From O-Tigers to All-Stars

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July 5, 2011

Granderson, Jurrjens, Joyce picked for MLB's July 12 showcase

Anonymous STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS The Daily Star Tue Jul 05, 2011, 03:30 AM EDT

NEW YORK -- Now, Matt Joyce and Jair Jurrjens have another thing in common with Curtis Granderson.

All three former Oneonta Tigers are headed to the 2011 All-Star game, part of the rosters released Sunday after fans, players and managers had their say on who should be in Phoenix on July 12.

"It wasn't even on my mind," said Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Joyce, a players' selection for the American League who batted .332 with four homers in 65 games for the O-Tigers in 2005. That marked the first professional baseball season for Joyce, who was traded to Tampa Bay by Detroit in 2008. Joyce is batting .298 with 11 homers _ one off of his career high _ for the Rays this season.

"I was actually planning what I was going to do on the off-days," Joyce continued. "Probably was going to stay in a condo on the beach that my buddy has. Maybe go out on the water in a boat."

Joyce could be alongside center fielder Granderson at some point. The 2002 New York-Penn League Player of the Year, Granderson will represent the New York Yankees as a starter for the AL. Granderson also started his career with the O-Tigers, batting .344 with three homers over 52 games in 2002.

He reached the majors in 2004 with Detroit, which sent Granderson to the Yankees as part of a three-team trade with the Diamondbacks following his 2009 All-Star season.

Granderson, whose batting better than .270 with 23 homers this season, will start in the outfield for AL manager Ron Washington of Texas with Toronto's Jose Bautista and the Rangers' Josh Hamilton. Bautista drew a record 7.4 million votes in becoming the first Blue Jays player elected to start since Carlos Delgado in 2003.

Three of Granderson's teammates will start in the AL infield, with Robinson Cano at second, Derek Jeter at shortstop and Alex Rodriguez at third base. Granderson and the AL's starting catcher, Detroit's Alex Avila, played for the Tigers in 2009.

"He's got much better numbers than I do. I'm glad he's going to get the start," said Yankees catcher Russell Martin, who made the AL team as a backup. "I was kind of worried about that, actually."

Adrian Gonzalez will start at first base for the AL, and Boston Red Sox teammate David Ortiz will be the designated hitter.

Yankees closer Mariano Rivera also made the AL as a players' selection as New York, which owns the best record in the AL, earned the most All-Star picks.

Two of their stars were among the notable omissions: CC Sabathia (tied for most pitching wins) and first baseman Mark Teixeira (among home run and RBI leaders).

The rival Red Sox also have All-Stars in pitcher Josh Beckett and outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury.

"Seems like the Yankees always take care of all the All-Star voting every year," Boston starter Jon Lester said, "so it's just disappointing to not see more Red Sox on that team."

Jurrjens could be throwing against the AL's elite at some point.

Despite a 1-5 season with a 5.31 ERA for the O-Tigers in 2004, Jurrjens made it to the majors with Detroit in 2007. In seven starts that season, Jurrjens went 3-1 with a 4.70 ERA for the Tigers, who traded him that October with minor-leaguer Gorkys Hernandez to the Atlanta Braves for Edgar Renteria.

Jurrjens went on to finish third in the 2008 Rookie of the Year voting, behind Geovany Soto of the Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati's Joey Votto. He appears to be in the midst of his fifth straight winning season in the majors, at 11-3 with an MLB-best 1.89 ERA. His 11 victories are tied for the most in the majors with Sabathia, AL All-Star Justin Verlander of Detroit, NL All-Star Roy Halladay of the Philadelphia Phillies, and the Pittsburgh Pirates' Kevin Correia.

Halladay will be joined by Philly teammates Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels on the NL pitching staff. Philadelphia third baseman Placido Polanco will start as well.

Other NL starters are Mets shortstop Jose Reyes; the Milwaukee Brewers' Prince Fielder at first, Rickie Weeks at second and Ryan Braun in the outfield; Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp; Cardinals outfielder Lance Berkman; and Braves catcher Brian McCann. San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy, who led the Giants to the World Series title last season with MVP Renteria, will choose the NL's designated hitter.

"The Milwaukee Brewers have arrived on the national scene," said Braun, the top NL vote-getter.

Fans can vote on MLB.com through Thursday for a 34th player on each side. Injuries are sure to impact the final rosters -- three-time NL MVP Albert Pujols was left off while recovering from a broken left wrist and Reyes is nursing a hamstring problem.

The league that wins the All-Star game will earn home-field advantage for the World Series. The NL won last year for the first time since 1996.