Pollock to join Goldy at ASG as OF reserve
PHOENIX -- D-backs center fielder A.J. Pollock will be joining first baseman Paul Goldschmidt in Cincinnati for the All-Star Game presented by T-Mobile next week.
Pollock was elected by his fellow players in vote totals that were released Monday.
• Goldschmidt voted starter for All-Star Game
"I've run into a couple of players along the way the last two weeks that kind of went out of their way to tell me they voted for me and they were really pulling for me to get into the All-Star Game," Pollock said. "For me, just them saying that was pretty neat. To be voted in based on the players in general, that's cool for me."
:: All-Star Game on Fox: July 14, 7 ET air time | 8:15 game time ::
This will be Pollock's first All-Star Game, and he becomes the first D-backs outfielder to be selected for the game since Justin Upton in 2011. Goldschmidt was voted to the starting lineup by the fans, and Pollock has already contacted him for advice on how to handle all that goes with the All-Star Game including things like tickets.
When D-backs manager Chip Hale called to tell him of his selection, Pollock was with his wife, Kate, in Texas, where the D-backs open a series with the Rangers on Tuesday.
The first thing he did was call his father to tell him.
"He was really excited," Pollock said. "Just as excited as I was. Talking about when he would throw me BP when I was younger, and it was just kind of pretty neat that a kid from a small town in Connecticut would be going to an All-Star Game."
Pollock was going to call his mom next, but he realized she was out riding her bike, and knowing that earlier this year she had fallen off the bike while reading a text, he thought he should hold off until she was done.
Calling his parents and high school coach, Paul Steiner, were definitely high points for Pollock.
"All the people along the way that you kind of run into and help mentor you," he said. "The special people that you love to let them know you made the All-Star team. It's pretty neat."
Pollock has been one of the D-backs' most consistent hitters this year with a slash line of .303/.346/.464 through Sunday's game. He has hit leadoff, second as well as cleanup at times this year.
After missing three months last season due to a fractured right hand, Pollock has already set career highs in home runs (10) and stolen bases (18) while also matching his career-best RBI total (38). His .303 batting average is fifth among NL outfielders.
A first round selection (17th overall) out of Notre Dame in 2009, Pollock is an outstanding defender. He ranks first among NL center fielders in Baseball Reference's Total Zone Runs, which measures the number of runs a player is worth based on the number of plays he makes.
Voting is open now at MLB.com to select the final player for each League's 34-man roster via the 2015 Esurance MLB All-Star Game Final Vote. Fans can cast their votes from a list of five players from each League until 1 p.m. MST on Friday.
And the voting doesn't end there. During the Midsummer Classic in Cincinnati on Tuesday, July 14, fans can once again visit MLB.com to submit their choice for the Ted Williams Most Valuable Player Award presented by Chevrolet. Voting exclusively at MLB.com, online and via their mobile devices in the 2015 All-Star Game MVP Vote presented by Chevrolet, the fans' collective voice will represent 20 percent of the overall vote that determines the recipient of the Arch Ward Trophy.
MLB.TV Premium subscribers will be able to live stream the All-Star Game via MLB.TV through FOX's participating video providers. Access will be available across more than 400 supported MLB.TV platforms, including the award-winning MLB.com At Bat app. MLB.com will provide extensive online coverage of the All-Star Week festivities, including the 2015 Gillette Home Run Derby presented by Head & Shoulders, part of Gatorade All-Star Workout Day on Monday, July 13. The Derby will feature a new format with brackets and timed rounds and will be broadcast live by ESPN and MLB.com beginning at 5 p.m. MST.
The 86th All-Star Game will be televised nationally by FOX Sports (4 p.m. MST air time, 5:15 first pitch), in Canada by Rogers Sportsnet and RDS, and worldwide by partners in more than 160 countries. ESPN Radio and ESPN Radio Deportes will provide exclusive national radio coverage of the All-Star Game. MLB Network and SiriusXM will also provide comprehensive All-Star Week coverage. For more information, please visit allstargame.com.