Dodgers’ Yasiel Puig finishes second in final vote for All-Star game
If Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig was dejected after missing out on the last All-Star spot Thursday, he sure didn’t show it. Especially when Manager Don Mattingly told him he was starting in center field, spurring a happy-go-lucky dance in the clubhouse to blaring reggaeton music.
“Did you see him in there? He would have loved to be at the All-Star game and show off,” Mattingly said. “But it’s not going to take away from his joy for the game.”
Atlanta Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman set a MLB Final Vote record with 19.7 million votes to edge out the Cuban phenom. Toronto Blue Jays reliever Steve Delabar won the AL Final Vote with 9.6 million votes.
Puig’s exact vote count was not released, but the 22-year-old passed the previous mark of 15.6 million votes set by Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Shane Victorino in 2009.
“It’s not what I had hoped for the fans and the city, but I’m very happy,” Puig said. “I don’t have my head down at all. Hopefully good things will come out of this.”
Heading into the game against the Colorado Rockies, Puig was hitting .394 with eight home runs and 19 runs batted in in 35 games. He has galvanized the Dodgers’ latest turnaround, in which they have gone from last place in the National League West when he debuted June 3 to second place, 11/2 games behind the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The result Thursday does not entirely rule out Puig’s All-Star chances. Four of the five NL Final Vote candidates last year made the All-Star roster as injury replacements and last-minute substitutes.
“There has to be an injury first,” said Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, who finished fifth in the voting. “It’s not something you can count on, but if someone does go down, he could be a part of it.”
Gonzalez, who pledged his support for Puig earlier this week, had no comment on whether his candidacy split Dodgers votes but suggested the rules should allow him to transfer his votes to Puig’s cause.
Puig sat in second place behind Freeman heading into the last day of voting, before voting expanded to a Twitter blitz with MLB designated hashtags such as #VotePuig. According to MLB.com, fans sent 4,200 tweets per minute during the six-hour period to close the voting.
Josh Tucker, the Dodgers’ social media coordinator, led the charge on Twitter as early as 6 a.m. Thursday. The amount of mentions from fans spiked to a point where Tucker’s computer froze after Puig took over his station to send tweets and make thank-you calls.
The Dodgers’ Twitter account gave out autographed baseballs from Puig and Magic Johnson, chances to meet Tom Lasorda and Vin Scully and even a Britney Spears autographed jersey in exchange for votes.
“The beauty of social media is it’s real time,” Tucker said. “And to have the most popular player in America doing whatever we needed with social media, we tried to maximize it the best we could.”
Mattingly said Puig’s All-Star days are still far ahead of him, especially if he continues his dynamic approach.
“If you’re an All-Star, then you’ll continue to be one,” Mattingly said. “… The fact he was there and so many people were interested is great.”
Twitter: @andrewgastelum
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