The Major League Baseball All-Star game is a time for players, managers and fans of the sport to watch the best players in the game take the field at the same time and with loads of memorable moments from years past, the 2013 Midsummer Classic should not disappoint even though some of the bigger names have been scratched from the rosters.
With multiple changes made before the start of the July 16th ball game at Citi Field already made, perhaps the most glaring subtraction comes in the pitching department.
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Detroit Tigers starting pitcher and six-time American League All-Star Justin Verlander will not make his seventh appearance at the game this season due to the fact that he started Sunday against the Texas Rangers. In that game - a 5-0 win for Detroit - Verlander nearly recorded his third no-hitter, holding the Rangers hitless until the seventh inning. The absence of Verlander means Baltimore Orioles starter Chris Tillman will make his first appearance at the Midsummer Classic after posting an 11-3 record with a 3.95 ERA this season.
Other notable additions to the 2013 All-Star game include San Francisco Giants reliever Sergio Romo, St. Louis Cardinals reliever Edward Mujica, Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Mark Melancon, Kansas City closer Greg Holland and Oakland Athletics closer Grant Balfour. Despite the fact that his Giants continue to struggle this season, the 30-year-old Sergio Romo is more than happy with the opportunity to play in this year's game.
"Everything that's happened, I feel very fortunate," the San Francisco reliever told MLB.com. "It's a very proud moment. I never saw myself making an All-Star team. Now that it's happening, I'm very proud, and I'm proud that my teammates congratulated me and let me know that I'm deserving. To know that they feel I'm deserving, that's what's most gratifying about it."
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Romo will be one of 38 players making their inaugural trips to MLB's All-Star game, the most ever in one single Midsummer Classic.
While Romo is certainly a feel-good story since he makes the team for the first time after a career that includes 2 World Series championships and a total of 23 wins and 38 saves, the Pittsburgh Pirates continue to surprise baseball fans everywhere.
Heading into the break, Pittsburgh currently holds one Wild Card spot while only sitting one game behind the St. Louis Cardinals in the National League Central division. With 5 All-Stars making the 2013 National League squad including Mark Melancon, Pedro Alvarez, Andrew McCutchen, Jason Grilli and Jeff Locke, the Pirates head into the game with 5 players for the first time since 1972.
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"It's pretty cool to be considered among the upper echelon of major league baseball players,'' Melancon said to Yahoo Sports. ''It's really humbling. It's something you always hope will happen at some point in your career and I'm really excited about it.''
First pitch for the 2013 All-Star Game in Queens, New York is set for 8:00pm, EST on Tuesday, July 16th. The FOX Television network will begin coverage at 7:30pm.
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