MLB All-Stars Archives - The Florida Daily Post https://floridadailypost.com/tag/mlb-all-stars/ Read first, then decide! Tue, 16 Jul 2024 04:37:46 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://i0.wp.com/floridadailypost.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/New-favicon-Florida-Daily-post-1.jpg?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 MLB All-Stars Archives - The Florida Daily Post https://floridadailypost.com/tag/mlb-all-stars/ 32 32 168275103 Dodgers’ Hernández beats Royals’ Witt for HR Derby title, Alonso’s bid for 3rd win ends in 1st round https://floridadailypost.com/dodgers-hernandez-beats-royals-witt-for-hr-derby-title-alonsos-bid-for-3rd-win-ends-in-1st-round/ https://floridadailypost.com/dodgers-hernandez-beats-royals-witt-for-hr-derby-title-alonsos-bid-for-3rd-win-ends-in-1st-round/#respond Tue, 16 Jul 2024 04:37:46 +0000 https://floridadailypost.com/?p=63902 When Teoscar Hernández needed a moment to calm down during the Home Run Derby, the Los Angeles Dodgers slugger got a boost from a former teammate who just happened to be last year’s champion. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. wore a Blue Jays jersey with Hernández’s name and No. 37 on the back as he watched the […]

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When Teoscar Hernández needed a moment to calm down during the Home Run Derby, the Los Angeles Dodgers slugger got a boost from a former teammate who just happened to be last year’s champion.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. wore a Blue Jays jersey with Hernández’s name and No. 37 on the back as he watched the competition, honoring his friend from their time as Toronto teammates from 2017-22.

“That was a surprise of the night,” Herrnández said. “He brings my jersey from Toronto, and when he goes to home plate. He was trying to calm (me) down, and so he had passed two times, and it works. He said he wanted to help me going into the last round.”

Hernández won the Home Run Derby when he beat local star Bobby Witt Jr. of the Kansas City Royals 14-13 in the final round Monday night.

The 31-year-old Hernández hit 49 homers over three rounds that totaled 3.98 miles and became the first Dodgers player to win the derby among 11 who have tried. While not participating in the derby this year, Guerrero gave Hernández advice during breaks.

“If I have to bet, it doesn’t matter who I’m going against, I’m going to bet on myself,” Hernández said when asked if he felt like the underdog. “People maybe underestimate myself.”

Witt, needing one home run to tie with one out remaining, drove a ball to one of the deepest parts of Globe Life Field in left-center, where it hit halfway up the wall to the left of the 410-foot sign.

“When I hit it I knew I kind of — I didn’t hit it great. But, yeah, I just was trying to blow on it or something,” Witt said with a chuckle. “The first thing I thought was just no pop. … We got to do a couple more curls or something.”

Kansas City has never had a derby winner.

Both finished their two-minute final round with 11 homers, before bonus swings were added. Witt came up short of his first two bonus swings, then hit two homers in a row — one a 457-foot drive that got him one more swing.

Witt was the No. 2 overall pick by the Royals in 2019 out of Colleyville Heritage High School, about 15 miles north of the Rangers’ stadium. It was his first time in the derby, but he was the high school home run champion in Washington in 2018 — and is the only player to compete in both contests.

The 24-year-old Witt finished with 50 homers overall that traveled 3.8 miles.

Witt had knocked out Cleveland switch-hitter José Ramírez 17-12 in the semifinals. Hernández beat Philadelphia’s Alec Bohm 16-15 after a tiebreaker when both got three swings — Hernández hit two out, and Bohm one. They were tied at 14 after the three-minute segment and their bonus rounds, and Bohm came close to avoiding that, but the last ball he hit then landed on the warning track in left-center field.

Ramírez and Bohm both hit 21 homers to pace the first round. Witt started with 20 homers and Hernández had 19.

The New York Mets’ Pete Alonso fell short in his bid to join Ken Griffey Jr. as a three-time derby champion when he hit only 12 homers in the first round.

Instead of a single-elimination bracket like last year, the four hitters with the most homers in the first round advanced to the semifinal round. It then became a bracket-style competition.

Alonso hit a 428-foot homer to left-centerfield on his first swing, but couldn’t get into a rhythm. The others knocked out after the first round were hometown favorite Adolis García of Texas, Atlanta’s Marcell Ozuna and Baltimore’s Gunnar Henderson.

