The tarp is coming off the field, and tonight's game has been scheduled to resume at 7:10. While we wait, I'd like to examine how Cole Hamels and Pat Burrell were excluded from the NL All-Star team.As a pitcher, Hamels had to rely on fellow players and Rockies manager Clint Hurdle to make the team. The top five starting pitchers in the player balloting were Arizona's Brandon Webb (416 votes), Cincinnati's Edinson Volquez (404), San Francisco's Tim Lincecum (321), Milwaukee's Ben Sheets (217) and the Cubs' Ryan Dempster (170). That left Hurdle to pick three more starters. He took Arizona's Dan Haren, the Cubs' Carlos Zambrano and his own ace, Colorado's Aaron Cook. So, even though Hamels has a better ERA (3.22) than Cook (3.38) and Webb (3.43) and more wins (9) than Haren (8), he won't be at Yankee Stadium on July 15.
Burrell finished a distant 13th among NL outfielders in the fan balloting with 1,290,761 votes. The Cubs' Alfonso Soriano and Kosuke Fukudome and Milwaukee's Ryan Braun were voted as starters, and by virtue of the player voting, Colorado's Matt Holliday (461 votes), Pittsburgh's Nate McLouth (402) and St. Louis' Ryan Ludwick (274) were named as reserves.
But Burrell still has a chance. Soriano is injured and likely will be replaced on the roster. Also, Burrell is one of five finalists for the fan Internet voting. You can vote for him by clicking here.
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