Brewers closer Derrick Turnbow was sitting at his locker in the home clubhouse at Miller Park a few days ago when veteran Jeff Cirillo strolled by on his way to the batting cage.

"No matter what you do the rest of your life, Turnbow, you've got the label now," Cirillo said. "All-star. If you get arrested for DUI (driving under the influence) when you're running moonshine in Tennessee, they're going to say, 'Former all-star pitcher Derrick Turnbow ...'"

Turnbow laughed at the joke, but he also knew that Cirillo was right.

Of the millions of kids who grow up dreaming of playing in the major leagues, only a select few join the elite fraternity and fewer still make it to an All-Star Game. Tonight at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Turnbow and teammates Carlos Lee and Chris Capuano will represent the Brewers in the 77th Midsummer Classic.

In the weekend leading up to the game, all three players chatted with OnMilwaukee.com. (Note: While Turnbow was interviewed one-on-one, the other discussions took place in group settings with reporters from other media outlets.)

We hope you enjoy this Milwaukee Talks interview with the Brewers all-stars -- Turnbow, Lee and Capuano -- and overlook the fact that their initials spell out "TLC."

Derrick Turnbow

OnMilwaukee.com: Who was the first person you called when you found out that you had made the all-star team?

Turnbow: My wife (Becca). I always call her before every game. It's part of my routine. Then she called everybody.

OMC: Did you get a ton of text and voicemail messages?

Turnbow: I probably got nine or 10.

OMC: Did anybody contact you out of the blue, like a long-lost childhood friend or Little League coach?

Turnbow: Not really, it was just people that I'm close to and already talk to a lot.

OMC: How many of your family members and friends are going to the game?

Turnbow: It's just my mom and my stepdad and my two sisters and my wife. That's it. There is so much going on that I already told them I'd be pretty busy. I think they'll enjoy themselves. It's going to be fun.

OMC: There is a tradition in the Brewers clubhouse that anyone who makes the all-star team has to come back with a t-shirt or hat or some other souvenir for their teammates, coaches, trainers and clubhouse attendants. Are you guys ready for that?

Turnbow: We haven't talked about it, but we're going to hook everybody up. You've got to do it. It's part of the fun.

OMC: What are most looking forward to about the game?

Turnbow: Everything. Honestly, the thing I'm probably looking forward to most besides the game and everything that goes on there is just being able to sit down and be around with guys like (San Diego closer Trevor) Hoffman in the bullpen. It will be cool to talk to him and (Tom) Gordon and see guys like (Mariano) Rivera and those guys. That'll be the biggest thing for me. All the stuff is special, but it's not too often you get to sit around and talk to guys like that. I'll talk to them and pick their brains. That'll be the biggest thing for me.

OMC: It should be a pretty exciting couple of days. Have your teammates told you what to expect?

Turnbow: Yeah, I've heard you pretty much don't need coffee or any kind of Red Bull or anything like that. It's going to be pretty cool. There is so much stuff going on, you have to try to go out and enjoy it as much as you can because you might never get to go back there.

Carlos Lee

OMC: Your family will be attending the all-star festivities for the second straight year. How did they like last year?

Lee: It was good, but there is not much they can do. You leave your room at 10 o'clock in the morning and you don't see your family again until 10 or 11 at night.

OMC: What was your favorite part last year?

Lee: Just the experience of being in the All-Star Game and seeing all the different stuff that is going on there. Everything else -- it's just another game.It's nice to go there. there are so many good players who deserve a chance who don't get picked. it'll be good.

OMC: Were you surprised how many times you had to sign your name?

Lee: Probably a thousand times.

OMC: Some good things have happened for your personally since you arrived in Milwaukee. You and your wife, Mary, had another daughter (Karla), you've had put up good numbers, helped the Brewers snap their string of losing seasons and you made two all-star teams. Have you thought about that?

Lee: It's just nice all-around. The good thing about it is that you can help the team to win. You can be an all-star, but if you just put up numbers and don't do anything for the team to win, it's different. It just seems like this year, all around here everything we're doing is really good. A lot of guys in this clubhouse deserve to be an all-star. But, that's the thing - there are only so many can go.

OMC: What does it say about the organization that it has three all-stars this season?

Lee: It means they're doing the right things. For years to come, obviously pretty much every year we can have three or four guys going who deserve it.That will be pretty good.

OMC: Do you see yourself being one of those guys after this season?

Lee: I don't know. We'll see. It's not an answer that I can give you. I don't control that.

OMC: How are the negotiations going between Doug Melvin and your agent, Adam Katz?

Lee: You've got to ask Doug.

OMC: But, he won't say anything.

Lee: It's not like I'm going to tell you.

OMC: Are they at least talking?

Lee: They're talking. I told Adam, "Yo do your job. I'll do mine. If you've got something solid, tell me."