“It’s disappointing, but for me, I think it’s really just a blessing and it’s just fun being out there,” Alonso said. “At the end of the day, it wasn’t my day.”

Ozuna did have the longest homer of the night at 473 feet. Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels in 2022, and Oakland’s Seth Brown in 2021 have both hit 472 feet homers in games at the stadium that is now in its fifth season.

Bohm, one of a franchise-record eight Phillies named All-Stars, has only 11 homers this season — the fewest among the eight derby competitors. He said he was going to try to hit as many balls as he could to left field and did — pulling all 21 of his homers that way in the first round.

It still felt like 100 degrees (38 Celsius) outside the ballpark when the derby began, but the retractable roof was closed on the stadium that opened in 2020. When the Rangers hosted the 1995 All-Star Game across the street in their old stadium without a roof, the derby wasn’t yet a prime-time event and was held in the sweltering mid-afternoon heat.

Frank Thomas won in 1995 with 15 homers over three rounds in a different format. Albert Belle finished with a total of 16, then a Home Run Derby record, but Thomas beat him 3-2 in the final round.

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National League snaps All-Star Game losing streak, tops AL 3-2 behind Elias Díaz homer https://floridadailypost.com/national-league-snaps-all-star-game-losing-streak-tops-al-3-2-behind-elias-diaz-homer/ https://floridadailypost.com/national-league-snaps-all-star-game-losing-streak-tops-al-3-2-behind-elias-diaz-homer/#respond Wed, 12 Jul 2023 04:07:11 +0000 https://floridadailypost.com/?p=59381 Elias Díaz hit a two-run homer off Félix Bautista.

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He has nine homers this season, but hadn’t hit a long ball since June 23 against the Los Angeles Angels.

“This means a lot to me, to my family,” he said. “Being in the ASG for me is amazing.”

For most of the night, the All-Star Game was a pitchers’ duel highlighted by a couple big hits and some excellent defense.

It got nervous for the NL in the ninth. Wander Franco flied out to the warning track leading off against Philadelphia closer Craig Kimbrel, who issued two-out walks to Kyle Tucker and Seattle star Julio Rodríguez.

Kimbrel recovered to strike out José Ramírez to end it. Kimbrel also pitched in the previous NL win, recording two outs in 2012.

Yandy Díaz hit a solo homer in the second inning and Bo Bichette’s sacrifice fly in the sixth inning gave the AL a 2-1 lead.

J.D. Martinez doubled and scored on Luis Arraez’s single in the fourth against Seattle’s George Kirby, tying it at 1. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. appeared to tie the game again in the seventh when his shot down the left-field line was originally ruled a homer but was overturned as a foul ball on replay.

The All-Star Game returned to the Emerald City for the first time since 2001 when the Mariners were in the middle of their magical 116-win regular season, Cal Ripken Jr. said goodbye to the All-Star stage and Tommy Lasorda took a tumble.

Gerrit Cole became the first New York Yankees pitcher to start the All-Star Game since Roger Clemens in that 2001 game. He needed a pair of spectacular leaping catches from Adolis García and Randy Arozarena near the wall to escape the first inning unscathed.

Pitching was the story of the night. Only nine balls were hit over 100 mph. There were 20 combined strikeouts, including Camilo Doval silencing the home crowd with a strikeout of Rodríguez in the seventh inning where four of the five pitches topped 100 mph.

OHTANI CHANT
The All-Star Game was missing some big names with Mike Trout and Aaron Judge out with injuries, but it still had Shohei Ohtani.

The Angels star had an uneventful night with a strikeout and walk as the designated hitter. He drew the biggest cheers outside of Seattle’s three representatives during introductions, and he was serenaded with chants of “Come to Seattle” when he was at the plate.

The hometown crowd is well aware of his pending free agency this offseason.

“Never experienced anything like that, but I definitely heard it,” Ohtani said through his interpreter. “But I was trying to focus on my at-bat.”

INJURIES
Toronto reliever Jordan Romano left in the seventh after throwing the pitch that Gurriel hit foul and was originally ruled fair. He threw five pitches before leaving the game with tightness in his back.

