The All-Star Game is fun, but there’s a lot wrong with it, and not just because four Kansas City Royals were voted in by the fans.
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Bryce Harper garnered almost 14 million votes to lead all players among the 2015 Major League Baseball All-Star Game starters announced Sunday night. The starters were announced Sunday, and fans voted in Kansas City catcher Salvador Perez, shortstop Alcides Escobar and outfielders Lorenzo Cain and Alex Gordon.
Seattle’s Nelson Cruz, suspended for the final 50 games of the 2013 season for violating baseball’s drug agreement, was also elected to start on the AL squad for the second straight year.
The other NL position-playing starters are Marlins second baseman Dee Gordon, Reds third baseman Todd Frazier, Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt and Giants catcher Buster Posey. The other Astros fan-elected starters: first basemen Lee May (1972) and Jeff Bagwell (1997); outfielder Cesar Cedeno (1973). Since this game “counts” and is being played in Cincinnati under National League rules it makes a lot of sense to load the roster with relievers: Dellin Betances, Glenn Perkins, Wade Davis, Zach Britton, Darren O’Day, Kelvin Herrera and Brad Boxberger are all worthy of their inclusions.
“I was really nervous”.
This was the first year that balloting all went online, and with it, numbers were expected to be higher.
Every year there are complaints about exclusions from the All-Star Game.
The 620 million votes cast easily surpassed the record 391 votes cast in 2012. The Royals could very well see more players taking part in the game when the pitchers and reserves are announced on Monday evening. “I was excited. It was a huge comeback”, Frazier said.
Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen will join the starting lineup as a replacement for injured Miami Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton. I would much rather see a good player play in the All-Star game than a popular player.
Less than three months after making his major league debut, Chicago Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant is an All-Star, one of two rookies selected along with Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Joc Pederson.
Tigers: Miguel Cabrera’s calf injury could make lefthander David Price Detroit’s lone representative for the AL.
Matt Carpenter of the Cardinals had the led throughout the entire voting process until the Reds began urging fans to vote for Frazier and holding events to help them to vote.
You can’t talk about the #ASGWorthy-ness of a guy nicknamed Flash Jr. without mentioning that he hit the fastest recorded home run in the history of the game. He leads the team in average, hits home runs, RBI and OBP.
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Royals third baseman Mike Moustakas is among the five players on the AL fan ballot for the 34th and final roster spot. But his father recently underwent shoulder surgery, so Harper said Monday he will skip the event.
