Smoak named all-star starter
Justin Smoak is no stranger to lofty expectations.
The Blue Jays’ 30-year-old first baseman was once a highly touted prospect, selected 11th overall in the 2008 draft by the Texas Rangers. He anticipated one day becoming an allstar calibre big-leaguer. Family, friends and many in the world of Major League Baseball did too.
Smoak’s career hadn’t lived up to that hype until this year. And on Sunday, in the midst of a season in which the infielder set a new personal record for homers before the midway mark, the native of Goose Creek, S.C. was named to the all-star game, selected by fans to start at first base for the American League. Kansas City’s Eric Hosmer was second in the voting. The game is July 11 in Miami. Smoak will be joined by Kansas City catcher Salvador Perez, Houston double-play combo Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa, Cleveland third baseman Jose Ramirez, outfielders Aaron Judge of the Yankees, Mike Trout of the Angels and George Springer of the Astros, and Tampa Bay designated hitter Corey Dickerson.
“I’ve always expected myself to be a really good baseball player” Smoak said. “I feel like at times I chased the numbers. I wanted to be the power guy, I wanted to hit 30 homers a year, drive in100 . . . I was searching, trying to be somebody I wasn’t and I feel like, this year, I’ve gotten back to the guy that I always was, just competing and trying to be a good baseball player on both sides of the ball.”
Smoak leads Toronto in average (.303), homers (22), RBIs (52) and hits (82). He recorded his 20th multi-hit game of the season Sunday in a 15-1 blowout loss to Boston.
John Gibbons is grateful that Smoak’s successful run, which the manager admits he wouldn’t have predicted back in spring training, hasn’t let up. His role as an everyday player, in the wake of Edwin Encarnacion’s departure, is one of the bright spots in a dismal season for Toronto.
“I’ve never seen him where he gets down in the dumps,” Gibbons said. “That’s a credit to him and that’s hard to do. He shows up every day with a great attitude. I’ve said before, we have some late bloomers on this team. It’s kind of like he’s really coming into his own.”
Still, you won’t be seeing Smoak in the home-run derby. While watching the likes of Ken Griffey Jr, his hat on backwards, and Sammy Sosa slug it out are Smoak’s most vivid all-star memories, he politely declined when asked to participate.
“I told them if they’d come to watch my (batting practice) they wouldn’t want me in the home-run derby,” he said, with a laugh. “I think it’ll be more fun to watch the big boys battle it out.”
But participate or not, Smoak is finally one of the big boys.