TULO, BLACKMON ARE NL ALL-STARS
Justin Morneau could be the third Rockies player selected if he’s voted in by fans as the “34th man” for the July 15 game in Minneapolis.
A sure thing and a fan favorite with a storybook tale will represent the Rockies in the 2014 All-Star Game.
Shortstop Troy Tulowitzki was voted into the National League’s starting lineup by the fans, and outfielder Charlie Blackmon made the team as a reserve via a vote by the players.
Justin Morneau, however, will have to wait for national recognition for his remarkable comeback season. The first baseman was left off the NL team thatwas unveiled Sunday. Now his only chance to make the roster is to be voted in by fans as the “34th man.”
The 85th All-Star Game will be played July 15 at Target Field in Minneapolis.
The selection of Tulowitzki was simply confirmation that he’s one of baseball’s very best players, but Blackmon’s selection came as bit of a surprise. After making the Rockies’ opening-day roster despite having a difficult spring training, he hit a sizzling .389 in April with five home runs, but has since cooled considerably. Blackmon, 28, nowis hitting .291 with 12 home runs and leads the Rockies with 16 stolen bases.
“This is the first time Imade the big-league team out of camp,” Blackmon said. “I thought I was
on the bubble the whole time. I could have easily not made the team, and nowherewe are talking about the All-Star Game. It’s a blessing, and I’m really amazed aboutwhat’s happened. I’m happy to represent the Rockies there.”
Said manager Walt Weiss: “I’m ecstatic for Charlie. He was a pitcher until late in college, then he had to fight through some injuries early in his pro career. Now he’s gotten up here and he’s made the most of it. Now he’s playing in an All-Star Game. It’s a great story.”
There was never any question that Tulowitzki would become an all-star for the fourth time, tying him with LarryWalker and leaving him one shy ofToddHelton for the franchise record. Tulo led fan voting from the very beginning and finished with 5,349,456 votes— the most for anyNLplayer, despite the slumping Rockies’ 37-52 record.
“It’s funny, during my rookie year, I remember talking to (Matt) Holliday and (Garrett) Atkins, and those guys saying that playing for the Rockies, you’ll never be high in voting,” Tulo said. “They said, ‘You’ll have to get the player voting or the coaches will have to pick you.’ And I remember holding on to that thought, and think- ing that one day I wanted to change that about this place.
“So hopefully, now I can tell guys that come in here that it’s possible to get a start and get the fans behind you.”
Tulo is having an MVP-type season and leads the National League in hitting (.350), slugging percentage (.605) and on-base percentage (.442). He previously made all-star teams in 2010, 2011 and 2013.
“This is Tulo’s fourth one, and every one of them is really spe- cial,” Weiss said. “He’s the leading vote-getter, and rightfully so, for the first half he’s put together.”
Tulo also is the captain of the National League’s home run derby squad and will participate in the event the night before the AllStar Game atTarget Field. He said he will announce his five-man home run derby squad Tuesday.
Morneau’s triumphant return to Minnesota, where he was the American LeagueMVPin 2006, is now on hold. Arizona first baseman Paul Goldschmidt won the fans’ vote and the Atlanta Braves’ Freddie Freeman was named the reserve first baseman.
Morneau made the American League squad for four consecutive years with the Minnesota Twins from 2007-10 before injuries— most especially a devastating concussion— derailed his career. He’s still hoping to return to Minneapolis and bask in the fans’ cheers.
“Obviously it’s a little disappointing, because it’s something you are looking forward to,” he said of Sunday’s announcement. “The guys that are there are deserving, but hopefully we get some people rallying behind us and get that vote in there.”
Morneau’s numbers certainly support his consideration. He has 59 RBIs, trailing onlyMiami slugger Giancarlo Stanton in the National League. His .316 batting average trails only the Cardinals’ Adams among first basemen.
“I’m not much of a self-promoter, but it’s one of those things that at this point I feel like I have played well enough to be there,” said Morneau, a native of British Columbia. “You hope that maybe you can get Canada and Colorado rallying behind us, and get a fewof my hockey buddies on theTwitter and all of that kind of stuff and get a little bit of momentum going.”
Fans will determine the final all-star player for each league’s 34-man roster via MLB.com. Fans can cast their votes from a list of five players in each league until the balloting period ends Thursday at 2 p.m. MDT.
Morneau is one of the five players on the final NL ballot. The others are Miami’s Casey McGehee, Washington’s Anthony Rendon, the Chicago Cubs’ Anthony Rizzo and Atlanta’s Justin Upton.