The rosters for the 2016 Midsummer Classic are set, and Tuesday night (8 p.m. ET) we’ll see the American League and National League vie for World Series home-field advantage at Petco Park.
Or, rather, we’ll see the Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox go head-to-head with a few friends they brought along. The Cubs are responsible for four NL starters, making up the entire infield.
Anthony Rizzo will man first base, Ben Zobrist’s at second, Kris Bryant’s at third and Addison Russell is at short. It’s the second time in history a team has pulled off this feat. Center fielder Dexter Fowler was originally scheduled to start but was replaced on the roster by Carlos Gonzalez. It nonetheless feels a lot like the Cubs just picked up some pals for a pickup game.
Those pals include MVP winners Bryce Harper and Buster Posey, but still. Harper will be joined by Marcell Ozuna and Gonzalez in the starting outfield.
“Organizationally, it speaks to what’s been done here the last several years,” Cubs manager Joe Maddon said, per ESPN.com. “I take zero credit for that. It’s great scouting and development on the part of the Cubs.”
Full rosters available at MLB.com.
Pitchers Jake Arrieta and Jon Lester were also selected to the roster, giving Chicago an MLB-high seven All-Stars.
“I’ve been through a lot,” Arrieta, the defending NL Cy Young winner and first-time All-Star, said. “A lot of hard work started to pay off and my career has started to move in a positive direction over the past couple years. It’s a byproduct of the hard work.”
The AL team is spearheaded by six Red Sox, including four in the starting lineup. Outfielders Jackie Bradley Jr. and Mookie Betts and shortstop Xander Bogaerts were selected for their first time, while David Ortiz earned an even 10th appearance in his final MLB season.
“There’s not going to be another time, so I’m just going to go out there, have fun and make sure I give the fans what they want who vote for David Ortiz and enjoy watching me,” Ortiz said, per Stephen Hewitt of the Boston Herald.
Reliever Craig Kimbrel and starter Steven Wright were also named to the team. Kimbrel will not play due to injury.
The AL has by far the most experienced team. Between Miguel Cabrera (11), Ortiz (10), Carlos Beltran (nine) Robinson Cano (seven), Chris Sale (five) and Mike Trout (five) they have the six highest All-Star selection totals.
Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw was the only NL representative with more than four Midsummer Classics under his belt. However, Kershaw pulled out due to injury. No NL player actually on the roster has more than four appearances.
The NL does have perhaps the most notable story: Bartolo Colon’s surprise All-Star appearance. The 43-year-old, who is MLB’s oldest player, ranks among the most elderly to ever play in the Midsummer Classic. He would be the third-oldest pitcher ever if he gets a chance to play, behind only Mariano Rivera and Satchel Paige.
The NL will hope Colon and others end the AL’s three-game winning streak. The AL has walked away with 10 of the 13 All-Star Games since the fateful tie in 2002; 15 of the last 18 games with an actual finish have gone the AL’s way.
Last-minute tickets for the MLB All-Star Game can be found at ScoreBig.com.
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