FUTURE ALL STAR—Pirates speedster Starling Marte slides into 3rd base in a game against the Brewers for his eighth triple of the year, Marte also leads the Pirates in stolen bases with 23. (Photos by William McBride)
CHICAGO (AP)—Justly rewarded for approaching the 84th Midsummer Classic with one of baseball’s best records, the Pirates placed four All-Stars on the 2013 National League squad.
Center fielder Andrew McCutchen and closer Jason Grilli, whose selections were anticipated, are joined by third baseman Pedro Alvarez and young left-hander Jeff Locke.
The quartet gives the Pirates their best All-Star representation in 32 years—since outfielders Dave Parker and Mike Easler, second baseman Phil Garner and third baseman Bill Madlock were tabbed in 1981.
“We’re not the team that gets a token one [selection] anymore,” Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. “We’ve earned our way.”
The Pirates had only the obligatory All-Star rep in 14 of the 16 seasons prior to Hurdle taking over in 2011, with two selections the other years.
“I’m proud of all four. They are organizational wins,” added Hurdle, who gathered the players in Wrigley Field’s visiting clubhouse at 1 p.m. CT to disclose their All-Stars and reported that “the vibe in here was really cool.”
The All-Star announcements coincided with the Pirates’ first-ever Dads Road Trip. The fathers of McCutchen, Alvarez and Grilli were all present to share their sons’ glee and pride.
“Obviously, it was a very special moment. I was super excited to get to share it with him,” Alvarez said of his dad, also named Pedro. “I wish my mom and sister were also here, but I got my wife and dad, and that made it very special. I’m happy.”
McCutchen’s selection by the players was almost a given, since at the conclusion of last season, he was their pick to receive the Players Choice Award as NL Most Outstanding Player.
He becomes the Pirates’ first three-time All-Star since infielder Freddy Sanchez (2006-07, 2009). But he is the Bucs first position player to make three consecutive All-Star teams since Bobby Bonilla (1988-91).
FIRST TIME ALL-STAR—Pedro Alvarez was selected to the All-Star team for his first time. But if he continues to play the way he has, he will be joining McCutchen for many more.
THREE TIME ALL-STAR—Pirates centerfielders Andrew McCutchen was named to the National League All Star team for his third consecutive season.
“But McCutchen was as excited as anyone else,” Hurdle testified.
Grilli and Alvarez were also picked by their peers. Locke was the only managerial choice, getting Giants and NL skipper Bruce Bochy’s nod.
Alvarez’s power surge made him a first-time All-Star. He began play Saturday ranking third in the NL with 21 homers—17 of them since the beginning of May. Alvarez was also tied for sixth in the league with 56 RBIs.
The 2013 All-Star Game will be played at Citi Field on Tuesday, July 16.
“I was totally surprised,” Locke said. “And felt honored. It’s something they can’t take away from you. I’m excited to meet a lot of the other [NL] guys and to represent this club, which is the most important thing for me.”
The selection is also a confirmation of Grilli’s persevering rise from career-long obscurity to elite closer, a role he is filling for the first time as a 36-year-old veteran 13 years after his big-league debut.
Locke was recognized for his remarkable about-face after a loss in his first start of the season put his career record at 1-7. He has since won eight consecutive decisions and ranks among the league leaders with a 2.12 ERA.
“I’d have called you a liar,” Locke said of the imagined scenario in which someone told him after that initial outing that two months later he would be an All-Star. “But it goes beyond the numbers; the confidence level is something I did not have before. I got a little edge on the mound.”
The 84th All-Star Game will be televised nationally by FOX Sports, in Canada by Rogers Sportsnet and RDS, and worldwide by partners in more than 200 countries via MLB International’s independent feed. ESPN Radio and ESPN Radio Deportes will provide national radio coverage of the All-Star Game. MLB Network and SiriusXM also will also provide comprehensive All-Star Week coverage. For more information, please visit allstargame.com.
Aside from his personal breakthrough, Grilli makes it three summers in a row for Pittsburgh’s closer traveling to the All-Star Game, following Joel Hanrahan’s selections the past two years.
Not even Hanrahan could match Grilli’s first-half total of 28 saves (in 29 opportunities) entering Saturday, a new pre-All-Star break club record.
“It’s a dog-and-pony show in the sense it’s a personal accolade, and that’s not why I’m here,” Grilli said of the All-Star experience. “But it is a reflection of what you’ve put in to help the club win. The reaction I got from teammates—the support and the hugs—probably had me choked up the most.”
The most glaring omission is that of Mark Melancon, who statistically is having an even better season than Grilli (0.87 ERA in 42 appearances, compared to 2.15 in 40), but is doing it in the relatively unsung role of a setup reliever.
“For an eighth-inning guy to make it, it’s out of the ordinary,” Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said prior to Saturday’s game.
“Yeah, I’m disappointed,” Melancon said with a light shrug. “Fortunately, I’ve got a beautiful wife and a daughter who love me, and I’ll get to spend three days with them. Not a bad ‘consolation.’”
Also bypassed was Francisco Liriano, the veteran left-hander who tied Locke for the team lead by winning his eighth game Friday with a complete game, the Pirates’ first since last July 31.
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