Royals flushed: Here’s who should be starting
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Yeah, that hot-dog stuffling thing was very American, but quite gross.
Stuffing the ballot box is also downright American, and Royals fans, good for them, have done so. As of the last totals, Kansas City would have five starters.
They are the AL champions, but, on the other hand, all the NL would have to do is throw Madison Bumgarner.
It worked last time.
OK, here’s who’s leading and should be starting the All-Star Game on July 14.
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National League
Catcher
Well done, voters. He is Gerald Dempsey Posey III, aka Buster. Despite the fact I bleed orange and black, by any unbiased standard he’s the best in the senior circuit.
First Base
I really hate this guy since he started hitting the Giants when he was in the womb. Seriously, I remember his rookie year, when he came up, he went nuts against San Francisco pitching. The good news is that Paul Goldschmidt is hitting everyone else. If this guy played for the Yankees instead of Arizona, he’d be on every magazine cover and website in the nation.
Good work, America and Toronto.
SECOND BASE
Miami’s Dee Gordon leads St. Louis’ Kolten Wong. I could go either way. Gordon gets it with a .344 average and 28 stolen bases. Both will be on the team.
Shortstop
Jhonny Peralta of St. Louis leads and is deserving. He’s been more consistent throughout the first half than the Giants’ Brandon Crawford and the Rockies’ Troy Tulowitzki.
Third base
Rockies fans have a beef here. St. Louis’ Matt Carpenter leads, and that’s not right. Cincinnati’s Todd Frazier (second in the voting) and Nolan Arenado (fourth) are pretty much in a dead heat. I’d give the start to Frazier since the game’s in Cincinnati, but Arenado could be in the lineup without complaint.
Outfield
The Nationals’ Bryce Harper is No. 1 at the ballot box, and that’s correct. Injuries take over after that. Out go Miami’s Giancarlo Stanton (second), St. Louis’ Matt Holiday (third) and the Giants’ Nori Aoki (fourth).
The Pirates’ Andrew McCutchen would be next in line, but he’s really not having a good year. Let’s see the Dodgers’ Joc Pederson and the Cardinals’ Jason Heyward.
Pitchers
I know there’s no vote here, but Zack Greinke for the National League against Chris Sale for the American League would be appropriate.
American League
Catcher
K.C.’s Salvador Perez and Toronto’s Russell Martin are 1-2 in the voting and this is a coin flip. Go with Martin to stop the stuffing.
First base
Detroit’s Miguel Cabrera just went on the disabled list, so it looks like Eric Hosmer will continue the Royals’ rush to the American League. But … anyone remember Albert Pujols? After his initial uh-oh year after signing the mega-contract in Los Angeles, he’s definitely showing his old form.
Second base
This is the height of Royals’ silliness with Omar Infante. Even though I still don’t know why the Houston Astros are in the American League, Jose Altuve deserves this spot. All the guy does is hit, hit and hit some more.
Shortstop
This is just a very undistinguished field. The Royals’ Alcides Escobar leads the voting, but would anyone really notice if the Tigers’ Jose Iglesias or the Jays’ Jose Reyes starts? Nope.
Third base
I normally don’t question what the Oakland A’s do because, well, they end up being good. What in the world were they thinking, trading Josh Donaldson? The voters are getting this right after Mike Moustakas’ early surge.
Outfield
In a shock, Mike Trout leads the voting. He’ll lead the voting for the next 10 years, like Harper. Nos. 2 and 3 are Royals, Lorenzo Cain and Alex Gordon. Weak sauce.
Let’s have a little Jose Bautista and Adam Jones here.
Sports Editor Chris Freud can be reached at 970-748-2934, cfreud@vaildaily.com and @cfreud.
