'Vote Wright' Falls Short; Mets' Dickey Selected To All-Star Game, Yankees Get 3 Starters
NEW YORK (WFAN/AP) — Despite a healthy lead last week, Mets star David Wright finished second in the All-Star fan balloting at third base -- a whopping 1,610,162 votes behind San Francisco's Pablo Sandoval.
But he will make his sixth appearance in seven years as a result of player balloting.
Mets general manager Sandy Alderson took exception to the result, tweeting Sunday: "Wright vs. Sandoval: A city of 8 million was outvoted by a city of 800,000."
New York made a huge push with its #VoteWright campaign on Twitter leading up to the deadline, but fell well short. Sandoval was picked to start for the NL despite missing a month with a broken hand and not matching the stats of Wright.
"I'm surprised I made it," said Sandoval, popular for his "Kung Fu Panda" persona. "He's been having a great year but the fans gave me the votes. I can't thank them enough."
Wright was diplomatic about the result.
"That's the way the system is. I understand how the system works and I respect that system. Pablo's having a very good year. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed that I don't get a chance to start, but I'm going to do everything I can to help win that game," he said.
Terry Collins, who will be in Kansas City as one of All-Star manager Tony La Russa's coaches, also felt it was a letdown.
"We were disappointed," said Collins. "He had the lead a couple days ago. That's the system, and we accept it. And he has every right to be disappointed. He is going to be there, and he deserves to be there."
Yankees left-hander CC Sabathia and Mets knuckleballer R.A. Dickey were two of the 66 players chosen by fans, managers and big leaguers for the showcase on July 10. The injured Sabathia will attend the festivities but not play.
Dickey, at 37, made his first All-Star team. He leads the majors with 12 wins and could become just the second knuckleballer to start an All-Star game. Dutch Leonard did it in 1943, STATS LLC said.
"It's an honor for every person who's ever helped me along the way and every fan that believed that special things could happen if you apply yourself," Dickey said. "So it's a need to be able to celebrate that with a network of people."
Derek Jeter became a 13-time All-Star shortstop and will start for the AL with Yankees teammates Robinson Cano at second base and Curtis Granderson in the outfield.
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"It's an honor, especially throughout the years the position I played and all the great shortstops that have been out there," Jeter said.
And this year there won't be any commotion over a Jeter no-show.
"I've always told you guys every time I'm in an All-Star Game how much I appreciate going, and how much fun I have," he said Sunday. "Of course last year I didn't get a chance to go, but I look forward to it this year."
The league that wins the All-Star game gains home-field advantage in the World Series. The NL won last year, then St. Louis became the ninth straight home team to win Game 7 in the Series.
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