Breaking Election News! Brewers Players Rank Among League Leaders in First Returns of MLB All-Star Voting

MILWAUKEE – On a day when the entire nation is watching an election in Wisconsin, Brewers fans have flexed their muscles at the polls as five Brewers players rank in the top five at their respective positions in voting for the Major League Baseball All-Star Game.

Ryan Braun, who has been elected a starter in each of the last four All-Star Games, currently ranks third among National League outfielders with 1,112,971 votes (NOTE: The top three outfielders in voting results are all elected to start the All Star Game).  Second baseman Rickie Weeks (4^th, 512,021 votes), catcher Jonathan Lucroy (5^th, 457,590), shortstop Alex Gonzalez (5^th, 399,218) and third baseman Aramis Ramirez (5^th, 386,013) also are among the league leaders in voting. In addition, Corey Hart currently is 12^th among outfielders (417,929).

Brewers fans have the well-earned reputation for filling the ballot boxes with All-Star votes for Milwaukee Brewers players year in and year out. With at least one Brewers player elected to start in every All-Star Game since 2007, including three elected starters last season, Milwaukee fans demonstrated that it doesn’t take the largest market to be heard as they voted for their favorite Brewers in almost unheard of numbers.

This season, eight Milwaukee Brewers players are featured on the ballot for the 83rd Major League Baseball All-Star Game to be held on Tuesday, July 10 at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City.  Brewers fans will again have the opportunity to show their overwhelming fan support by helping decide which players will be named to the Midsummer Classic through the 2012 MLB In-Stadium All-Star Balloting Program and the 2012 All-Star Game MLB.com Ballot.

At brewers.com, all fans voting 21 or more times for their favorite Brewers will be entered into a drawing to win Ryan Braun’s Miller Park Suite for a night, complete with tickets, food and a personal visit from the 2011 National League MVP.  There is a maximum of 25 votes per email address.  More information and rules may be found at brewers.com.  Additionally, fans voting online will be eligible to purchase Field Outfield and Club Outfield seats for select Brewers games at a savings of up to 50% (details available after voting at Brewers.com).

Those visiting Miller Park are encouraged to vote early and often via paper ballot at the All-Star Polling District, set up during Brewers home games along the first base concourse. In-park balloting at Miller Park continues through Tuesday, June 19 (eight more home games), comprising a total 23 home dates.  The Vote Brewers! campaign will feature event staff decked out at home games in promotional t-shirts, and signage along the Miller Park fascia and behind the plate. In addition, media partners FOX Sports Wisconsin and Newsradio 620 WTMJ will be promoting the initiative on broadcasts, and the World Famous Klement’s Racing Sausages will help distribute voting information around the city. There will also be voting parties staged during the balloting period.

With every 10 ballots turned in to the All-Star Polling District, fans will receive one raffle ticket that will enter them in a drawing for the opportunity to win a collector’s item daily, ranging from game-used memorabilia to player autographs. A drawing will be held during every home game through June 19 and the winning ticket will be announced during the game.  Rules will be available at the Polling District.

Last season, Ryan Braun led National League outfielders in voting for the fourth straight season and led all NL players in voting for the first time (5,928,004).  He is the only Brewers player to ever be elected to start in four consecutive All-Star Games (did not play in 2011 due to injury).  Rickie Weeks was selected to his first All-Star Game as the NL’s starting second baseman and Prince Fielder started and made his third All-Star appearance in 2011.  In 2010, Braun and Corey Hart started for the Brewers (Hart was named as a starter after an injury to Atlanta’s Jason Heyward).

In 2009, Braun and Fielder joined Trevor Hoffman as All-Stars.  In addition to Braun in 2008, Hart was named that year to the National League All-Star team via the Monster All-Star Final Vote.  In 2007, Fielder received the second-most votes in the National League en route to his first career All-Star team, becoming the first Brewers player to be voted to the All-Star Game since Paul Molitor was selected at third base in 1988.  A complete list of All-Stars in franchise history can be found on page 283 of the 2012 Brewers media guide.

The 2012 American League and National League All-Star Teams will be unveiled on Sunday, July 1 on the 2012 MLB All-Star Game Selection Show on TBS.  Both the National League and American League teams will have eight fan-elected starters. The pitchers and reserves for both will be determined through a combination of "Player Ballot" choices and selections made by the two All-Star managers.

Fans can vote for the Major League All-Stars online at brewers.com through Thursday, June 28 at 10:59 p.m. CT.