Five Brewers among National League leaders in first balloting update for the 85th All-Star Game

MILWAUKEE - The first update of National League voting totals for the 2014 MLB All-Star Game, announced today by Major League Baseball, includes five Brewers among the leaders at their respective positions.

Aramis Ramirez ranks second among National League third basemen with 282,843 votes, trailing only Colorado's Nolan Arenado (318,111 votes). Ryan Braun is third among National League outfielders (446,780 votes) and Carlos Gomez ranks sixth in the outfield (370,630 votes). Colorado's Charlie Blackmon (549,394 votes) and Pittsburgh's Andrew McCutchen (467,378 votes) are the leading vote-getters among NL outfielders.

Catcher Jonathan Lucroy is fourth among NL catchers with 236,935 votes and Jean Segura is currently fifth at shortstop with 202,597 votes.

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 five of the last seven All-Star Games since 2007, 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 Brewers players are featured on the ballot for the 85th Major League Baseball All-Star Game to be held on Tuesday, July 15 at Target Field in Minneapolis. 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 2014 MLB In-Stadium All-Star Balloting Program and the 2014 All-Star Game MLB.com Ballot.

Brewers players on this year's All-Star ballot include C Jonathan Lucroy, 1B Mark Reynolds, 2B Rickie Weeks, 3B Aramis Ramirez, SS Jean Segura, OF Ryan Braun, OF Carlos Gomez and OF Khris Davis. 

At Brewers.com, all fans voting 21 or more times for their favorite Brewers will be entered into a drawing to win a prize package that includes: four Field Box tickets to a mutually agreed-upon game, an opportunity to go down Bernie's slide (restrictions apply), an opportunity to watch batting practice that day from the field and a meet and greet with five-time All-Star Ryan Braun. 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 Friday, June 15, comprising 23 home dates. The Vote Brewers! campaign features 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 15 and the winning ticket will be announced during the game. Rules will be available at the Polling District.

Last season, Gomez and Segura represented the Brewers at the Midsummer Classic. Ryan Braun narrowly missed being elected a starter for the 2012 MLB All-Star Game after finishing fourth in voting among National League outfielders to Matt Kemp of the Los Angeles Dodgers by just over 100,000 votes. Braun was later named a starter to replace the injured Kemp.

In 2011, 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 285 of the 2014 Brewers media guide.

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, July 3 at 10:59pm CT.