Steve Webb
WASHINGTON, DC — While the Dodgers were busy getting their 50th win of the season, over on ESPN, they were throwing cold water on the Dodgers All-Star hopes for the season. Unless a Dodger pitcher starts the game (Walker Buehler, anyone?), there will be no representative of the World Series Champs on the field in Colorado when the Mid-Summer Classic begins.
The two biggest disappointments were in the infield, where both Justin Turner and Max Muncy are having years that should be recognized. But alas, when you win as much as the Dodgers do, the haters come out, and neither player won the fan vote this year. Nolan Arenado edged out Turner at third, and last year’s MVP Freddie Freeman got the nod over Muncy at first.
“It is what it is,” shrugged Muncy after the game. “Fans didn’t feel I deserved a spot, so that’s kind of all it was. I know Dodgers fans were out there doing their best, and unfortunately it’s a lot of the country against us, but thank you to all the Dodger fans that voted, not just for me but for all of us. We really appreciated it.”
In addition to Turner and Muncy, Gavin Lux lost out to the Pirates exciting second baseman Adam Frazier, and Mookie Betts and Chris Taylor finished out of the top three in the NL outfield, finishing just behind Ronald Acuna, Nick Castellanos, and Jesse Winker. Rounding out the rest of the NL All-Star squad are Fernando Tatis Jr. at short and Buster Posey behind the plate.
So we have to rely on the next round of the selection process to get some Dodger blue out there on the field. The rosters will be finalized when the pitchers and reserves for the All-Star Game — which takes place on July 13 at Coors Field — will be announced on Sunday July 4, at 2:30 p.m. PDT on ESPN.