Chicago White Sox slugger Luis Robert Jr. did not play after feeling tightness in his right calf during the Home Run Derby. The White Sox said Robert underwent an MRI in Seattle and is listed as day to day.

SIX PACK
The Rangers made All-Star history when Nathan Eovaldi took the mound in the second. That marked the third time in an All-Star Game when there were six players from the same team on the field at the same time. It also occurred with the 1939 Yankees and 1951 Dodgers.

“That’s got to be one of the cooler moments in sports when you’ve got half the team on the field is your team, especially under these circumstances,” catcher Jonah Heim said. “It’s really special and I was glad I got to share it with these guys today.”

SKIPPED OVER
The Tampa Bay duo of Shane McClanahan and Wander Franco were inadvertently skipped over during pregame introductions. The pair jogged in on their own and left it to the Rays’ social media staff to give them a proper announcement.

ODE TO THE SONICS
Milwaukee’s Devin Williams has no known connection to Seattle, but did his part in winning over fans with his footwear choice for the All-Star Game. Williams had custom green and yellow spikes made for the game, featuring past logos of the Seattle SuperSonics on each shoe.

Williams said he’s a casual NBA fan and doesn’t really remember the Sonics playing in Seattle.

“It seemed pretty fitting for the game,” Williams said.

MARINERS HONORED
Six of the eight members of Seattle’s All-Star contingent from the 2001 game were recognized pregame. John Olerud, Bret Boone, Freddy Garcia, Jeff Nelson, Kazuhiro Sasaki, Edgar Martinez and manager Lou Piniella were honored. Ichiro Suzuki and Mike Cameron were also on the All-Star team that season.

Baseball Hall of Famers Martinez and Ken Griffey Jr. threw out the ceremonial first pitches to former teammates Dan Wilson and Jay Buhner.

UP NEXT
The post-All-Star break portion of the schedule starts Friday with every team in the league scheduled to be in action. San Diego at Philadelphia is the first game scheduled for Friday. The second half begins with Atlanta having the best record in baseball at 60-29 and an 8½-game lead in the NL East. Tampa Bay has the best record in the American League at 58-35, two games better than Baltimore.

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Alonso bests Mancini, Ohtani for 2nd straight HR Derby title https://floridadailypost.com/alonso-bests-mancini-ohtani-2nd-straight-hr-derby-title/ https://floridadailypost.com/alonso-bests-mancini-ohtani-2nd-straight-hr-derby-title/#respond Tue, 13 Jul 2021 03:48:52 +0000 https://floridadailypost.com/?p=51352 Pete Alonso danced to his second straight Home Run Derby title.

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Pete Alonso danced to his second straight Home Run Derby title, besting Shohei Ohtani, Trey Mancini and Juan Soto on a night of record-long balls in the thin Rocky Mountain air of Coors Field.

The New York Mets first baseman hit 74 total home runs and beat Mancini 23-22 in the final round Monday, joining Ken Griffey Jr. (1998-99) and Yoenis Céspedes (2013-14) in winning consecutive titles.

Batting second, Alonso trailed 22-17 after the first two minutes of the final round, then hit six homers on six swings over the first 28 seconds of his final minute.

Mancini, who returned this season from cancer treatment, was the sentimental favorite, while Alonso was the most animated of the eight sluggers as the longball competition returned after a one-year absence caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

With custom bats in the Mets’ royal blue and orange, and matching shoes and batting gloves, Alonso was a human bobblehead, nodding on beat in the batter’s box as he stepped out and danced. He motioned with his arms to whip up fans during a timeout.

New York’s 26-year-old first baseman has a chance to match Griffey, who also win in 1994, as the only three-time winner.

Alonso hit a first-round record 35 dingers, seven more than Josh Hamilton in 2008 at the original Yankee Stadium, and topped Kansas City’s Salvador Pérez with 27. Alonso, batting second, beat Soto 16-15 in the second round. Alonso’s longest drive of the night traveled 514 feet.

Mancini missed the 2020 season while undergoing chemotherapy for stage 3 colon cancer, treatment he finished last Sept. 21 at Johns Hopkins Hospital. The 29-year-old Baltimore Orioles’ first baseman hit .256 with 16 homers and 55 RBIs going into the All-Star break. His oncologist, Dr. Nilo Azad, threw out the ceremonial first pitch at Camden Yards before the Orioles’ hosted the Chicago White Sox last Friday night.

