Kendrys, Seager need votes to reach Classic
Mariners trailing peers in bid to take part in 84th All-Star Game at Citi Field
SEATTLE -- Major League Baseball released the first round of American League fan vote totals for the 2013 All-Star Game on Monday, and no Mariners were among the leaders at any of the positions, despite strong showings over the first two months by designated hitter Kendrys Morales and third baseman Kyle Seager.
The top five vote-getters at each position and top 15 outfielders were announced for the AL, with National League results coming on Tuesday. Vote totals will be released each week leading up to the 84th All-Star Game, which will be played on Tuesday, July 15, at Citi Field in New York.
The Mariners haven't had a position player in the All-Star Game since 2010, the last of Ichiro Suzuki's 10 consecutive appearances in the Midsummer Classic. Seattle sent three pitchers in 2011 -- Felix Hernandez, Michael Pineda and Brandon League -- and Hernandez was the team's lone representative the past two years.
Morales figures to be the most qualified position player two months into this season, as he was hitting .300 with eight home runs and a team-leading 33 RBIs going into Monday's action.
David Ortiz of the Red Sox currently leads the balloting among AL designated hitters with 1,045,283 votes. Ortiz is an eight-time All-Star who has been elected by the fans four times. He's followed in the DH voting by Lance Berkman of the Rangers, Mark Reynolds of the Indians, Mark Trumbo of the Angels and Victor Martinez of the Tigers.
Seager has also put up solid numbers at third base, hitting .277 with seven home runs and 24 RBIs, but that's a tough position with Tigers standout Miguel Cabrera, a seven-time All-Star who has never been elected by the fan vote, currently the leading AL vote-getter at 1,500,165.
Cabrera has more than twice as many votes as the No. 2 third baseman, Manny Machado of the Orioles (723,943). Adrian Beltre of the Rangers, Evan Longoria of the Rays and Kevin Youkilis of the Yankees round out the top five at third base.
Fans can cast their votes for starters at MLB.com and all 30 club sites -- online or via a mobile device -- using the 2013 All-Star Game MLB.com Ballot until Thursday, July 4, at 8:59 p.m. PT.
Fans may submit 25 online ballots during the voting period but can also earn a one-time bonus of 10 additional online ballots. To access these additional online ballots, fans must be logged into an MLB.com account when submitting any online ballot. To obtain an MLB.com account, visit www.mlb.com and register in accordance with the enrollment instructions for a free MLB.com account.
Fans can also once again 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 2013 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 8 p.m. ET on Monday, July 15.
The 2013 American League and National League All-Star teams will be unveiled on Sunday, July 7, on the 2013 MLB All-Star Game Selection Show, televised nationally on TBS. Baseball fans around the world will then be able to select the final player on each team via the All-Star Game Final Vote sponsored by freecreditscore.com 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 2013 All-Star Game MLB.com MVP Vote, and their voice will represent 20 percent of the official vote determining the recipient of the Arch Ward Trophy.
The 2013 All-Star Game will be played at Citi Field on Tuesday, July 16. Come to MLB.com for extensive online coverage of the All-Star Week festivities.
The 84th 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 SiriusXM also will also provide comprehensive All-Star Week coverage. For more information, please visit allstargame.com.