'Amazing': Cincinnati Reds' Elly De La Cruz checked every All-Star box but the obvious one

ARLINGTON, Texas – Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz packed everything he’d hoped to do at his first All-Star week into the two days he spent in Texas, including meeting boyhood idol Derek Jeter on Monday and getting a hit during the game Tuesday.

Everything except the most obvious and predictable thing.

The man who might nearly lap the MLB field in stolen bases this year – the one who calls himself “the fastest man in the world” – didn’t nab his All-Star stolen base despite leading off the top of the seventh with a single off Seth Lugo of the Royals.

“I was thinking about it,” he said.

Turned out he had only two pitches of opportunity, with Jackson Merrill of the Padres following him with a third-pitch liner to left for an out, and Pittsburgh’s Bryan Reynolds hitting the next pitch into left field for a single.

De La Cruz wound up stranded when the National League’s best late-inning scoring chance ended with two more quick outs in the NL’s 5-3 All-Star loss to the American Leaguers.

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But it didn’t dim the two-day experience for De La Cruz, who also grounded out in the ninth.

“Amazing. Every moment was amazing,” he said.

De La Cruz, who showed up before Tuesday’s game for the red-carpet event in a lavender-colored suit and black cowboy had with dark glasses, lived Texas large this week, including Monday’s long-anticipated meeting on the Home Run Derby stage with Hall of Famer Derek Jeter.

“He’s amazing,” De La Cruz said.

Also amazing: Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani, whose three-run homer in the third gave the NL an early lead.

De La Cruz said last week he wanted to learn Japanese to talk to Ohtani – and said he got the chance Tuesday.

Such as it was. Turns out he learned just two words: “Arigato and Konnichiwa,” he said. (“Thank you” and “hello”).

What did they talk about?

“We talked about the game.”

Apparently briefly.

De La Cruz, 22, was all over the place Monday night during the Home Run Derby, talking to the player-spectators after turning down invitations this year and last year to participate.

So much fun maybe he participates next year? “I don’t know,” he said. “I’ll decide next year.”

Maybe he can even pick up that All-Star stolen base then.

Not that anything he might do during a second – or third or fourth – All-Star appearance will top the first one.

In fact, teammate Hunter Greene didn’t even make him pick up the tab for the charter flight they took to Texas after Sunday’s game at home against the Marlins.

Greene joked De La Cruz owed him for breaking his car window with a foul ball off Greene during a live batting practice session at spring training.

“I can’t pay for that. He’s got to pay,” De La Cruz said, pleading poverty compared to the guy with the $53 million contract. “He’s got the money.”

Turns out the Reds picked up the bill on that one.

Just a little more swag, one more box checked for the dynamic young shortstop who couldn’t decide what the best part of the big week was.

“I enjoyed all of it.”

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: 'Amazing': Cincinnati Reds' Elly De La Cruz checked every All-Star box but the obvious one