Chicago ? Dontrelle Willis was in a hurry.

As baseball started to take its annual three-day break, the Florida Marlins phenom known for his unusual windup high-kicked his way out at Olympic Stadium right after beating Montreal Sunday.

The 21-year-old lefty had a place to be — his first All-Star game.

“Dontrelle is a great pitcher,” said his catcher, 10-time All-Star Ivan Rodriguez. “He got his ninth win of the first half, and that’s why he’s in Chicago.”

Seeing a rookie who was in Double-A only two months ago make it so far so fast was among the many highlights in the first half. So was the fast start by the Kansas City Royals.

And so was the surprising emergence of journeyman Esteban Loaiza. He’s already matched his career high with 11 wins for the White Sox and is a good bet to start at his home park against San Francisco’s Jason Schmidt in the showcase Tuesday night.

“I never thought I would make it,” Loaiza said.

Roger Clemens, Sammy Sosa and Rafael Palmeiro will be absent, however, despite making history. Clemens earned his 300th victory while Sosa and Palmeiro hit their 500th home runs.

Sosa, the most popular player in Chicago and perhaps in the majors, didn’t win a starting spot in fan voting and fellow ballplayers didn’t pick him, either.

Chances are, a corked bat cost him. Slammin’ Sammy was suspended for seven games after getting caught — since returning, he has gone wild, hitting .344 with 12 home runs and 23 RBIs going into Sunday night’s game against Atlanta.

The episode was among many things fans probably never thought they’d see.

An umpire attacked at U.S. Cellular Field, site of the All-Star game. A camera — part of the Questec system that many umpires and pitchers dislike — clubbed by Curt Schilling. Then, that Italian sausage toppled by Randall Simon’s two-handed chop.

Plus a slew of brawls, almost all of them triggered by inside pitches. There was another one Sunday after All-Star Albert Pujols of St. Louis was hit in the shoulder by the first pitch from San Diego’s Adam Eaton.

While the World Series champion Anaheim Angels struggled, the Royals surged. Not much was expected from Kansas City, especially with a payroll that was the second-lowest in the majors to Tampa Bay.

Instead, manager Tony Pena’s team got off to a fast start. Now, with Jose Lima going 5-0 since being signed from the independent Atlantic League, the Royals take a seven-game lead into the break.