Major League Baseball's All-Star announcement came a few hours after another disappointing loss for the Blue Jays, giving their fans something to be happy about. Three Blue Jays will be represented at Citi Field in the 2013 MLB All-Star Game: Jose Bautista, Brett Cecil, and Edwin Encarnacion.
Jose Bautista was successfully voted as a starting outfielder for the American League club, and will be appearing in his fourth consecutive All-Star Game, and his third straight as a starter.
Blue Jays fans had a big "#VoteEdwing" online campaign to get Edwin Encarnacion onto the starting lineup, but unfortunately he felt short of that, with David Ortiz being elected to be the designated hitter. Encarnacion made it onto the team as a reserve anyway, and will be going to the All-Star game for the first time in his career.
Another first timer is reliever Brett Cecil, who had planned to spend the All-Star Break at home with his family in Maryland. While most people thought that both Bautista and Encarnacion would get in, few believed that Cecil would have gotten the call despite his great performance this season. Not many middle-relievers on a last-place team (and one from Canada too boot) get selected, but Cecil's phenomenal performance, and John Gibbons' personal influence, made it hard for Jim Leyland to not pick him. In 2013 he has held opposing batters to a .153/.220/.240 line. And on top of all that he is coming back from perhaps one of the worst years of his life, being cut at the end of spring training and being sent to work in AA for two months and AAA for another.
That might not be all from the Blue Jays: Cecil's bullpen mate Steve Delabar has made it onto the ballot for the last spot on the American League roster. Like Cecil, Delabar has a great comeback story--back in 2010 he was a high school substitute teacher who, at age 27, worked his way onto the Mariners' roster. Then, in a great trade, Alex Anthopoulos acquired him from Seattle for Eric Thames. Be sure to vote for Delabar in the online Final Vote here to send four Blue Jays to the All-Star Game!
The Full Rosters
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Starters
1B: Chris Davis, Orioles
2B: Robinson Cano, Yankees
SS: J.J. Hardy, Orioles
3B: Miguel Cabrera, Tigers
OF: Mike Trout, Angels
OF: Adam Jones, Orioles
OF: Jose Bautista, Blue Jays
DH: David Ortiz, Red Sox
Pitchers
RHP: Clay Buchholz @, Red Sox
LHP: Brett Cecil, Blue Jays
RHP: Bartolo Colon *, A's
RHP: Jesse Crain @, White Sox
RHP: Yu Darvish, Rangers
RHP: Felix Hernandez, Mariners
RHP: Hisashi Iwakuma, Mariners
RHP: Justin Masterson, Indians
RHP: Joe Nathan, Rangers
LHP: Glen Perkins *, Twins
RHP: Mariano Rivera, Yankees
LHP: Chris Sale, White Sox
RHP: Max Scherzer, Tigers
RHP: Justin Verlander, Tigers
Reserves
C: Jason Castro, Astros
C: Salvador Perez, Royals
1B: Prince Fielder, Tigers
2B: Jason Kipnis, Indians
2B: Dustin Pedroia, Red Sox
2B: Ben Zobrist, Rays
SS: Jhonny Peralta: Tigers
3B: Manny Machado, Orioles
OF: Nelson Cruz, Rangers
OF: Alex Gordon, Royals
OF: Torii Hunter, Tigers
DH: Edwin Encarnacion, Blue Jays
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Starters
1B: Joey Votto, Reds
2B: Brandon Phillips, Reds
SS: Troy Tulowitzki, Rockies
3B: David Wright, Mets
OF: Carlos Beltran, Cardinals
OF: Carlos Gonzalez, Rockies
OF: Bryce Harper, Nationals
Pitchers
LHP: Madison Bumgarner, Giants
LHP: Aroldis Chapman, Reds
LHP: Patrick Corbin, D-backs
RHP: Jose Fernandez, Marlins
RHP: Jason Grilli, Pirates
RHP: Matt Harvey, Mets
LHP: Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers
RHP: Craig Kimbrel, Braves
LHP: Jeff Locke, Pirates
RHP: Adam Wainwright, Cardinals
LHP: Travis Wood, Cubs
RHP: Jordan Zimmermann, Nationals
Reserves
C: Buster Posey, Giants
1B: Paul Goldschmidt, D-backs
1B: Allen Craig, Cardinals
2B: Matt Carpenter, Cardinals
2B: Marco Scutaro, Giants
SS: Everth Cabrera, Padres
SS: Jean Segura, Brewers
3B: Pedro Alvarez, Pirates
OF: Domonic Brown, Phillies
OF: Michael Cuddyer, Rockies
OF: Carlos Gomez, Brewers
OF: Andrew McCutchen, Pirates
Rosters from MLB.com.