Sox to MLB: Put Youkilis on ballot

[browntown653]

The Boston Red Sox have asked Major League Baseball to substitute hot-hitting Kevin Youkilis for David Ortiz as the team's first base entrant on the All-Star ballot distributed to other players, a gesture meant to help Youkilis' chances to help make the American League squad.

There are just 15 full days remaining in the fan balloting. In the most recent ballot results announced by MLB, Ortiz is by far the leading vote-getter among AL first basemen, with 1,055,260 votes, more than double the second-leading vote-getter, Minnesota's Justin Morneau.
Because it appears that Ortiz will be the starting first baseman for the AL, based on the fans' voting, the team asked Ortiz if he would be OK with it if Youkilis could be listed on the ballot sent to players.

"He was all for it," said one Major League Baseball source, "and excited about Youkilis' chances."

Major League Baseball does not require that the same players who are listed on the fans' ballot appear on the ballots given to players.

Ortiz is primarily a designated hitter, of course, but because DHs are not listed on the ballot, Ortiz was placed among the first basemen. Youkilis, Boston's regular first baseman, is having a breakout season, hitting .335 with eight homers, 33 RBIs and a .421 on-base percentage.

He deserves to be there, but it's too little, too late methinks.

[Fishercat]

Actually, this makes a lot of sense.

Ortiz is almost a lock to get in as a starter, so there's no reason to have him on the Player's Ballot (part of the group who decides the backups). So Youks has a shot if he is on the player's ballot.

[DravenX]

The All-Star game is pathetic and the players are even more pathetic. I didn't notice it until '05. The players that should be an All-Star are not selected and the ones that are selected shouldn't be an All-Star.

[browntown653]

The players that should be an All-Star are not selected and the ones that are selected shouldn't be an All-Star.

That's quite a scathing generalization...