3 Tigers named to All-Star game
7/6/2009The Detroit Tigers will send at least three players to the 80th All-Star game, and they're lobbying for a fourth.
Starting pitchers Edwin Jackson and Justin Verlander and center fielder Curtis Granderson were selected for the midsummer classic to be played July 14 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis,.
Third baseman Brandon Inge is one of five finalists for the last spot on the American League team, to be selected via internet voting.
"He certainly deserves to be on the team," said manager Jim Leyland.
Verlander leads the AL with 130 strikeouts.
Cleveland catcher Victor Martinez is also on the team.
Defiance native Chad Billingsley of the Los Angeles Dodgers was named to the National League team.
Albert Pujols of St. Louis was the leading vote-getter in balloting.
The first baseman will start in his home ballpark for the NL. He leads the majors with 31 homers and 82 RBIs.
He collected 5,397,374 votes to finish with the second-highest total in major league history, trailing only Ken Griffey Jr.'s six million votes in 1994.
Pujols has made the NL team eight times in nine seasons and will be making his sixth start.
Boston pitcher Tim Wakefield made his first All-Star roster in his 17th season, one of a major league-high six Red Sox picked for the game.
The 42-year-old right-hander is tied for the big league lead with 10 wins.
New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter was the AL's leading vote-getter and made the game for the 10th time and his sixth start.