Auburn’s Donaldson is an All-Star

As you can see the voters missed out on some excellent individual players in both leagues.

So, let’s analyze how things went for teams in the AL Central.

But after their impassioned run to the World Series a year ago, the Royals became the darlings of not only Kansas City but much of the country.

Jason Kipnis, who should have been the American League’s starting second baseman, was hitting. But the fans (with MLB’s help) spoke loudly and often in the last month of voting, and as a result, only four Royals will be taking the field as starters in Cincinnati: Salvador Perez behind the plate, Alcides Escobar at shortstop, Lorenzo Cain in center and Alex Gordon in left. But if the sport does alter the way the All-Star teams are chosen, it won’t be under a cloud of embarrassment from, say, Omar Infante being voted in on a wave of support from what is surely the loudest per capita fan base in baseball. It would have been a crime of epic proportions if Infante were named a starter. He leads New York in batting average and with 21 doubles.

Donaldson is third in RBIs (56) and fourth in WAR (4.3) among all AL players while playing for a Blue Jays team that is first in runs scored, doubles, total bases, RBIs, slugging and OPS. The Mariners’ Nelson Cruz will start at designated hitter. Cabrera has certainly earned it, considering his success at the plate during the first-half of the season – even if he can’t actually play.

While Andrew McCutchen and Albert Pujols are technically reserves, both will start the game since Giancarlo Stanton and Miguel Cabrera are out due to injuries. He is out for at least six weeks, and another player will take his spot.

CINCINNATI (AP) — The city hosting baseball’s All-Star Game this year was the home of a team that played like all-stars back in 1869.

The Major League Baseball announced the starters (as voted in by the fans) on Sunday and followed it up with the All-Star Selection Show on Monday, which revealed the pitchers and reserves for the Midsummer Classic. Also selected are Giants ace Madison Bumgarner, Reds closer Aroldis Chapman, reigning NL Rookie of the Year Jacob de Grom and Dodgers standout Zack Greinke. He has a 1.31 ERA in 34.1 innings, leads the AL with 27 saves and has yet to blow a save opportunity. In reality, there’s only or two players in today’s game at the position who flash the leather at the shortstop position in any comparable way to those two (Andrelton Simmons of the Atlanta Braves is the only guy who comes immediately to mind as being comparable). Four players ties the AL record for fan-elected starters, achieved nine times previously. “”(Third baseman Todd) Frazier and his personality are awesome, (first baseman Joey) Votto and his work ethic are something to look up to and the team has a pretty good farm system, so you know this skid isn’t going to last very long.