Soto thrilled the crowd of 49,048 with a 520-foot homer, the longest derby drive in the Statcast era, topping 513 feet the New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge in 2017 at Miami. Before Statcast, the Chicago Cubs’ Sammy Sosa was said to have hit one 524 feet at Milwaukee in 2002, clearing Bernie Brewer’s slide.

Ohtani, the Los Angeles Angels sensation set to start on the mound and hit leadoff as designated hitter for the American League in the All-Star Game, started slowly but forced two rounds of tiebreakers with Soto before losing 31-28 in the second round.

They were tied 22-all after regulation and 28 apiece following the first tiebreaker. Soto homered on all three swings of the next tiebreak, and Ohtani grounded out on his first swing.

Mancini won the first round 24-23 over Oakland’s Matt Olson, who hit a deep foul on his final swing.

“He’s a good dude,” Olson said. “To be able to battle the way he battled and come back and perform the way he has this year says a lot about him, his grit and his toughness.”

Story defeated Texas’ Joey Gallo 20-19 when Gallo popped out on his last swing.

“It is tiring, for sure, but it was a lot of fun for the first time,” Gallo said.

Mancini knocked out Story 13-12 in the second round, hitting second and advancing with a drive to center.

Alonso bests Mancini, Ohtani for 2nd straight HR Derby title

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Best Moments of the 2017 All-Star Game at Miami Marlins Ballpark https://floridadailypost.com/2017-all-star-game-best-moments/ https://floridadailypost.com/2017-all-star-game-best-moments/#respond Wed, 12 Jul 2017 06:51:29 +0000 https://floridadailypost.com/?p=9893 Here are the 2017 All-Star Game midsummer classic best moments and plays through photos, and videos.

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Aaron Judge‘s flyball to center field in the fifth inning triggered a crowd crescendo even though it came to rest in a glove shy of the warning track.

Giancarlo Stanton struck out twice and tapped out to the catcher, so his estimated distance averaged about 7 feet per plate appearance.

The American League beat the National League 2-1 in 10 innings Tuesday night in the All-Star Game, and the marquee sluggers did their part to keep the score down.

2017 All-Star Game Best Moments

Let’s go through the best moments from the 2017 All-Star Game.

First Pitch, a tribute to the Latin members of the Baseball Hall of Fame

All the living Latin members of the Baseball Hall of Fame to throw out the ceremonial first pitch of the All-Star Game. Eight Latin American-born members of the Hall of Fame —Luis Aparicio, Roberto Alomar, Rod Carew, Juan Marichal, Orlando Cepeda, Pedro Martinez, Ivan Rodriguez and Tony Perez— threw out eight ceremonial first pitches.

Jose Fernandez’s tribute

Clayton Kershaw stood in the National League clubhouse before Tuesday’s All-Star Game across from Jose Fernandez’s locker, which serves as memorial to the Miami Marlins’ dynamic right-hander. Fernandez was a two-time All-Star before he died at 24 in a boat crash last September. Among his unfulfilled goals was to start in Tuesday’s game at his home ballpark.

“It’s sad for sure to see that,” said Kershaw, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ ace. “Obviously he meant a lot to everybody, because his locker is still here. You reflect for sure.”

In tribute to Fernandez, NL All-Star right fielder Bryce Harper wore colorful shoes bearing the pitcher’s image and uniform number 16.

Bryce Harper’s hair flip

Bryce Harper of the Washington Nationals may have the best hair in the majors. During the course of a baseball game, Bryce Harper’s batting helmet falls off his head far more often than the average player. Tuesday night, Harper had a highlight play in the second inning of the MLB All-Star Game. He made a running and diving catch, and then an All-Star hair flip.

Nelson Cruz & Joe West photo op

The Seattle Mariners slugger brought out his cell phone and asked catcher Yadier Molina to take a picture of Cruz with home plate umpire Joe West before his at-bat in the sixth inning. He followed up with a fly out to end the inning.

“(MLB) didn’t say I can’t have a cell phone on the field so,” Cruz said on Fox. “I’m a big fan of Joe West. He’s been around for a while. I was like, I have to do this.”

