Minneapolis — Milwaukee Brewers catcher Jonathan Lucroy pondered what it would be like Tuesday night when Derek Jeter stepped to the plate to lead off for the American League in the bottom of the first inning of the All-Star Game.

Lucroy briefly wondered what the reaction would be if he asked Jeter to pose with him for a "selfie" at home plate.

"C’mon, I can’t do that," Lucroy said beforehand. "I’ll let Jeter have his little thing. I don’t want to take anything away from it."

And that’s exactly what Lucroy did, allowing the full house at Target Field to salute the New York Yankees icon in the final All-Star Game of his career. With the voice of late Yankees broadcaster Bob Sheppard announcing Jeter’s name, he was forced to pause and tip his batting helmet a few times to acknowledge the prolonged ovation.

With the crowd still chanting his name, Jeter sliced an Adam Wainwright fastball into the right-field corner for a double.

Jeter took advantage of the loud tribute to offer his congratulations to Lucroy on being an all-star. The Yankees star is generally recognized as the most-respected and classy player in the game, which Lucroy said is legitimate.

"I think so, with a guy who has accomplished as much as he has," Lucroy said. "I’ve also heard the type of person he is, that he’s just an unbelievable person, always smiling and always happy. I’m grouchy myself sometimes, so I find it hard to be happy all the time. He never has a bad moment."

In his first all-star at-bat, Lucroy had a very good moment, lining a double to deep left in the second inning to knock in a run. Lucroy, who ranked second in the NL with 32 doubles in the first half, ripped another run-scoring two-bagger to right in the fourth to tie the game, 3-3, and assure a sensational all-star debut before departing after that inning.

Two at-bats. Two RBI doubles. Nothing to this all-star stuff.

Before the game, Lucroy took the opportunity to set the record straight on the television ads promoted by the Brewers during fan balloting. In a satire of political attack ads, fans were encouraged to vote for Lucroy over Yadier Molina because Molina plays for the St. Louis Cardinals.

Those ads drew harsh criticism in St. Louis, with manager Mike Matheny speaking out against them. That made Lucroy uncomfortable despite the Brewers intent of merely poking fun at attack ads.

Lucroy told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch he wasn’t told of the content of the ad when he filmed two segments, one shaking his head and the other saying he "supports" the message.

"The whole political attack thing was something that I was not a part of," he said. "I did not know they were going to do that. I’ve never been that guy. If I knew it was going to be directed at the Cardinals like that, I would have told them no."

Molina won the fan balloting but was replaced by Lucroy as the NL’s starting catcher after suffering a serious thumb injury. Lucroy explained to Matheny his innocent role in the satirical ad and also got word to Molina.

"I want people to understand I totally respect ‘Yadi,’" said Lucroy, who certainly didn’t have to apologize for his all-star showing.

Lucroy wasn’t the only Brewer to shine at the plate. Aramis Ramirez singled, doubled, scored a run and made a fine play at third base.

"I think we represented our team well," Ramirez said.

Part of the fun of being an all-star is bringing your family along for the accompanying festivities, including the Red Carpet Parade through downtown to the ballpark before the game. Brewers closer Francisco Rodriguez said 2½-year-old son D’Angelo wasn’t sure what to make of the crowds lining the streets to cheer on the players.

"He asked me in Spanish, ‘Why are they yelling?’" Rodriguez said. "I said, ‘They are not yelling. They are waving and saying hi to you. They are friendly.’

Though a five-time all-star who recorded a save in the AL’s 5-4 victory in San Francisco in 2007, Rodriguez said he still wanted to see some action, and he did by pitching a scoreless sixth inning.

"It is important," he said. "You don’t come here just to sit down out there and watch. It will be a tough call for the manager as to which inning he’s going to use people. I just want to get in the game, regardless of the situation."

Though Gomez won the NL Gold Glove in center last season, he started in left field with Pittsburgh’s Andrew McCutchen getting the nod in center. That switch paid off when Gomez chased down a deep drive in the left-field corner by Mike Trout in the third inning.

Things did not go as well at the plate for Gomez, who fouled out and struck out in his only two at-bats. But nothing was going to spoil his all-star experience.

"It has been a lot of fun," he said.

Athletic Network Footnote: click here for the AN profile of Jonathan Lucroy.