OMC: Would you like a deal done by July 31?

Lee: If they get it done or not, I've still go to go out and do my job.

OMC: When you played with the White Sox, did you attend the All-Star Game in Chicago as a fan?

Lee: No. I was home, baby. I was home at the ranch (in Panama), the same as if I wasn't going (this year), I'd be home at the ranch. I know a plane that can make it in four hours.

OMC: Would you rather be at the ranch than in Pittsburgh?

Lee: I get to spend plenty of time at the ranch.

Chris Capuano

OMC: How did you find out you had made the all-star team?

Capuano: I was just throwing out in the bullpen and Ned (Yost, the manager) came walking across the field. I saw him walking at me, and I said, "Oh, this is a little different." He told me "Do you mind changing your plans at the last minute?" I said "Of course not." He told me they needed somebody to go in there and pitch. It's been kind of a surreal week. Back and forth. To finally get it at the last second is just unbelievable.

OMC: What was the week like?

Capuano: It's just a range of emotions. From being really excited to being a possible candidate to feeling really uncomfortable with all the attention focused on one person when you're in a clubhouse where the team is really the only thing that matters (and) then finally having to make yourself be OK with not going and tell yourself, "I'm OK. I'm fine with it" ... to have that change around on you. It has just been a crazy week; definitely different than any experience in my life so far.

OMC: When will you pitch again after the break?

Capuano: I'm not sure. I think I was scheduled tentatively to pitch on Friday. If I throw a couple innings on Tuesday, I certainly would be capable to throw Friday. I don't know how they're going to work it.

OMC: How disappointed were you to find out that you had finished second in fan balloting for the final spot.

Capuano: I was disappointed, but I couldn't be too disappointed. Just being second to Nomar, little Milwaukee and someone who not a lot of people would know my name from a hole in the wall. Just finishing second in that race and coming close was awesome. It was a real honor. I was disappointed with not going, but I was OK with it. I was happy with just being considered and happy having a good first half. I still don't know how to react to it. I'm just trying to process it right now.

OMC: When National League manager Phil Garner chose Roy Oswalt to replace Pedro Martinez, it appeared that the staff was set. Did you think you had a chance? Do you think you'll get in the game?

Capuano: I knew a lot of pitchers were throwing this weekend. I think I'm going to go maybe one or two innings. Ned said that was a really high probability that I might get a couple innings. That's really exciting. Not everyone always gets in the game. That's an extra bonus.

OMC: Does the fact that you are replacing Tom Glavine, a fellow left-hander and New England native, make this more special?

Capuano: It's Tom Glavine. I watched more of his games growing up than I was able to watch Red Sox games. They were always on TBS when i was younger. He's a guy that I idolized a lot growing up. I didn't think about that scenario until you just said it, but that's pretty cool.

OMC: What does it say about the organization that there are three Brewers on the all-star team?

Capuano: This team has got some good talent on it. We knew that we had talent coming into the year. It was just a matter of being consistent and staying healthy. But, I know a lot of teams only have one guy in there. I think it's a byproduct of kind of the way that this organization is going the last couple years.

OMC: What have your teammates told you about the all-star experience?

Capuano: From what I hear, from the minute you get there it's non-stop media, signings and events. It's almost like the game is an afterthought. I'm sure that I'll be so busy that I won't really be thinking about the game and all of a sudden it will be there.

It'll probably be unlike anything I've ever experienced, just with all the people and looking around and seeing guys from all over the league. Great players. I really don't know what to expect. I'm just going to try to relax and just take out of it what I can.

OMC: Have you learned anything from this whole experience?

Capuano: The most important thing is what goes on in the clubhouse. No matter what kinds of things are swirling outside in your life, you have to try to keep your focus small on what's going on with your teammates and in your own clubhouse. I think it's just another experience that's going to help me in the future.

OMC: How did it feel having teammates and your manager voting for you online?

Capuano: It was discomfiting having that much attention on myself. it was pretty cool. all the teammates were voting and people were emailing their friends and their family to vote. It's just unbelievable.

OMC: Is it an advantage that the game is at PNC Park, where you've pitched before?

Capuano: Pittsburgh has been rough to us. My last memory there wasn't such a good one. Having the home field might mean a little something ... I like the park. The park is great. The field is great. The mound is fine. I like pitching there. I just haven't always had great results there.

OMC: Which player are you most looking forward to meeting? Who will you try to stand next to during batting practice?

Capuano: You can't name any one player. Especially guys from the American League who I watch on "SportsCenter" and never actually really get to play against, guys like David Ortiz. honestly kind of stopped myself from looking at the list of who was on the team. I tried not to pay attention to it too much over the last week so I wouldn't be disappointed if it didn't work out. It's going to be pretty weird out there, shagging and looking around and seeing all those guys there.