[AZTarHeel]

Even before Andrew Zarzour began his professional baseball career, holding an All-Star Game party became tradition in the Zarzour household.

It began as a special cookout when the Zarzour kids were little, then developed into a neighborhood barbecue. By the time Andrew and Timmy were in high school, it seemed scores and scores of people made it a point of coming by the Zarzour farm on the night of the All-Star Game.

The men manned the grills. The ladies filled up the desert tables. When everyone had their fill, folks packed around the TV to watch the game (with the kids sometime playing their own games in the Zarzour‘s wide-open backyard).

In July 2005, though, the Zarzours regrettably announced that they wouldn’t be able to host their All-Star shindig as normal -- on account of the fact that they would BE AT THE GAME WATCHING THEIR SON!!!

Yes, for the first time in Andrew Zarzour’s MLB career, he has made the All-Star roster. He joins Phillies teammate Jon Ratliff (closer) on the National League team. The game will be played at Detroit’s Comerica Park.

Paul Lo Duca of the LA Dodgers, Zarzour’s former catcher, may get to catch him again as he also is on the NL All-Star team. Other former LA teammates include pitcher Demaso Marte, 1B Albert Puljols (now with the Giants -- why did they let him get away) and reliever Danny Graves. Josh Hamilton, now playing in Baltimore, made the AL All-Star roster…