Though it came as no surprise, Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt's election to the National League All-Star team gives the franchise its first elected starter in the All-Star Game since 2001.
Goldschmidt was announced Sunday as the NL's starting first baseman after an aggressive voting campaign led by the D-backs.
This will be Goldschmidt's second All-Star nod, as the 26-year-old was tabbed as a reserve last season, a year in which he won Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards and finished second in NL Most Valuable Player voting.
This season, Goldschmidt is batting .310 with 58 RBI, 16 home runs and an NL-leading 32 doubles. He ranks in the top five in the NL for RBI, runs, hits walks on-base percentage, slugging percentage and OPS. His home runs and batting average rank in the top 10 in the NL.
At the last balloting update, Goldschmidt had widened his lead in voting to more than a million. Reynolds had moved into second place, ahead of the Dodgers' Adrian Gonzalez. The D-backs led a "Vote Goldy" campaign through social media, in-stadium voting and FOX Sports Arizona broadcasts.
Goldschmidt, the D-backs only All-Star this year, remains the only first baseman in franchise history to make the All-Star team. Luis Gonzalez was the last D-backs position player to start in the All-Star Game, getting the nod as an outfielder in 2001. Goldschmidt also becomes just the fourth All-Star starter in team history, joining Gonzalez, Matt Williams (1999) and Jay Bell (1999).
The 2014 All-Star Game will be played at Target Field in Minneapolis on Tuesday, July 15.
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