Lone Angel Trout in the All-Star outfield? Royals running away with fan votes
The votes are in, and the Kansas City Royals are running away with the All-Star Game votes.
Mike Trout is second in votes for outfielders with 5,944,068 votes. Updated totals were released by Major League Baseball on Monday, and Kansas City Royals center fielder Lorenzo Cain is in first with 6,611,781 votes - 667,713 votes more than Trout. All-Star Game starters are determined by fan voting.
"Same thing I said before, their fans are out there voting," Trout said. "Can't take that away form them. They have the right to vote. For me, (I'm) just going out there and playing my game. "If I get voted in, I get voted in."
Asked about the importance of the All-Star Game voting since it determines home-field advantage for the World Series, Trout said: "That's what the All-Star Game is about for sure, the best players in each league. We're battling it out for home field."
The All-Star Game will be played July 14 in Cincinnati.
Asked who he thought was flying under the radar in terms of All-Star voting, Trout chose Albert Pujols.
"I look at our first baseman," Trout said. "He's one of the hottest hitters this year. He's got 18 homers. This last month he's been unconscious. It's fun to watch. He deserves to be there. He's going out there playing every day getting big hits for us."
That hasn't translated into votes, however. Fans have until July 2 to vote.
Pujols is fifth in voting for first basemen with 931,585 votes. Kansas City's Eric Hosmer leads all votes for first baseman with 5,777,363, while Miguel Cabrera follows at 5,301,216.
The Angels are using social media to implore their fans to vote, and they did so again on Monday. On Instagram, the Angels wrote: "#ASG ballot update. Trout is in second place among AL outfielders and Pujols is in fifth place among AL 1st basemen. It's up to YOU to send your Halos to the 2015 All-Star Game. You can #VoteAngels NOW up to 35 times until July 2nd ..."
Asked about all the Royals players who are in line to start the All-Star Game - eight Royals and Trout if the voting ended today - Angels manager Mike Scioscia said: "As long as he doesn't have to wear a blue hat, I'm OK."
All joking aside, Scioscia said: "I think fan voting has been part of this of a while. I think there obviously has to be a balance. Not that those players in Kansas City aren't deserving. I think the equation to pick the team to go out there and win a game that has that kind of meaning should be balanced. I know Major League Baseball looks at that. If they do someday, great. It is what it is. It will be an exciting game anyway. It will be a very talented game on the field anyway."
Trout is undecided about participating in the Home Run Derby.
"I haven't thought about it," Trout said. "I'm still up in the air."
