Astros manager Dusty Baker jokes as rival Texas Rangers earn four All-Star starters: "Was this a national vote?"
The Texas Rangers have four All-Star starters in Jonah Heim, Josh Jung, Marcus Semien and Corey Seager. They will be managed by none other than Dusty Baker, the Houston Astros manager. The two are division rivals and the defending champions Astros trail the Rangers by five games in the standings.
If there were concerns about awkwardness, let those be assuaged. Baker laughed about the irony but said that the four starters had more than deserved to be in the Midsummer Classic via Sports Illustrated:
“They deserve it. I mean they’re having some great years, and they’re good. Now, I’m trying to figure out, was this a national vote? Did you guys have the crowds to swing the decision, because that’s usually a New York kind of thing.”
Ironically, the New York teams have just one All-Star starter- Aaron Judge. Baker went on to say that Semien actually spoke with Baker about the upcoming game:
“I’ve known Semien for a while, and he told me the other day that it will be an honor to play for both Bruce (Bochy) and me in one season."
Semien has earned his second All-Star nod, while his three Rangers teammates are all earning their first ever selections. They could very well be joined by Nathan Eovaldi and Adolis Garcia, who are possible selections tonight.
Texas Rangers have had an excellent first half
Though the first half of the season is not quite over, the Texas Rangers have to be feeling good about themselves. With four All-Star starters and two or three more to potentially be announced, it's clear that they are one of the best teams in baseball.
Led by Heim, Semien, Seager and Jung, the Rangers boast one of the best offenses in baseball. Eight of their players have an OPS+ of over 100, which is second only to the Atlanta Braves who stunningly have nine such players.
The Rangers went all-in the last two offseasons and it appears to have paid massive dividends as they are a true contender this season.