Final Voting for All-Star Positions

Dubbed the “Final Vote”, Major League Baseball fans have one more chance to vote for their favorite players to make the 82^nd Annual Major League Baseball All-Star Game. The possible equivalent to “Mr. Irrelevant”, as far as an ego check goes for MLB players, is left for fan voting online. Two more positions remain, one player for both leagues, to fill the 67^th and 68^th spots.

The final potential players, as picked by American League manager Ron Washington (Texas Rangers) and Bruce Bochy (San Francisco Giants), will learn their fate on Thursday.

American League Players

Alex Gordon .301 batting average, 10 home runs, 46 RBIs

Victor Martinez .335 batting average, 6 home runs, 46 RBIs

Paul Konerko .317 batting average, 21 home runs, 62 RBIs

Ben Zorbist .261 batting average, 9 home runs, 40 RBIs

Adam Jones .288 batting average, 13 home runs, 46 RBIs

National League Players

Andre Either .322 batting average, 7 home runs, 41 RBIs

Todd Helton .323 batting average, 9 home runs, 38 RBIs

Michael Morse .299 batting average, 15 home runs, 46 RBIs

Shane Victorino .299 batting average, 9 home runs, 34 RBIs

You can vote until 4:00 p.m. EST Thursday afternoon online at www.mlb.com.

The MLB All-Star Game is July 12^th, at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona.

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2011 Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game Starting Positions

The 82^nd Annual All-Star Game starting positions were announced on Sunday via a selection show on TBS. MLB fans voted in record numbers casting 32.5 million ballots for their favorite players to fill out the starting rosters.

Fans picked the 17 starting position players for the American League and National League teams. The players voted for 17 position players and 6 pitchers and the managers picked 10 pitchers and 6 reserves each for a total of 66 roster positions. The rosters will be completed with one additional pick for each team. The final two positions can be voted for online at Major League Baseball’s website (see HogManInLA’s Final Voting for All-Star Positions for further information).

The AL starters are not close to the 1985 team that started seven future Hall of Famers (Carlton Fisk, Rickey Henderson, George Brett, Eddie Murray, Cal Ripken, Dave Winfield, and Jim Rice) but talented none the less. The AL roster has 7 AL East starters; 4 New York Yankees will start, leading all teams in position players starting (6 total players selected), 2 Boston Red Sox players (4 total players selected), and 1 Toronto Blue Jays player. Alex Rodriguez is making his 14^th All-Star appearance tying him with Ivan Rodriguez for the most All-Star appearances by an active player.

American League Starters

C Alex Avila (Tigers)

1B Adrian Gonzalez (Red Sox)

2B Robinson Cano (Yankees)

3B Alex Rodriguez (Yankees)

SS Derek Jeter (Yankees)

OF Joes Bautista (Blue Jays)

OF Curtis Granderson (Yankees)

OF Josh Hamilton (Rangers)

DH David Ortiz (Red Sox)

Small market this! The Milwaukee Brewers’ fan base showed up big in 2011. Ryan Braun led all NL position players in voting giving Braun his 4^th consecutive All-Star Game start. The Brewers lead the NL in total starting positions with 3 starters. Prince Fielder gets the start at first with the injury to St. Louis Cardinals’ 1B Albert Pujols. The Phillies’ and Giants’ loaded pitching staffs placed 3 starting pitchers in the NL rotation giving the Phillies and Giants 4 total All-Star selections.

National League Starters

C Brian McCann (Braves)

1B Prince Fielder (Brewers)

2B Rickie Weeks (Brewers)

3B Placido Polanco (Phillies)

SS Jose Reyes (Mets)

OF Ryan Braun (Brewers)

OF Lance Berkman (Cardinals)

OF Matt Kemp (Dodgers)

National League Reserves:

Starting Pitchers

Jair Jurrjens (Braves), Clayton Kershaw (Dodgers), Matt Cain (Giants), Tim Linececum (Giants), Ryan Vogelsong (Giants), Cliff Lee (Phillies), Roy Halladay (Phillies), and Cole Hamels (Phillies)

Relievers

Jonny Venters (Braves), Brian Wilson (Giants), Tyler Clippard (Nationals), Heath Bell (Padres), Joel Hanrahan (Pirates)

Infield Reserves

Catcher Yadier Molina (Cardinals), 1B Gaby Sanchez (Marlins), 1B Joey Votto (Reds), 2B Brandon Phillips (Reds), SS Starlin Castro (Cubs), SS Troy Tulowitzki (Rockies), 3B Chipper Jones (Braves)

Outfielder Reserves

Carlos Beltran (Mets), Jay Bruce (Reds), Matt Holliday (Cardinals), Hunter Pence (Astros), Justin Upton (Diamondbacks)

American League Reserves

Starting Pitchers

Jared Weaver (Angels), Gio Gonzalez (Athletics), Felix Hernandez (Mariners), David Price (Rays), James Shields (Rays), C.J. Wilson (Rangers), Josh Beckett (Red Sox), Justin Verlander (Tigers)

Relievers

Chris Perez (Indians), Brandon League (Mariners), Aaron Crow (Royals), Mariano Rivera (Yankees), Jose Valverde (Tigers)

Infield Reserves

Catcher Russell Martin (Yankees), Matt Wieters (Orioles), 1B Miguel Cabrera (Tigers), 2B Howie Kendrick (Angels), SS Asdrubal Cabrera (Indians), 3B Adrian Beltre

Outfield Reserves

Matt Joyce (Rays), Jacoby Ellsbury (Red Sox), Michael Cuddyer (Twins), Carlos Quentin (White Sox) and DH Michael Young (Rangers)

Just to Clarify

The 2011 All-Star votes by the fans seemed to be spot on this year. 2010 AL MVP, Josh Hamilton, was having an all-star first half to his season before he broke his arm thus a good pick by the fans. One could argue about Derek Jeter’s selection; .260, 2 home runs, and 20 RBIs. Jeter is making his 12^th All-Star appearance, 7^th straight as a starter, and is a lock for the Hall of Fame. His quest for 3,000 hits before the midway point of the season has been put on hold due to his hamstring injury. Jeter is supposed to be available to play in the All-Star Game.

