Music: {allcanada} JAYS' BAUTISTA NAMED TO ALL-STAR GAME STARTING LINEUP

Sunday, July 1, 2012

{allcanada} JAYS' BAUTISTA NAMED TO ALL-STAR GAME STARTING LINEUP

NEW YORK -- Slugger Josh Hamilton led seven Texas players chosen for the All-Star game, while three San Francisco Giants rallied in the final week of fan voting to claim starting spots.

Washington fastballer Stephen Strasburg and Mets knuckleballer R.A. Dickey also were among the 66 players chosen Sunday for the All-Star game July 10 in Kansas City.

Atlanta veteran Chipper Jones, who plans to retire after this season, and Nationals teen Bryce Harper were left off -- for now, anyway. They are among five candidates for the last NL spot, with fans able to vote online through Thursday.

"I'm an old-timer, so I'd probably lean toward Chipper," NL manager Tony La Russa said on the TBS selection show.

Texas rookie pitcher Yu Darvish is among the AL choices for the final slot.

Hamilton drew a record total of more than 11 million votes to start in the AL outfield, along with Texas teammates Adrian Beltre at third base and Mike Napoli at catcher. A post-season star last year, Napoli has started only about half the time at that spot this year, but still easily outdistanced Minnesota's Joe Mauer.

Second baseman Ian Kinsler, shortstop Elvis Andrus, starter Matt Harrison and reliever Joe Nathan also made the AL roster from Texas. The two-time AL champion Rangers began the day with a major league-best 50 wins.

"There's so many All-Stars out there, and we have a whole team of them," AL manager Ron Washington of Texas told TBS.

Shortstop Derek Jeter, second baseman Robinson Cano and outfielder Curtis Granderson of the New York Yankees were chosen to start in the AL.

Catcher Buster Posey -- the top NL vote-getter-- outfielder Melky Cabrera and third baseman Pablo Sandoval from San Francisco overcame deficits to get starting spots. Giants ace Matt Cain, who pitched a perfect game in June, made the NL pitching staff.

Prince Fielder of Detroit will start at first base. He was the MVP of last year's All-Star game while playing in the NL for Milwaukee.

Few of the races for starting slots were close. Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp edged Milwaukee's Ryan Braun by 100,000 votes for the third spot in the NL outfield -- Kemp, beaten out by Braun for the NL MVP award last year, is on the disabled list with a strained left hamstring and looks doubtful to play.

Dickey, at 37, made his first All-Star team. He leads the majors with 12 wins and could become just the second knuckleballer to start an All-Star game. Dutch Leonard did it in 1943, STATS LLC said.

Strasburg is 9-3 with a 2.81 ERA and tops the majors in strikeouts for the NL East-leading Nationals. Last season at this time, he was working his way back to the big leagues while recovering from Tommy John surgery.

"It's going to be a tremendous experience, and it's a huge honour for me. It's amazing to think where I was a year ago, so it's great to see all the hard work has paid off, but it's not done," he said in Atlanta. "It's only the halfway point of the year. We've still got a long ways to go."

Angels outfielder Mike Trout, leading the majors in hitting at .360, was added as an AL reserve. The 20-year-old rookie drew more than 800,000 write-in votes.