Results tagged ‘ All-Star Game ’
7/8 All-Star nerves
It hasn’t quite hit Bryan LaHair that he’s an All-Star, and probably won’t until Monday when he shows up in the National League clubhouse in Kansas City. LaHair will travel Sunday night with Cubs first base coach Dave McKay and the Mets’ All-Star contingent.
“I’ve been thinking about it and the closer you get, the more you think about it,” LaHair said, sounding like a little kid before Christmas. “I’m just trying to focus on the job here now and stay as humble as possible.”
LaHair, 29, spent nine years in the Minor Leagues, including six at Triple-A, before finally getting an opportunity in the big leagues with the Cubs this year. He received the second-most votes on the players’ ballot. He still gets a couple text messages a day from friends and family to congratulate him.
“This morning, I woke up and I’m like, ‘Hmm, I’ve got a game today, and I’m going to Kansas City,’ and it’s kind of cool I’m going to meet my brother and wife there,” he said.
The Mets All-Stars were presented their jerseys before Friday’s game. LaHair hasn’t seen his yet. But he’s been trying to visualize what it’ll be like in Kansas City.
“I thought about it yesterday when I was out there stretching,” he said. “I thought about Kansas City for a second, and trying to compare the two crowds, and thinking it probably won’t be close — it’ll be really loud and packed there. Different things pop up — what’s this going to be like? What’s that going to be like?”
He’ll find out Monday.
– Carrie Muskat
7/1 Castro gets 2nd All-Star selection
Last year, Starlin Castro got the news that he made the All-Star Game as soon as he arrived at the ballpark. This time, nobody said anything to him. He was nervous. Then, Dale Sveum called a meeting to give Castro and Bryan LaHair the news. Castro could take a deep breath.
This will be his second All-Star appearance. He’s just hoping to be on time. Last year, he missed the workout day festivities because he missed his flight.
“It’s amazing and exciting for me,” Castro said about making the NL team. “That’s why I come here, is to be in the All-Star Game every year. I want it to be more.”
He was first on the players’ ballots, and finished fifth on the fan balloting. The Cardinals’ Rafael Furcal will start.
“When I was a little kid, I would see baseball games, good players who made the All-Star Game, and I think, ‘Oh, my God, it’s unbelievable,’ and one day I want to be there,” Castro said. “Now this is my second one. I’m not stopping here. I’ll keep working hard to make some more.”
Teammate Alfonso Soriano was proud of the 22-year-old shortstop.
“I’m happy for him because he’s improving,” Soriano said. “He’s a good player and consistent. That’s the most important thing in the big leagues. You can do it for one year and the second year, you disappear. I’m happy for him because he’s young. He’s working hard and he’s been consistent. Sometimes when you get to the big leagues you do it for one year, but from what I see with Castro, he wants to do it every year.”
– Carrie Muskat
7/9 Castro to start ASG?
There’s a chance Cubs shortstop Starlin Castro could start in Tuesday’s All-Star Game and it could depend on whether Troy Tulowitzki starts Saturday night for the Rockies.
Jose Reyes, voted as the starting National League shortstop, will not play in Tuesday’s game in Phoenix because he’s on the disabled list with a hamstring injury. Tulowitzki and Castro are the backups. Tulowitzki has been bothered by a sore right quadriceps strain, suffered Monday. If he plays Saturday, when the Rockies face the Nationals, he’ll play in the All-Star Game, the Rockies said.
Tulowitzki missed last year’s All-Star Game because of a fractured left wrist. The Rockies want their shortstop healthy for a second half run.
“In Tulo’s case, we’re going to monitor very closely how things go this weekend,” Rockies manager Jim Tracy said. “With that being said, I’d hate to see the guy get grinded on in the All-Star Game. In order to take a run at the division, I know full wel that if we’re without him for an extended period of time, it’s not going to happen.”
