Posey in mix for starting ASG catcher spot
Giants backstop trails only Molina in first ballot released Wednesday
MILWAUKEE -- Buster Posey of the Giants finds himself in a familiar spot in the 2015 Esurance MLB All-Star Game Ballot: In tight competition with St. Louis' Yadier Molina in the balloting among National League catchers.
Posey, a two-time All-Star, received 759,187 votes in the NL's initial All-Star polling update announced Wednesday. He ranked second only to Molina, the six-time All-Star who led the catchers with 859,520 votes.
Fans can cast their votes for starters at MLB.com and all 30 club sites -- on their computers, tablets and smartphones -- using the 2015 Esurance MLB All-Star Game Ballot until Thursday, July 2, at 11:59 p.m. ET. For the first time, voting is exclusively online, where fans may submit up to 35 ballots.
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Following the announcement of the 2015 All-Stars, be sure to return to MLB.com and cast your 2015 Esurance MLB All-Star Game Final Vote for the final player for each league's All-Star roster. On Tuesday, July 14, watch the 2015 All-Star Game live on FOX, and during the game visit MLB.com to submit your choice for the Ted Williams Most Valuable Player Award presented by Chevrolet via the 2015 MLB All-Star Game MVP Vote.
MLB.com will provide extensive online coverage of All-Star Week festivities.
The 86th 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.
Four Giants besides Posey ranked among the top five in voting at their respective positions. Outfielders Nori Aoki (441,407 votes) and Angel Pagan (413,843) stood fourth and fifth, respectively. However, both trailed Miami's Giancarlo Stanton (746,926) by a wide margin.
Shortstop Brandon Crawford was in a similar situation. He had 417,604 votes, good for fifth place but substantially behind the leader, St. Louis' Johnny Peralta (595,741). Second baseman Joe Panik also was in fifth with 333,853 votes, but Miami's Dee Gordon, the position's leader, had almost three times as much support (934,249).