being a major-leaguer at age 19 (when the Angels' Mike Trout made his debut last week, he was the first teen since Upton in 2007 to reach the majors):
"At that age, you want to do something so bad. You want to be the man so bad at 19. But you're not gonna be. You just go out and have fun, enjoy it. And (the veterans are) always going to pick you up. … You want to be the man, but no matter how hard you try, you're not ready for it yet. People are going to love you as long as you play the game the right way, play it hard. If I had to look back and do it differently, that's how I would have done it. You just put pressure on yourself at that age."
On the D-backs' first-half success (49-43):
"I don't know if it's a surprise. In the offseason, we made some changes with the team. Spring training, our record wasn't great, but I could see guys were moving toward something as a unit. We were just trying to get better. We've put ourselves in position to make a run in the second half. That's all you can ask."
Today
• What: 82nd All-Star Game
• When: 5 p.m.
• Where: Chase Field
• TV: Channel 11