This is Castro’s first All-Star Game, and he is the first Cubs shortstop to be named to the team since Shawon Dunston in 1990.
– Carrie Muskat
7/12 Byrd is the word
Marlon Byrd is representing the Cubs in the All-Star Game on Tuesday, and he’s come a long way. This is a player who has been designated for assignment twice – yet never gave up. He won over Cubs fans quickly, hitting a three-run homer in his first at-bat April 5 against Atlanta’s Derrek Lowe on Opening Day.
Compare that to Opening Day 2007 when Byrd was at home after being DFA on March 31 that year by the Rangers. Texas opted to keep infielder Matt Kata as the 25th man. Byrd eventually was outrighted to Triple-A Oklahoma, where he hit .358 with six homers and 32 RBIs in 44 games.
“Once they called him up and he started getting going, I was really impressed with him and his work ethic and his energy,” said Rudy Jaramillo, who was the Rangers hitting coach at that time.
The Rangers promoted Byrd on May 26, 2007, and he didn’t look back, hitting .307 with 10 homers and 70 RBIs the rest of the season.
“He never gave up,” Jaramillo said. “He said he was always working wrong. It’s been a joy to see him progress. It just shows a lot about him and his makeup as a man.”
Byrd’s positive attitude has carried over into the Cubs clubhouse.
“Marlon is a smart player, he’s a good teacher,” rookie outfielder Tyler Colvin said. “It’s like the little things — he’s always working. You see him get real mad if he doesn’t take a good swing, even if the outcome is good. He’s always wanting to go up there and hit the ball hard and have a good approach and have everything perfect.
“It’s good to see that because it kind of rubs off — you want to try to be like that,” Colvin said. “You want a strict routine like he has and take everything seriously like he does.”
Don’t mess with Byrd’s routine. The center fielder follows a strict pregame program, that includes a session with Jaramillo, who was his mentor in three seasons in Texas and now is with the Cubs.
“I think that really is key here,” Colvin said of Byrd’s program. “You play so many games and everyone says it’s a game of failure, but you better have a good routine so at least you feel good before the game even if you might be struggling at the plate. As long as you know you’re working on things, you can hopefuly keep those slumps to a minimum.”
Besides his bat, Byrd also has brought an energy to the Cubs.
“He gives me more energy and more motivation to come to the ballpark and play hard because I see him play and I like how he plays,” Alfonso Soriano said.
What if the Cubs had 25 guys like Byrd?
“Not 25,” Soriano said, laughing. “Maybe 15. Twenty-five is too much. Maybe half of the team like that, we’d be in better shape.”
Soriano, a seven-time All-Star, said Byrd was a good pick.
“He deserves it because of the way he plays,” Soriano said. “I think he’s the best player on the team. He comes every day to play hard and I’m very happy for him.”
Colvin couldn’t ask for a better role model.
“There’s some other guys who I thought were deserving,” Colvin said. “He’s definitely a good representation of what we’d like to do here — always play hard and work hard and be ready to go.”
– Carrie Muskat
7/9 All-Star text messages
Marlon Byrd has been contacting his former teammates such as Michael Young who have been to All-Star Games on what to bring, so he’s ready for Tuesday’s event in Anaheim. What is the Cubs’ lone All-Star looking forward to?
“Just being in the clubhouse, seeing the guys,” Byrd said. “Just being with the All-Stars — that’s the whole thing.”
Byrd knows to bring a few items to have players sign them. He’s prepared for anything.
“I’m a big boy,” he said. “I can figure it out when I get there.”
