Orioles lead the way with three AL starters
Top vote-getter Davis joins teammates Hardy, Jones on roster
The votes are in and the stars have aligned.
Now, it's time for the best players in the Junior Circuit to make a major move in the biggest game of the summer.
On Saturday, American League starters, pitchers and reserves for this year's All-Star Game on July 16 at Citi Field in New York were announced on the 2013 MLB All-Star Game Selection Show presented by Taco Bell.
Baltimore first baseman Chris Davis led all of baseball with 8,272,243 votes and will have a few familiar faces on the field with him in New York. Davis will be joined by teammates and fellow first-time starters J.J. Hardy, who is making his second All-Star Game appearance, and center fielder Adam Jones, who is now a third-time All-Star.
"It still feels good," said Davis, who leads the big leagues with 33 home runs. "I think any time you are getting that recognition -- not only from your fan base, but from everybody across the nation -- I think it feels good to know that people are watching. I think what we did last year toward the end of the season really kind of opened people's eyes to the fact that there's some good baseball being played in Baltimore. And the fact that we have a number of guys going to the All-Star Game again this year just shows that we're doing something right."
But there's more for fans to do.
From Saturday, July 6, to Thursday, July 11, be sure to return to MLB.com and cast your 2013 All-Star Game Final Vote Sponsored by freecreditscore.com for the final player of each League's All-Star roster.
And the voting doesn't end there. The final phase of All-Star Game balloting will again have fans participating in the official vote for the Ted Williams All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award presented by Chevrolet. During the Midsummer Classic, fans will vote exclusively online via the 2013 All-Star Game MLB.com MVP Vote, and their voice will represent 20 percent of the official tally determining the recipient of the Arch Ward Trophy.
The 2013 All-Star Game will be played at Citi Field on Tuesday, July 16. It 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.
The winner of the 2013 All-Star Game will get home-field advantage during the World Series, but there's also pride at stake.
The American League won 13 consecutive All-Star Games before the NL snapped the winning streak in 2010. The NL has now won three in a row.
Could this be the year that the AL gets back into the win column? One thing is certain: Players are going to enjoy the experience.
Here's a rundown of the AL starters: Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano, a five-time All-Star, will make his fourth consecutive start, and Detroit third baseman Miguel Cabrera was elected by the fans as a starter for the first time and is now an eight-time All-Star.
"It feels great. I want to thank God and the fans that dedicated their time to vote for me to start this year's All-Star Game. I can't tell you how much I appreciate it," Cano said. "There's a lot of great second basemen in the American League, and I am thankful to the fans for voting and appreciating the way that I've been playing this year. It makes it that much more special that the game and the events surrounding it are being held here in New York City."
The starting outfield is made up of Angels outfielder Mike Trout, a two-time All-Star who is starting for the first time, Toronto's Jose Bautista, who was named a starter for the fourth consecutive year, and Jones.
Boston designated hitter David Ortiz, now a nine-time All-Star, got the starting nod for the seventh time, and Minnesota's Joe Mauer was selected as the starting catcher for the fourth time. He is now a six-time All-Star.
"I just try to do things my way," Ortiz said. "You guys have been watching me for a long time. I take things very personal when it comes down to playing the game. I guess that's what makes a difference."
In addition to the starters, who were elected by the fans, pitchers and reserve players were named to the All-Star Game rosters by the Player Ballot -- a vote from the players, managers and coaches -- and by All-Star Game managers Jim Leyland (AL) and Bruce Bochy (NL) in conjunction with Major League Baseball.
The AL pitching staff consists of Detroit's Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander, Seattle's Felix Hernandez and Hisashi Iwakuma, Texas' Yu Darvish and Joe Nathan, Boston's Clay Buchholz, Oakland's Bartolo Colon, New York's Mariano Rivera, Chicago's Jesse Crain and Chris Sale, Toronto's Brett Cecil, Cleveland's Justin Masterson and Minnesota's Glen Perkins.
"It's wonderful to be named an All-Star again, especially with the game being here in New York," Rivera said. "New York fans are the best, and they deserve it. I know that they will put on a great show, and hopefully we'll do a good job."
"That just says how much talent we have here," Scherzer said. "We've got a great team. That's kudos to our front office. It's just the whole kit-and-kaboodle about being a part of the Detroit Tigers."
Named to the AL bench are Detroit teammates Prince Fielder (fifth selection), Torii Hunter (fifth selection) and Jhonny Peralta (second selection), along with Boston's Dustin Pedroia (fourth selection), Tampa Bay's Ben Zobrist (second selection) and Texas outfielder Nelson Cruz (second selection). Among the first-time selections are Houston's Jason Castro, Toronto's Edwin Encarnacion, Kansas City teammates Alex Gordon and Salvador Perez, Cleveland's Jason Kipnis and Baltimore's Manny Machado.
The American League nominees for the Final Vote are Detroit's Joaquin Benoit, Toronto's Steve Delabar, New York's David Robertson, Texas' Tanner Scheppers, and Boston's Koji Uehara.
"It's a great feeling when you go to the All-Star Game when you're recognized by your fans, the peers or elected by the manager," Bautista said. "Obviously in my case, I got voted in by the fans, and it's a great feeling when that happens."