Robinson Cano’s home run

For the 12th time in All-Star Game history, the AL and NL needed extra innings to settle the score. Seattle Mariners second baseman Robinson Cano’s solo home run off Wade Davis in the top of the 10th propelled the AL a 2–1 win, its fifth straight victory in the competition, and evened the all-time tally between the two leagues to 43 wins apiece. It was also the first extra-inning All-Star Game home run since Tony Perez in 1967. Perez was one of the former players who threw out the first pitch on Tuesday night.

Here are the 2017 All-Star Game Best Moments. The American League won the MLB All-Star Midsummer Classic, These are the best moments, photos, and videos.

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Cano MVP with 10th Inning Homer; AL Wins All-Star Game 2-1 https://floridadailypost.com/al-wins-all-star-game-2-1-cano-mvp/ https://floridadailypost.com/al-wins-all-star-game-2-1-cano-mvp/#respond Wed, 12 Jul 2017 04:42:52 +0000 https://floridadailypost.com/?p=9886 A new-look All-Star Game ended with an old-time score. American League beat the National League 2-1 Tuesday night.

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A new-look All-Star Game ended with an old-time score.

Robinson Cano homered off Cubs closer Wade Davis leading off the 10th inning and the American League beat the National League 2-1 Tuesday night in an All-Star Game dominated by this era’s flame-throwers, rather than its standout sluggers.

Craig Kimbrel wiggled out of a jam in the ninth and right fielder Justin Upton made a lunging catch in the 10th to help the AL win its fifth in a row. And for the first time since 1964, the rivalry is back to all even – 43 wins apiece with two ties, and each side has scored exactly 361 runs.

Andrew Miller finished off the win and celebrated with his AL teammates. Even though home-field advantage in the World Series no longer goes to the league that wins the All-Star Game, it was a victory worth savoring.

Cano earned the MVP honor with his one clutch swing. At 34, the Seattle second baseman was among the oldest players in a game built around so many of the sport’s new, young stars. He sent a hanging curve off the back wall of the right-field bullpen, then blew a bubble with his gum when rounding the bases.

Cano’s homer came exactly 50 years after the previous extra-inning homer in an All-Star Game, when Tony Perez hit a tiebreaking 15th-inning shot off Catfish Hunter in the NL’s 2-1 win at Anaheim, California. Perez, now a Marlins executive, was among eight Latin-born Hall of Famers who threw out ceremonial first pitches.

Watch: Robinson Cano Home Run in 10th Inning Wins All Star Game For AL

Miguel Sano put the AL ahead in the fifth with a bloop RBI single against Alex Wood. Yadier Molina tied it in the sixth with a home run off Ervin Santana.

Molina had just entered behind the plate in the top half and snapped off an All-Star first – Nelson Cruz pulled a phone out of his uniform pants and asked the catcher to snap a photo of him with umpire Joe West.

Davis wasn’t with the Cubs last fall when they won the World Series for the first time in 108 years. He was acquired in a trade from Kansas City to fortify the bullpen, and was the only Cubs player in this showcase. Chicago has struggled this season, going into the break at 43-45.

Kimbrel, throwing at up to 100 mph, stranded runners at second and third to end the ninth, striking out Michael Conforto. The Boston closer wound up with the win.

Miller, whose Cleveland Indians lost the World Series in Game 7, got the save with some help from Upton.

A left fielder playing in right for the first time in four years, Upton extended his arm on a full run to catch Corey Seager’s liner leading off the 10th. Miller walked Joey Votto with two outs, then struck out rookie sensation Cody Bellinger.

The AL’s first six hits were by first-time All-Stars but some things don’t change. The AL has won 12 of 15 and 17 of the last 20 All-Star Games played to a decision.

The night’s most-watched sluggers fizzled.

A night day after winning the Home Run Derby with 47 long balls, Yankees rookie sensation Aaron Judge went 0 for 3 with a strikeout, groundout and flyout. Giancarlo Stanton, the star slugger of the hometown Marlins, was 0 for 3 with a pair of strikeouts and a dribbler in front of the plate.

NL pitchers struck out 14, including four by Carlos Martinez, three by Kenley Jansen and two each by starter Max Scherzer and Greg Holland. AL pitchers fanned nine.

