All-Star party already raging in Cleveland, with fun being had by all

CLEVELAND -- J.R. Smith took off his jersey before his first at-bat in the All-Star celebrity softball game Sunday, going topless and rekindling memories of the Cavaliers championship parade from 2016.Kenny Lofton ran across Progressive Field to hug Dennis Martinez, instantly providing a flashback to the 1995 Indians.Indians Hall of Famer Jim Thome congratulated future Browns Hall of Famer Joe Thomas on a standup triple, as two of the city's greatest and most beloved athletes of the last 25 years connected in an event way more focused on fun than fundamentals.The Major League Baseball All-Stars hadn't arrived for Tuesday's Midsummer Classic -- the Indians were busy beating the Reds 11-1 in Cincinnati to extend their winning streak to six -- but the party was well underway Sunday afternoon and Northeast Ohio was a gracious host.The former athletes and celebrities -- Drew Carey, Dr. Oz and actresses Dascha Polanco and Stephanie Beatriz, to name a few -- weren't the only ones having fun.A 10-minute walk from the ballpark, fans basked in everything baseball.And non-baseball.Two daredevils ziplined above the city and the sea of people.Below, on a rare patch of grass among the downtown buildings and concrete, kids and adults took batting practice toward Lake Erie and the stately courthouse.A Thome home run away, nine-time All-Star Fred Lynn sat on a giant stage and answered questions about his career and the state of Major League Baseball."If you shift on me, I'm going to hit .400," Lynn, who was MVP and Rookie of the Year in 1975, said of the exaggerated defensive alignments that have become commonplace in the last few years.Play Ball Park was the first star of All-Star week, opening Friday and giving fans without tickets to Monday night's Home Run Derby or Tuesday's game a chance to share in the All-Star experience."It's neat," said Avon's Terry Delia, who was joined by his wife, Jonie. "We should've brought the grandkids."The outdoor portion of the festival included a variety of photo ops, including with a Clydesdale in the welcome shade of a tent. Inside the Huntington Convention Center, it was wall-to-wall baseball, including cotton candy and ice cream in mini-helmets.Hall of Famers Rollie Fingers -- who still has the mustache -- Gaylord Perry and Fergie Jenkins were among the old-timers signing autographs. A display from the Hall brought Cooperstown east. Virtual reality booths included a home run derby. A Topps trading card kiosk sent grizzled old men back to their youths. Kids were instructed on the proper way to field a ground ball.Dan Duffy, in an old-school Phillies jersey, proudly displayed his art. One of the most interesting pieces was a print of the 25th anniversary of Progressive Field with the names of all 1,875 Indians players since 1901 as the background."It's a labor of love," said Duffy, who got started in 2008 to impress his girlfriend. It worked; she became his wife.The All-Star Game is way bigger than Cleveland, which was obvious through the variety of jerseys worn around town. The Padres, Pirates, Cardinals, Braves, Yankees, Mets, Dodgers, Mariners, Nationals, Reds, Red Sox and Brewers were also represented.Greg Woodworth wasn't in a jersey but he's a Tigers fan from Toledo. He made the drive to be part of the excitement, joined by a pair of Tribe fans in his girlfriend and son, who had an All-Star hat, T-shirt and batting gloves."Just the experience," Woodworth said of the reason for the trip. "The inside was phenomenal."Back at the stadium, the World Team beat the Cleveland Team 21-16 in the celebrity game.A gracious host to the end.Contact Scott Petrak at 329-7253 or spetrak@chroniclet.com. Like him on Facebook and follow him @scottpetrak on Twitter.