Four Royals to start in All-Star game

Nationals ace Max Scherzer joins an NL staff that includes Gerrit Cole, A.J.

The Reds will host the All-Star Game for the first time since 1988 and will be represented by Todd Frazier, who was voted the NL team’s starting third baseman.

On Sunday night, the starters for the 86th All-Star Game were announced (you can find them all here), and after all the worry that the Midsummer Classic would have a decidedly Royal-blue tint to it, the final tallies weren’t as Kansas City-centric as some had feared.

And the hometown Reds can celebrate a starter, too, despite Cincinnati’s sorry season. It will be Salvador Perez at catcher, Alcides Escobar at shortstop and Lorenzo Cain and Alex Gordon will occupy two of three spots in the outfield.

The starters, including four Royals, were announced Sunday.

“Whether the (Reds) players are doing well or not, I like them as people”, Ryan Bouillion said.

Mid-vote returns showing that at one point eight Royals were leading the voting sparked murmurings that Kansas City fans were packing the ballot box.

Cabrera overtook Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer in the voting, but strained his calf running the bases a day after voting ended.

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

On the other side, 22-year-old Harper set a National League voting of 13,864,950 to earn his second All-Star start.

Major League Baseball is justifiably proud that online balloting was a big hit.

In the AL’s tightest race, Mariners designated hitter Nelson Cruz (10,632,184) claimed his fourth All-Star selection (2009, 2013-14) as he held off Kendrys Morales (10,320,500) of the Royals. Bryce Harper led all vote-getting, and became the highest vote-getter in the history of the National League with almost 14 million votes.

The Giants’ representatives are starting catcher Buster Posey, second baseman Joe Panik, shortstop Brandon Crawford and left-hander Madison Bumgarner, the reigning World Series Most Valuable Player. More than 44 million votes have been cast.

Among the American League starters joining Donaldson will be Houston second baseman Jose Altuve and Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout.

Under current American League All-Star Team selection procedures, Yost has the opportunity to select up to five reserve pitchers and two reserve position players. “But for me it’s not something I really want to do”. “Everyone is excited and it’s a good time to bring it here because the area is growing quickly”, Bouillion said. “I’m pretty much on Cloud Nine”.

The addition of Royals relief pitchers Wade Davis and Kelvin Herrera to the American League All-Star squad wasn’t just a reward for their excellence.

“In 2004 I got kicked off the field for trying to rob Home Run Derby homers”, he said.