In the first All-Star Game in Florida, Jonathan Schoop doubled off Wood with two outs in the fifth and came home when Sano blooped a single about a foot fair down the right-field line, 207 feet from home plate, where right fielder Bryce Harper, second baseman Daniel Murphy and first baseman Ryan Zimmerman – all from the Washington Nationals – were unable to reach it.

Two days shy of his 35th birthday, Molina became the oldest catcher to homer in an All-Star Game, driving a 95 mph from Santana into the right-field bullpen.

Molina was part of a modern All-Star moment in the top of the inning, when he entered wearing a shiny gold helmet ad chest protector. Cruz pulled a phone out of a uniform pants pocket when he stepped to the plate and asked Molina to take a picture of him posing with West, who last month became the third ump to work 5,000 regular-season games.

Scherzer, limited to one inning, used a full-count slider to strike out Judge, only third rookie to bat third in an All-Star Game after Joe DiMaggio in 1936 and Dick Wakefield in 1943.

“When you get to face the best from the other side and you get the start, the adrenalin starts flowing and you want to throw everything as hard as you can,” Scherzer said.

AL starter Chris Sale, who threw two innings, fanned Stanton in the first. The lefty also neared 100 mph with his fastest pitch of the season.

“I was able to let loose a little bit,” Sale said. “I wouldn’t want to take that style into the regular season.”

Martinez hit 100 mph on four of 14 pitches in the third. He matched the most strikeouts by a St. Louis Cardinals pitcher in an All-Star Game, set by Dizzy Dean in 1934.

WEB GEM

Harper made a diving backhand catch in short right center as his cap fell off, robbing Salvador Perez of a hit for the final out of the second. Harper wore blue-and-orange spikes with the image of late Marlins star Jose Fernandez and the pitcher’s No. 16 outlined in a circle.

WILD THING

Yankees reliever Dellin Betances, dealing with mechanical problems of late, threw just 12 of 23 pitches for strikes in the third. He walked Harper and Buster Posey, threw a pair of wild pitches and got out of a bases-loaded jam when Murphy grounded out. Betances joined Juan Marichal, Dave Stieb and John Smoltz as the only ones to throw two wild pitches in an All-Star inning.

“After I lost Harper I lost concentration a little bit,” Betances said. “I was able to settle down and make pitches when I needed to.”

AL Wins All-Star Game 2-1 on a 10th inning home run by Seattle second baseman, Robinson Cano. No longballs from all-star sluggers Judge and Stanton.

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Judge, Correa, Arenado Among 12 1st-Time All-Star Starters https://floridadailypost.com/12-1st-time-starters-all-star-game/ https://floridadailypost.com/12-1st-time-starters-all-star-game/#respond Mon, 03 Jul 2017 06:03:30 +0000 https://floridadailypost.com/?p=9653 There's a record of 12 1st-Time Starters for All-Star Game at Marlin Park to be played on July 11, the most since voting was returned to fans in 1970.

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Aaron Judge, Carlos Correa and Nolan Arenado led a new generation of All-Stars, among 12 first-time starters elected by fans for the July 11 game at Marlins Park.

“I’ve got to call my family and tell them to book a flight to Miami. They’re going to be excited,” Judge said after rosters were announced Sunday.

The dozen first-time starters are the most since voting was returned to fans in 1970.

Just one player was picked from the World Series champion Cubs: reliever Wade Davis, who wasn’t even with Chicago when it ended a 108-year title drought last fall. The Cubs had seven All-Stars last season, including their entire starting infield.

“Frankly, we haven’t had many guys who were all that deserving,” Cubs pitcher Jake Arrieta.

Just past the halfway point, the Cubs are 41-41.

“Maybe this is actually a good thing. Right now, rest is not a bad word,” said Chicago’s Joe Maddon, who will manage the NL.

In a sign of the generational change, the All-Stars with the most selections are Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw with eight and St. Louis catcher Yadier Molina with seven. Detroit’s Miguel Cabrera, the senior All-Star last year with 11 selections, wasn’t picked for the first time since 2009.

Two of the first-time starters are from the Houston Astros, who have the best record in the major leagues: Correa, the shortstop drafted first overall in 2012, and outfielder George Springer. Second baseman Jose Altuve was elected to his third start.