– Carrie Muskat
7/8 NL vs. AL
6/19 Vote for Byrd
You can still vote online for the All-Star Game, to be played July 13 in Anaheim, and Cubs outfielder Marlon Byrd deserves some votes. Here’s how he compares to other National League outfielders:
Player: batting average/home runs/doubles/RBIs/slugging percentage
Marlon Byrd: .321/9/22/34/.518
Ryan Braun: .304/10/19/45/.498
Jason Heyward: .263/11/12/44/.483
Andre Ethier: .330/12/17/43/.603
– Carrie Muskat
6/13 Vote for Byrd
Have you cast your All-Star ballot yet? If not, make sure you vote for Marlon Byrd. The Cubs center fielder is batting .336, and entered Sunday’s game riding a nine-game hitting streak. He has multiple hits in seven of those games and seven RBIs. On Sunday, Byrd was batting third.
“Marlon has been swinging it really well,” Lou Piniella said. “He had one little dry spell for a week or so — the road trip to Philly and Texas — and and outside of that, he’s been a model of consistency. He’s been our best hitter.”
In-stadium balloting ends Wednesday, but you can vote on-line at Cubs.com, and you can do so up to 25 times.
– Carrie Muskat
1/17/10 Wrigley & Cubs business
Wrigley Field will be 100 years old in 2014. “On the 100th anniversary, let’s have the ballpark ready for another 100 years,” team president Crane Kenney said Saturday during a business management seminar at the Cubs Convention. Kenney said they are looking at plans for the so-called Triangle building, proposed for the land west of Wrigley along Clark Street. It would house offices, restaurants, parking, possibly a Hall of Fame, and provide space for some of the player facilities. Kenney said fans can expect to see more construction at Wrigley over the next few years.
Other highlights from the session:
* There has been no talk about selling the naming rights. “I can’t imagine the day the ballpark is not called ‘Wrigley Field,’” Kenney said.
* There are no plans to do personal seat licenses (PSL) at Wrigley.
* There are no plans for Friday or Saturday night games. Those aren’t neighborhood friendly. The Cubs currently are allowed 30 night games at home. There are only 27 on the schedule to give national television a chance to pick a game for a night broadcast.
* The Cubs make twice as much broadcasting games on cable compared to games on WGN. There are talks about the team having its own network, but that’s a few years away.
* Kenney said they’ll leave the fireworks and the mascots to the team on the South Side. “We always come down on the side of tradition,” Kenney said. A show of hands showed fans favored installing a Jumbotron, but the Cubs are still discussing that.
* What about Wrigley hosting the 2014 All-Star Game? The Cubs have talked to MLB commissioner Bud Selig and Kenney said they are “hopeful.” However, MLB is alternating American League cities and National League cities, and an AL city would be up in 2014.
– Carrie Muskat
Final vote
OK, who would you pick among the National League Home Run Derby contestants? The list includes Albert Pujols, Ryan Howard, Prince Fielder and Adrian Gonzalez. Both Micah Hoffpauir and Ryan Theriot agreed that Pujols has the best swing.
“If you’re talking strictly home runs, I’d have to say Prince or Howard,” Theriot said.
“[Howard] has got more of a line drive swing, Hoffpauir said. “He’s a home run hitter and has a home run swing.”
What about the Final Vote contenders? The NL list includes Pablo Sandoval, Cristian Guzman, Matt Kemp, Mark Reynolds and Shane Victorino. The AL list is Ian Kinsler, Brandon Inge, Chone Figgins, Adam Lind and Carlos Pena.
“I think Guzman would help the team the most because he’s more versatile,” Theriot said. “But Mark Reynolds, how many homers does he have? Eighteen, nineteen? This guy does damage.”
“Sandoval is hitting .350 something,” Hoffpauir said. “The All-Star Game is not about the best players in the league, because otherwise there wouldn’t be a vote and it’d be the same players every year. It’s about who has the best year. I would say Sandoval.”
“Mark Reynolds plays on a terrible team and he’s putting up huge numbers,” Theriot said. “He’s having a good year. plus, he’s a good dude.”
Theriot’s pick among AL Final Vote players is Lind.
“I’d vote for Lind over Kinsler, but I think Kinsler should have made it regardless,” Theriot said.
– Carrie Muskat
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