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Longoria tops Roberts for final All-Star spot
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The Toronto Blue Jays' Joe Inglett, bottom, is forced out on a double play by Baltimore Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts during the third inning of a baseball game in Toronto, Tuesday. Roberts lost out on an All-Star ballot to Evan Longoria.
Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts will not be an All-Star for the third time in four seasons.
Roberts, an All-Star in 2005 and 2007, lost out to Tampa Bay third baseman Evan Longoria on Thursday after five days of voting in the All-Star Final Vote.
Roberts finished fourth out of five candidates, as he beat out only Kansas City’s Jose Guillen after a record 47.8 million votes were tallied in the event’s seventh year on Major League Baseball’s Web site. Last season, the competition drew 23.2 million votes.
Milwaukee outfielder Corey Hart earned the final spot on the National League roster in a tight race over New York third baseman David Wright.
The switch-hitting Roberts has hit .292 with seven home runs and 25 stolen bases entering last night’s game against the Blue Jays. He also leads the league in doubles (32) and triples (7).
But earlier in the week, Roberts told USA Today he thought there was no chance he would be selected to play in Tuesday’s All-Star Game in Yankee Stadium.
“I think you need to be playing at home,” said Roberts, whose team has been playing in Toronto this week. “I certainly think you need to be in a big market.”
That didn’t prove to be true, as the winners came from two of baseball’s smallest markets.
Longoria, a rookie who has hit .281 with 15 homers and 53 RBIs despite starting the season in Triple-A, became the third All-Star for the Rays, who have baseball’s best record. Longoria held off Chicago’s Jermaine Dye to earn the nod as roughly one million votes were cast per hour on the last day of voting.
It leaves closer George Sherrill as the Orioles’ lone All-Star. It is the second straight year the Orioles will have the minimum number of representatives at the Midsummer Classic.
eric.detweiler@baltimoreexaminer.com