“It’s something that you dream about since you are a little kid, since you get drafted, since you sign a professional contract,” Correa said.

Houston pitchers Dallas Keuchel and Lance McCullers Jr. were picked, as well, giving the Astros five All-Stars, tied for the most with the New York Yankees, Cleveland and Washington. Keuchel is hurt and won’t pitch.

Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper, second baseman Daniel Murphy and first baseman Ryan Zimmerman were elected to start, and Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg were selected for the pitching staff. Harper led fan voting with 4.63 million ballots.

“Definitely humbled by fans, the way they treat me,” Harper said.

At 32, Zimmerman is an All-Star for the first time since 2009, when he was a reserve third baseman.

“Yeah, sports are funny, man,” Zimmerman said. “It’s just a crazy path to get back, but it’s also pretty cool.”

Judge, the 6-foot-7 rookie who leads the major leagues with 27 home runs, topped the AL with 4.49 million votes. He is joined in the outfield by Springer and Los Angeles Angels star Mike Trout, who hopes to return in time from a torn thumb ligament.

Cleveland’s Jose Ramirez overtook Minnesota’s Miguel Sano in the final days of balloting to win the AL third base spot by about 54,000 votes, Toronto’s Justin Smoak bounced back to beat Kansas City’s Eric Hosmer by 555,000 at first base, and Tampa Bay’s Corey Dickerson rallied to win at designated hitter by nearly 75,000 over Seattle’s Nelson Cruz. The Royals’ Salvador Perez won at catcher.

Arenado overtook the Cubs’ Kris Bryant, last year’s NL MVP, to win at third base by 180,000. Arenado will be joined in the NL lineup by Cincinnati shortstop Zack Cozart, Rockies outfielder Charlie Blackmon, Miami outfielder Marcell Ozuna and San Francisco catcher Buster Posey.

“It would be even more fun if there were a few more guys going from the team,” said Posey, whose Giants are last in the NL West.

There were 11 first-time starters last season in San Diego, the last year the winning league received home-field advantage in the World Series. Under baseball’s new labor contract, the Series now starts in the ballpark of the pennant winner with the better record.

Catcher Gary Sanchez, injured second baseman Starlin Castro and pitchers Dellin Betances and Luis Severino also were picked from the Yankees. Cleveland is sending pitchers Corey Kluber and Andrew Miller, shortstop Francisco Lindor and outfielder Michael Brantley.

“I’m just happy for Cleveland,” said the Indians’ Terry Francona, who will manage the AL. “I think the fans and the city – everybody should be proud.”

Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton was picked as a reserve and plans to defend his Home Run Derby title on July 10. Judge also has been invited, and Los Angeles Dodgers rookie Cody Bellinger, who leads the NL with 24 homers, has said he will participate.

“It is going to be amazing,” Stanton said. “Either way, the week was going to be cool, but this makes it even cooler.”

The NL-leading Dodgers will send Bellinger, Kershaw, shortstop Corey Seager and closer Kenley Jansen to Miami, but nobody from Los Angeles was elected for the starting lineup by fans. Jansen was upset with his own fanbase for letting down Seager and third baseman Justin Turner.

“I’ll say it loud and clear again: It’s the Dodger fans’ fault,” Jansen said.

Among other strong candidates overlooked were Carlos Carrasco, Jacob deGrom, Gio Gonzalez, Ivan Nova, Roberto Osuna, Anthony Rizzo, Travis Shaw, Andrelton Simmons, Justin Upton and Alex Wood.

Rosters were cut from 34 per league to 32 under the new labor deal, and online voting determines the last spot on each roster. Elvis Andrus, Xander Bogaerts, Didi Gregorius, Logan Morrison and Mike Moustakas are the AL candidates, and Justin Bour, Bryant, Anthony Rendon, Mark Reynolds and Turner are on the NL ballot.

The AL had won four straight and went 11-3 in the years the All-Star Game determined World Series home field. Marlins Park is the third of four straight NL ballparks to host the All-Stars and will be followed by Washington in 2018.

There’s a record of 12 1st-Time Starters for All-Star Game at Marlin Park to be played on July 11, the most since voting was returned to fans in 1970.

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