Gomez, Braun vying for All-Star starting nods
MILWAUKEE -- After being a first-time National League All-Star last season, Carlos Gomez is bidding to make it to the Midsummer Classic two years in a row. Ryan Braun, meanwhile, is aiming to return to an event at which he once was a mainstay.
Those Brewers outfielders were among the eight Milwaukee players on the ballot as online voting began Friday at MLB.com and at Miller Park.
Both Braun and Gomez got off to hot starts this season, with Gomez debuting as Milwaukee's leadoff hitter and Braun making his comeback from last season's suspension. Braun had been an All-Star in each of his first five full seasons, but he missed the cut last year while he was dealing with thumb and neck injuries. It was just after the All-Star break that he received his season-ending suspension.
The other Brewers outfielder on the ballot is a new name, Khris Davis, the slugger who filled in ably for Braun during the second half of last season.
Also in the running are Brewers catcher Jonathan Lucroy, first baseman Mark Reynolds, second baseman Rickie Weeks, third baseman Aramis Ramirez and shortstop Jean Segura. The Brewers chose Weeks for the ballot over platoon mate Scooter Gennett, though Gennett has dominated playing time at that position so far.
Fans can cast their votes for starters at MLB.com and all 30 club sites -- online or on a mobile device -- using the 2014 All-Star Game MLB.com Ballot Sponsored by Experian until Thursday, July 3, at 10:59 p.m. CT. The 2014 All-Star Game will be played at Target Field on Tuesday, July 15.
Fans may submit up to 25 online ballots, but they can also earn a one-time bonus of 10 additional online ballots. To access these additional online ballots, you must be logged into your MLB.com account when you submit any online ballot. If you do not have an MLB.com account, register on the site in accordance with the enrollment instructions for a free MLB.com account.
Fans this year once again can participate in the 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 Home Run Derby. The 2014 Home Run Derby 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 14.
The 2014 American League and National League All-Star teams will be unveiled on the 2014 MLB All-Star Game Selection Show during the weekend of July 5-6, with further details to follow on MLB.com. Immediately following the announcement of the AL and NL All-Star rosters, fans can begin voting to select the final player for each league's 34-man roster via the 2014 All-Star Game MLB.com Final Vote Sponsored by Experian. Fans will cast their votes from a list of five players from each league over the balloting period.
And the voting doesn't end there. The final phase of All-Star Game voting will again have fans participating in the 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 2014 All-Star Game MLB.com MVP Vote Sponsored by Pepsi, and their voice will represent 20 percent of the overall vote that determines the recipient of the Arch Ward Trophy.
MLB.com will provide extensive online coverage of the All-Star Week festivities.
The 85th All-Star Game will be televised nationally by FOX, 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 SiriusXM will also provide comprehensive All-Star Week coverage. For more information, please visit allstargame.com.