Six Cardinals make push for All-Star start
Six Cardinals make push for All-Star start
Rafael Furcal leads all NL shortstops in votes with 1,741,360. He is just ahead of Colorado's Troy Tulowitzki, who has 1,647,235 votes. Five other Cardinals are also in the running to start for the National League club in the 83rd Major League Baseball All-Star Game. The game will be played in Kansas City on July 10.
Yadier Molina is now in second place among NL catchers, as his 2,291,567 votes trail only Giants catcher Buster Posey's 2,445,005 votes. Carlos Beltran is the second-leading vote-getter among outfielders, and Matt Holliday is in sixth place. The Dodgers' Matt Kemp leads NL outfielders with 3,322,009 votes. Beltran has 2,652,980.
Lance Berkman's 1,159,418 votes put him at third place among NL first basemen, and David Freese sits in fourth place among third basemen with 1,540,085 votes.
Furcal has jumped to first place among shortstops despite recent struggles at the plate. Furcal is batting .143 this month, after hitting a scorching .349 in May. He leads all NL shortstops with 42 runs scored this season, and his .287 average is second-best among NL shortstops.
Fans can cast their votes for starters up to 25 times at MLB.com and all 30 club sites -- online or via your mobile device -- using the 2012 All-Star Game MLB.com Ballot until Thursday, June 28, at 10:59 p.m. CT. In-stadium voting has already ended in St. Louis.
Fans can also participate in the State Farm Home Run Derby Fan Poll. Fans will have the opportunity to select three players in each league who they would most like to see participate in the State Farm Home Run Derby. The 2012 State Farm Home Run Derby -- part of Gatorade All-Star Workout Day -- will be broadcast live on ESPN, ESPN HD, ESPN Deportes and ESPN Radio in the United States, beginning at 7 p.m. CT on Monday, July 9.
The 2012 AL and NL All-Star teams will be unveiled on Sunday, July 1, on the 2012 MLB All-Star Game Selection Show, which will be televised nationally on TBS. Baseball fans around the world will then be able to select the final player on each team via the 2012 All-Star Game Final Vote on MLB.com.
And the voting doesn't end there. The final phase of All-Star Game voting will again have fans participating in the official voting for the Ted Williams All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award, presented by Chevrolet. During the Midsummer Classic, fans will vote exclusively online at MLB.com via the 2012 All-Star Game MLB.com MVP Vote, and their voice will represent 20 percent of the official vote to determine the recipient of the Arch Ward Trophy.
The 2012 All-Star Game will be played at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City on Tuesday, July 10. Come to MLB.com for extensive online coverage of the All-Star Week festivities.
The 83rd All-Star Game will be televised nationally by FOX Sports, in Canada by Rogers Sportsnet and RDS, and worldwide by partners in more than 200 countries via MLB International's independent feed. ESPN Radio and ESPN Radio Deportes will provide national radio coverage of the All-Star Game. MLB Network and Sirius XM also will provide comprehensive All-Star Week coverage. For more information, please visit allstargame.com or royals.com/asg.