The NL is loaded at first base. With the injury to Albert Pujols this allows Prince Fielder to start and Joey Votto (the 2010 NL MVP) and Gaby Sanchez to make the team. Absent from the NL squad is strike out king and power hitter Ryan Howard. You have to give the Phillies’ fans credit for not stuffing the ballot box for him.

Jose Reyes started the year off well but not great. Since the first month of the season he has arguably been the best player in baseball. He’s playing like he’s in a contract year… wait he is in a contract year. Amazing to see what these guys can do when the apply themselves everyday.

30-30 or maybe 40-40? Matt Kemp is having the MVP type season all baseball fans and Dodger fans have been wanting from him. The 6’ 3” 220 lbs 5 tool player has been slugging and stealing bases for the lowly Los Angeles Dodgers all season. He’s hitting .327, with 64 RBIs, and 52 runs. He already has 22 home runs and 22 stolen bases, time will tell how well his season ends up. Kemp could be the first player since Alex Rodriguez in 2003 to win the MVP Award playing for a last place team in their division (In 2003 the Rangers were 71-91; in AL West). 

MLB All-Star Game is July 12^th, at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona.

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2011 Major League Baseball All-Star Voting – National League

The races are heating up on the National League side of the All-Star voting. The NL does not support the same East Coast bias as the American League making the NL race wide open. With only four days left for fans to vote online, only three positions of the possible six positions to vote for are a lock. National League voters do not have to vote for a Designated Hitter and all outfielders, regardless of natural position, are lumped together.

The positions that appear to be a lock to start the 2011 MLB All-Star Game are Atlanta Braves’ catcher Brian McCann (3,062,884), Philadelphia Phillies’ third baseman Placido Polanco (3,261,718), and the NL’s top vote getter Milwaukee Brewers’ outfielder Ryan Braun (3,932,100). St. Louis Cardinals’ first baseman Albert Pujols recent injury has cost him votes amongst fans. Pujols is only 400,000 votes ahead of Milwaukee Brewers’ first baseman Prince Fielder with Cincinnati Reds’ Joey Votto close behind.

The Sporting News second best player in baseball (still a puzzling pick), Colorado Rockies’ shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, who made his first and only other All-Star appearance in 2010 is batting .276 with 14 HR, and 50 RBIs is in danger of losing his chance to start the 2011 All-Star game to Jose Reyes of the New York Mets. Since Mets owner Fred Wilpon publicly ripped Reyes, he has been on a tear. Reyes was hitting .309 on May 1^st with 2 triples and 8 stolen bases. Since then Reyes has raised his batting average to .341 with 14 triples and 28 total stolen bases.

Atlanta Braves’ third baseman Chipper Jones is not drawing many sentimental votes in his last possible season in the “bigs”. Jones, a future Hall of Fame inductee, is currently second in voting for third baseman with 2,040,594.

Outfielder Matt Kemp has been a steady force for the lowly Los Angeles Dodgers this season. He is currently only 200,000 votes shy of Cardinals’ outfielder Matt Holiday for the third and final NL outfield position. Needing votes, the Dodgers’ front office has been actively enticing fans to vote for Kemp. Offers include an opportunity to meet Matt Kemp, discounted tickets, and free tickets for an upcoming 2011 game. All a fan needs to do is vote 20 times for Kemp through the Dodgers’ website.

Vote Totals for National League Players

CATCHER
Brian McCann, Braves: 3,062,884
Yadier Molina, Cardinals: 2,271,887
Buster Posey, Giants: 1,849,984
Jonathan Lucroy, Brewers: 1,451,280

FIRST BASE
Albert Pujols, Cardinals: 3,358,432
Prince Fielder, Brewers: 2,903,584
Joey Votto, Reds: 2,832,857
Ryan Howard, Phillies: 1,881,711

SECOND BASE
Rickie Weeks, Brewers: 2,869,583
Brandon Phillips, Reds: 2,791,186
Chase Utley, Phillies: 2,406,965
Dan Uggla, Braves: 1,223,812
Freddy Sanchez, Giants: 1,184,145

THIRD BASE
Placido Polanco, Phillies: 3,261,718
Chipper Jones, Braves: 2,040,594
Pablo Sandoval, Giants: 1,584,671
David Wright, Mets: 1,497,778
Scott Rolen, Reds: 1,417,248

SHORTSTOP
Troy Tulowitzki, Rockies: 2,955,609
Jose Reyes, Mets: 2,710,777
Jimmy Rollins, Phillies: 1,724,166
Alex Gonzalez, Braves: 1,142,470
Yuniesky Betancourt, Brewers: 1,131,078

OUTFIELD
Ryan Braun, Brewers: 3,932,100
Lance Berkman, Cardinals: 3,208,183
Matt Holliday, Cardinals: 2,935,965
Matt Kemp, Dodgers: 2,743,927
Andre Ethier, Dodgers: 2,264,640
Jay Bruce, Reds: 2,119,267
Shane Victorino, Phillies: 1,742,128
Carlos Beltran, Mets: 1,639,362

You can cast your vote for your favorite MLB player until Thursday 8:59 p.m. P.T. at www.mlb.com.

The MLB All-Star Game is July 12^th at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona. 

What would you like to clarify? Don't forget to sign up for email notifications and as a reader/follower. Follow HogManInLA on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/HogManInLa