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Braun's campaign pays off in All-Star starting spot

MILWAUKEE — Braun voted to starting spot

McClatchy-Tribune

MILWAUKEE

As late as a week ago, Ryan Braun was still in “hope” mode.

He was fourth in National League outfield balloting for the All-Star Game, trailing Chicago Cubs right fielder Kosuke Fukudome by almost 33,000 votes. But like a presidential candidate, Braun made his rounds, appearing on radio and television to state his case, a campaign that started early and picked up steam as crunch time hit.

It obviously worked, because Braun will be starting in the game July 15 at Yankee Stadium, becoming the first Milwaukee Brewers outfielder to be voted a starter in 28 years. Brewer ace Ben Sheets also was selected to the National League team for the fourth time, the most of any pitcher in franchise history.

The selections were announced Sunday during the series finale against the Pittsburgh Pirates, and both players had been told by manager Ned Yost in a pre-game meeting, where Yost had to fight back tears.

“That’s kind of a tradition with me,” Yost said. “We get the whole team together and celebrate as a team. It’s cool. For me, it’s really a special honor.

“Every year, I try not to, but I always get a little emotional when I do it because these kids are special to me.

“Once you do this, a National League all-star, you’re a National League all-star for life. This is a huge honor.”

Corey Hart is an online finalist for the all-star final vote to determine who gets the National League’s final roster spot. The Mets’ David Wright, Astros’ Carlos Lee, Phillies’ Pat Burrell and Giants’ Aaron Rowand are also on the NL list. The Brewers will set up computers at Miller Park today through Thursday for Hart’s campaign, which includes TV and radio spots.

The campaign started by the Brewers for Braun, the 2007 Rookie of the Year and first-time all-star, worked so well that Braun was propelled to top vote-getter in the outfield—Fukudome and Cubs teammate Alfonso Soriano are the other starters—with 3,835,840 and received the second-most votes in the National League behind Phillies second baseman Chase Utley (3,889,602).

While most players would be honored to be selected in any form, make no mistake that Braun wanted to be voted in—badly. He even had a host of people from Southern California to south Florida stuffing ballot boxes and frantically clicking away at their computers, and with every update he received, Braun passed word along to his supporters.

“Everybody was contributing, everybody,” Braun said. “It got down to the point where I was only 30,000 votes behind, and we really were campaigning and it paid off.

“It was fun. I enjoyed it. It got to be a little overwhelming at times but it was definitely a lot of fun and obviously it ended up being well worth it.”

While Braun supporters finished his campaign on a high note, Braun’s numbers dipped. As he entered the current home stand, Braun was in 0-for-18 skid and was hitting .208 with no home runs and three runs batted in since June 18 and hit .222 (8 for 36) on the last road trip.

Braun, who came to the ballpark Sunday nervous about his all-star status, started to come out of it in the first two games of the Pittsburgh series, going 2 for 6. He exploded in his first at-bat in the third game with a home run to center, the back end of back-to-back shots by him and J.J. Hardy.

It was Braun’s first homer since June 17, when he hit two against Toronto, and he finished Sunday’s game 3 for 5.

He is hitting .284 with 21 home runs and 59 RBIs and is willing to participate in the Home Run Derby if asked and if his sore right hand allows him.

Sheets also hasn’t performed at his best in his last two starts, but for nearly all of this season, he has been one of the best pitchers in the game.

He is 10-2 with a 2.77 earned-run average, third-lowest in the National League. He also is tied for most wins. Sheets has thrown three complete games, the best in the league, and one shutout.

Those numbers are further proof that when healthy, Sheets is among the best starters in baseball, and possibly worthy of being the starter at the final All-Star Game.

“It’s going to be pretty incredible,” Sheets said. “I know a lot of guys last year said this is the one they were looking forward to. This will be my first trip there, first and only trip.

“It really is a big deal to say you’re a major-league all-star. Once you’re a major-league all-star once, you’ll always be a major-league all-star, no matter how long you live, no matter if you suck the rest of the years.”

Sheets said he won’t campaign for himself to start the game, but he would like to take the hill in that first inning.

For Hart, he is planning to enjoy the all-star break with his kids in a swimming pool somewhere, but he’d love nothing more than to change those plans if he wins the voting.

“I’ll do anything to get to the All-Star Game,” Hart said. “Everybody has plans, but going to the All-Star Game is obviously better than any plans you might have.

“I can play with the kids when I retire.”

Hart finished fifth in the outfield voting and Mike Cameron sixth. Brewers finishing second were Hardy at shortstop, catcher Jason Kendall and first baseman Prince Fielder. Rickie Weeks was third at second base and Bill Hall fourth at third.