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All-Star Voting Goes Down To Wire; Rangers Urging Assault Of The Polls

There are less than five hours remaining in All-Star online voting and if you, like me, have nothing to do this evening, the Rangers – and I’m sure Ian Kinsler – would just love it if you could possibly vote 25 times for him for the All-Star Game. If you do, you can receive two free Rangers tickets.

Also, with the Angels playing tonight, there is a perfectly legitimate chance the Rangers will take the field tomorrow night against Tampa Bay once again sharing first place in the AL West. Coincidentally, there are plenty of good seats still available here. Oh, wait a minute, the Angels are playing Baltimore; just take out the “perfectly legitimate”, but there is a chance.

Here is the very official release from MLB on the general voting situation.

NEW YORK, JULY 2, 2009 – The last 72 hours of the 2009 All-Star Game Sprint Online Ballot on MLB.com have further tightened each League’s closest races and left many to be determined by the frantic final 6 hours of exclusive online balloting. Fan voting continues at a record pace before tonight’s 11:59 p.m. (EDT) deadline, including 19.2 million votes cast on Wednesday alone.

American League All-Star Races

Will Ian Kinsler hold off Dustin Pedroia at second base? As of the last American League update, Kinsler held a lead of fewer than 7,000 votes, but over the past 72 hours of exclusive online balloting Pedroia has received 20% more votes than Kinsler.

Will Kevin Youkilis make it four straight years for a Boston first baseman to be voted the AL starter? Mark Teixeira is making a strong bid to end the Red Sox run by garnering 17% more online votes than Youkilis over the last 72 hours in hopes of closing a 40,000 vote gap.

Can Jacoby Ellsbury leapfrog three players in the scramble to earn the final starting spot in the AL outfield? The most recent update had Josh Hamilton leading the way, but over the past 72 hours of online voting Ellsbury has received at least 16% more votes than the other three challengers – Hamilton, Torii Hunter and Carl Crawford.
National League All-Star Races

Will Yadier Molina be the first National League catcher in 17 years to be voted a hometown starter? In the latest National League update, Molina was ahead of Brian McCann by just under 400,000 votes. McCann, however, is vying to make up the ground as he has recorded nearly 30% more online votes than Molina in the last 72 hours.

Has Carlos Beltran garnered enough votes to hold off the late charges from Alfonso Soriano and Shane Victorino? Among this triumvirate battling for the final starting spot in the National League outfield, Soriano trailed Beltran in the last update, but has received 11% more online votes in the past 72 hours than the other two challengers – Beltran and Victorino.

Will hometown All-Star Albert Pujols be the National League’s top vote-getter for the third time in his career? The most recent update had Pujols less than 100,000 votes ahead of last year’s National League top vote-getter, Chase Utley. Over the past 72 hours, Pujols has tried to extend the lead with 15% more online votes than Utley.

Answers to these questions will come on Sunday, July 5, when the American and National League All-Star Teams are unveiled on the 2009 MLB All-Star Selection Show presented by Pepsi, televised nationally on TBS at 1 p.m. (EDT). MLB.com will provide comprehensive coverage of the All-Star Teams, including high quality video and details of every All-Star, immediately following the announcement. MLB Network will air a special MLB Tonight All-Star Edition, simulcast on MLB.com, at 6 p.m. (EDT) with expert analysis and a look at the players on the 2009 All-Star Game Sprint Final Vote ballot.