The Chicago White Sox and New York Mets earned six selections
each on the MLB All-Star game rosters, according to a statement on
Sunday.
The World Series champion White Sox and National League East
division-leading Mets will be well represented on July 11 in
Pittsburgh.
The Mets had four starters elected by fans, including third
baseman David Wright and shortstop Jose Reyes -- each 23 and chosen
for the first time. They will be joined in the lineup by catcher
Paul Lo Duca and outfielder Carlos Beltran. Starting pitchers Tom
Glavine and Pedro Martinez also made it.
Another Mets pitcher could be added, too. Closer Billy Wagner is
one of five candidates for the final NL spot in Internet
balloting.
The White Sox won't have any starters, unless Cuban-born pitcher
Jose Contreras is picked by his own manager, Ozzie Guillen, to
start the game. But they'll have plenty of players on the bench:
Slugger Jim Thome, first baseman Paul Konerko, outfielder Jermaine
Dye, lefty Mark Buehrle and closer Bobby Jenks all made it along
with Contreras.
Chicago also could have a seventh player added in Internet
balloting, catcher A.J. Pierzynski.
For the fourth straight season, the winner of the All-Star game
will get home-field advantage in the World Series -- so all those
Mets and White Sox could be playing for something important come
October.
Detroit's Ivan Rodriguez was selected to start at catcher for
the 11th time. He is now a 13-time All-Star, the most of any active
player.
He edged Minnesota's Joe Mauer in fan balloting by less than
17,000 votes. The 23-year-old Mauer, who leads the majors with a
.392 batting average, made it as a reserve.
Twenty-three players will be going for the first time, among
them Philadelphia second baseman Chase Utley, elected by fans to
start.
St. Louis first baseman Albert Pujols was the leading
vote-getter among fans, chosen on more than 3.4 million ballots. It
will be his third start.
As always, there were some notable snubs, including Los Angeles
Dodgers first baseman Nomar Garciaparra, Boston pitcher Curt
Schilling and New York Yankees ace Mike Mussina. Garciaparra,
however, could be added through Internet balloting this week.
Some of MLB's biggest names will be missing, including Barry
Bonds, Roger Clemens, Piazza, Ken Griffey Jr. and Randy
Johnson.
The four starters for the Mets equals the number Boston had last
year. The Red Sox were the first team with four starters since the
1976 Cincinnati Reds had five, according to the Elias Sports
Bureau. The six All-Stars were also the most in franchise history
for New York.
Also elected by fans to start for the National League were
outfielders Jason Bay of host Pittsburgh and Alfonso Soriano of
Washington.
On the American League side, the fans didn't provide many
surprises. Seven of the eight starters have started previously,
with Boston second baseman Mark Loretta the only first-timer.
Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter will be making his seventh
appearance, though it's only the second time he's been voted in as
a starter. New York third baseman Alex Rodriguez is on the team for
the 10th time, and this will be his ninth start.
Boston's David Ortiz, picked as the starting designated hitter
last year, will get the start at first base. Teammate Manny
Ramirez, the AL's leading vote-getter with more than 3.1 million,
is on the team for the 10th time and was selected as a starter in
the outfield for the eighth time. He'll be joined by Vladimir
Guerrero of the Angels and Seattle's Ichiro Suzuki.
The Oakland Athletics, in first place in the AL West, had just
one All-Star in pitcher Barry Zito.
San Diego, on top in the NL West, was represented only by
reliever Trevor Hoffman.
(Xinhua News Agency July 4, 2006)