NEW YORK (AFP) — The Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox highlight the rosters for Major League Baseball's 79th all-star game which will be held July 15 at historic Yankee Stadium.
The starters were announced Sunday and it is no surprise there are three players from the Cubs who have the best record in American baseball. Chicago's left fielder Alfonso Soriano, along with rookie catcher Geovany Soto and Japanese import Kosuke Fukudome made the team. No other National League team had more than one starter.
But Soriano's status remains in doubt as he is currently on the injured list with a broken left hand.
Four players from the Red Sox were named starters for the American League team and three more were selected as reserves.
Cincinnati outfielder Ken Griffey, who became the sixth player in major league history to hit 600 home runs last month, was left off the NL team.
The NL pitchers and reserves also were announced Sunday, and the Cubs will have a franchise-record total of seven representatives. Their three starters will be joined by third baseman Aramis Ramirez and a trio of pitchers: starters Carlos Zambrano and Ryan Dempster along with closer Kerry Wood.
The Cubs have three position starters in the game for the first time since 1937.
Soto (3,096,135 votes) is only the second rookie starting catcher to be elected by the fans in all-star game history.
Fukudome becomes the third Japanese position player to start an all-star game. The other two are Ichiro Suzuki of the Seattle Mariners and Hideki Matsui of the New York Yankees, a replacement starter in 2003.
Also making their first all-star appearance as starters will be Milwaukee Brewers left fielder Ryan Braun and Florida Marlins shortstop Hanley Ramirez.
The other starters around the infield are Houston Astros first baseman Lance Berkman, Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Chase Utley and Atlanta Braves third baseman Chipper Jones, the top hitter in the major leagues.
On the AL side, Red Sox first baseman Kevin Youkilis and second baseman Dustin Pedroia were selected as first-time all-stars, while outfielder Manny Ramirez and designated hitter David Ortiz also were voted to the team. Ortiz said last week that he will not play due to a wrist injury.
Shortstop Derek Jeter and third baseman Alex Rodriguez of the New York Yankees were selected, as was Minnesota Twins catcher Joe Mauer. Rodriguez was the top overall vote-getter with more than 3.9 million votes.
Outfielders Josh Hamilton of the Texas Rangers and Japan's Ichiro Suzuki of the Seattle Mariners round out the rest of the starters.
It will be the first all-star appearance for Hamilton, who leads the majors with 83 RBI entering Sunday.
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