2011 MLB All-Star Game to lack shimmer as star players opt-out – Part 5
David Price of Tampa Bay Rays has pulled out from Tuesday’s All-Star Game citing a turf toe on left foot. The announcement was made during the first inning of Tampa Bay Rays’ game against the New York Yankees which the Rays lost 0-1.
Price said that the turf toe has been receiving daily treatment for the turf toe which has lingered on for quite some time now. Answering to reporters after the game against Yankees, Price said that he has a similar problem on his right foot but the intensity
is not that severe.
Expressing disappointment on not being able to pitch for the American League, he was quick to add that the eventual benefit would be that he would not be risking the second-half of the season. He will however attend the game to tip off his cap to the fans.
Price has been replaced by Yankees’ reliever David Robertson. He will make his first appearance at the MLB All-Star Game on Tuesday but the fashion in which he has earned a call-up was never expected.
CC Sabathia, Robertson’s team-mate at Yankees, praised him as being the best reliever in baseball this season and that everyone on the Yankees roster is excited for the youngster.
Robertson has allowed just two earned runs over his past 22 appearances and his ERA of 1.27 is second-best to Atlanta Braves’ Eric O’Flaherty. More to Robertson’s credit, he has not allowed a home-run over his last 51 innings.
As much as the selection of the rosters has faced criticism this season, Robertson’s last minute selection is also up for a debate. His performance this season should have rightly earned him a spot in the AL pitching staff in the first place rather than
covering in as a substitute for the injured Price.
Matt Cain of San Francisco also bowed out of the All-Star Game as he pitched on Sunday against the New York Mets. Cain pitched six innings and went on to register his eighth win of the season.
He is one of the six players to be declared ineligible to start in the All-Star Game because of starting the game on Sunday. Cain has managed 105 strike-outs in 126.1 innings at an ERA of 3.06. He has given away just seven home-runs this season and is in
sublime form but the rule has once again snubbed a star player from participation.
Craig Kimbrel has been announced as Cain’s replacement for the star-laden game on Tuesday in Phoenix. Kimbrel has a decent record this season with 28 saves thus far, breaking the record for most saves by a rookie before the All-Star break. The youngster
has his eyes set on the Rookie of the Year Award and his call-up to the All-Star Game may turn out to be the first step towards it.
The All-Star Game will feature a lot of new names along with the players who have featured before. The game is supposed to feature the “stars” so that the fans can get a glimpse of them together in one field. The selection this year, however, has skipped
out a lot of big names and thus lacks star power.
The game will nonetheless go on. The players will be given a red-carpet entrance and the fireworks will light up. The shimmer, however, may be missing.
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