SPORTS VIEW
As the 2013 season approaches its midpoint, Major League Baseball takes its annual four-day pause to celebrate its stars.
The 84th All-Star Game, airing Tuesday, July 16, on Rogers Sportsnet and Fox from Citi Field in New York, brings together the sport’s top players – as determined by a fan vote. So at this writing, that looked to be a group including Miguel Cabrera of the Detroit Tigers, Joey Votto of the Cincinnati Reds, Carlos Beltran of the St. Louis Cardinals, the Baltimore Orioles’ Chris Davis and Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Jose Bautista, who ranked fifth in the outfield voting, was the only Toronto Blue Jay within 100,000 votes of a starting berth.
The National League holds a 43-38-2 advantage over the American in All-Star play, including last year’s 8-0 blowout of the AL at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, the eighth shutout in ASG history.
The day prior, top sluggers tee off on batting practice pitching in the annual Home Run Derby. Robinson Cano of the New York Yankees and David Wright of the New York Mets, respectively, will captain the American and National League squads.