Balloting for starting players in the 2023 Major League Baseball All Star Game ends this week and based on the limited number of African Americans on MLB rosters, Black players should be decently represented on July 11 in Seattle.
The current tabulation for starters is down to two players at each position, and the remaining roster spots will be filled next week. More Black players could be added to respective American and National League rosters, especially since every team must have a representative.
The AL has two Black players seemingly as locks for that league’s team.
Shortstop Marcus Semien of the Texas Rangers leads all shortstops in votes. New York Yankees’ outfielder Aaron Judge was second to Shohei Ohtani.
Ohtani and Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna were awarded All-Star Game berths as leading total vote-getters. Judge’s injured toe will likely keep him from playing in the contest.
In the NL, L.A. Dodgers’ outfielder Mookie Betts was second in balloting to Acuna. Michael Harris II, Acuna’s Atlanta teammate, has a solid chance to join him on the NL roster.
It’s encouraging that several Black pitchers could make respective All-Star teams.
While Chicago Cubs starter Marcus Stroman was dreadful in the St. Louis Cardinals 7-5 win in London on June 25, he had posted a 9-5 record with an outstanding 2.47 ERA. Stroman left the game with a blister, which bears watching as the All-Star game nears.
Tijuan Walker’s 4.10 ERA is high, but the Philadelphia Phillies’ starter’s 8-3 record puts him among league leaders in wins.
The Cardinals knocked around Josiah Gray of the Washington Nationals last week, dropping his record to 5-6. His sparkling 3.43 ERA – and the fact the Nationals have no other stars – will likely land him a spot on the All-Star team.
Jack Flaherty’s subpar last two starts helped reduce his record to a subpar 4-5. Add a 4.95 ERA and a sore hip to the mix and his chances of making the team for the St. Louis Cardinals have evaporated.
The St. Louis area is sure to have an All Star in closer Devin Williams of the Milwaukee Brewers. He is 4-1 with a 1.82 ERA, and 35 strikeouts in 37 innings pitched. His 13 saves rank fourth in the NL, and he reached that number for a team that is just three games above .500.
Birmingham Bound
Hall of Famer Willie Mays will be honored, and Major League Baseball will host a Negro Leagues tribute game at Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama, on June 20, 2024, featuring the San Francisco Giants and St. Louis Cardinals.
The stadium was home to the Birmingham Black Barons from 1924-60., a Negro League team that Mays played for during the 1948 season.
“It’s an honor. Any time I get to represent my culture like that, especially on the MLB level, it’s always a joy,” said Jordan Walker.
“All I got to do is stay healthy and ready and I want to play in that game, for sure.”
MLB said the game is also centered on the Juneteenth holiday, which commemorates the emancipation of enslaved African Americans in Texas in 1865. The teams will also sport Negro Leagues fashion uniforms during the game.
The Reid Roundup
St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Jordan Walker was on a 15-game hitting streak upon the team’s return from London. He had a key RBI base hit in Sunday’s win. Walker had started in 38 games and hit safely in 33 when the Redbirds opened a series against Houston on Tuesday…NBA Commissioner Adam Silver recently said “it would make sense” to the expand the league by two teams. The front runners are reportedly Seattle and Las Vegas. However, St. Louis is battling Tampa for the No. 3 on the list…Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum honored former teammate Marcus Smart on social media, saying, “My dawg. Forever grateful for you and how you pushed me and helped me along this journey.”…Tatum’s newest endorsement on national television aired this week. He is the star of a new Subway commercial, which has him passing on a “Philly” sandwich.
