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 New York Yankees captain Jeter, the All-Star Game most valuable
player in 2000, has announced this will be his last season and
festivities at Target Field in Minneapolis are sure to include a
tribute to the five-time World Series winner, who is currently ninth
on the all-time hits list with 3,408.
The 40-year-old shortstop will be playing next to familiar second
base partner Robinson Cano, who was voted in by the fans in his
first season in Seattle after the Mariners signed him to a $240
million free agent deal after nine years in New York.
Cano’s Seattle team mate Felix Hernandez (11-2) will be starting
pitcher for the American League, while Adam Wainwright (12-4) of the
defending National League champion St. Louis Cardinals has the
starting assignment for the Senior circuit.
Wainwright described the honor as "something every starter dreams to
do."
 Puig, meanwhile, celebrated his selection to the game by having his
hair cut into a star on the left side of his head.
The Cuban native electrified fans around the major leagues with his
eye-popping skills and exuberance when he came up for the Los
Angeles Dodgers last season but given his late call-up to the big
leagues, he missed being named a 2013 All Star.
Making his All-Star debut in the AL lineup will be third baseman
Josh Donaldson of Oakland, one of six members of the AL West-leading
A’s on the All-Star roster.
Besides last year’s home run derby winner Yoenis Cespedes, Brandon
Moss, Derek Norris and pitchers Scott Kazmir and Sean Doolittle are
also on the AL squad.
Oakland even has yet another All-Star on their team – pitcher Jeff
Samardzija, who was voted onto the NL team but was traded by the
Chicago Cubs to Oakland and will not be playing.
The AL lineup packs power in the middle of the order with two-time
AL Most Valuable Player Miguel Cabrera of the Tigers followed by
Toronto’s Jose Bautista and Nelson Cruz of the Baltimore Orioles.
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“You look at a third baseman with Oakland (Donaldson) who's hitting
in the 8-hole, who's got nearly 20 home runs...it reflects the
caliber of players, the depth in it, and the reserves will be coming
in behind these guys are deserving to start in their own right,”
said Red Sox manager John Farrell, skipper of the AL team.
Three Milwaukee Brewers players feature in the NL starting lineup
with Carlos Gomez in the outfield, Aramis Ramirez at third base and
Jonathan Lucroy behind the plate representing the NL Central
leaders.
Rounding out the starting crew for the NL are Pittsburgh's Andrew
McCutchen, Troy Tulowitzki of the Rockies, Arizona's Paul
Goldschmidt, Miami's Giancarlo Stanton and Chase Utley of the
Phillies.
The AL starting lineup also includes the Angels' MVP candidate Mike
Trout, Baltimore's Adam Jones and Kansas City catcher Salvador
Perez.
Last year's All-Star MVP was Yankees closer Mariano Rivera, who was
playing in his 13th and final All-Star before retiring at the end of
the 2013 season.
(Reporting by Larry Fine in Winchester, Kentucky; Editing by Gene
Cherry)
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