Kinsler, Not Elected Or Selected, Can Be Voted In As A.L.’s 33rd All-Star

Ian Kinsler wasn’t elected as a starter or picked as a reserve but is among the five players in the running the American League’s 33rd man along with Toronto’s Adam Lind, Los Angeles’ Chone Figgins, Tampa Bay’s Carlos Pena and Detroit’s Brandon Inge.

Here are the current league rosters.

Here’s the Rangers’ press release regarding Josh Hamilton’s election to the starting lineup, Michael Young’s selection as a reserve and details on Kinsler’s “runoff” election:

ARLINGTON – Outfielder Josh Hamilton was elected to the A.L.’s starting outfield in fan balloting, joining Boston’s Jason Bay and Seattle’s Ichiro Suzuki. Third baseman Michael Young was named to the squad by vote of the league’s players, managers, and coaches.

In addition, second baseman Ian Kinsler was named as one of the five players in contention for the 33rd and final spot on the American League team. That All-Star will be selected in on-line fan balloting in the 2009 All-Star Game Sprint Final Vote on texasrangers.com and mlb.com that begins at 1:15 p.m. CT today and concludes on Thursday, July 9 at 3:00 p.m. CT.

Fans can also vote for Kinsler on their mobile phones. Mobile voting is exclusive to Sprint, Nextel, and Boost subscribers. From these mobile phones, fans can text A3 to 1122 to cast votes for Kinsler. Standard rate messaging fees apply, and fans are asked to check with their carriers.

Hamilton earned a starting position for the second consecutive year after receiving 2,412,359 votes to place third behind Bay and Ichiro. He becomes just the third Ranger ever selected to start more than one All-Star Game, joining Ivan Rodriguez (9 from 1992-2001) and Alex Rodriguez (3 from 2001-03). Hamilton was 1-for-3 with a stolen base as
the starter in center field in his first career All-Star contest at Yankees Stadium on July 15 2008, the day after his record-setting performance in the Home Run Derby.

Hamilton, who has been on the disabled list since June 1, underwent surgery to repair a partial tear of his right abdominal muscle on June 9. He was sent on rehab assignment on June 29 and has gone 2-for-20 in four total games with AA Frisco and AAA Oklahoma City. Hamilton is scheduled to play in a doubleheader for Oklahoma City today. He is batting .240 with six homers and 24 RBI in 35 total games with Texas in 2009 with a pair of stints on the DL.

Young was selected as an All-Star reserve for the sixth consecutive year after finishing second in the player voting at third base behind fan elected starter Evan Longoria of Tampa Bay. The six All-Star selections are the second most in Rangers history behind ten for Ivan Rodriguez. Young is also the second Ranger to ever be selected at two different
positions, earning his first five All-Star berths as a shortstop from 2004-08. Rafael Palmeiro made the A.L. team as a first baseman in 1991 and as a designated hitter in 1999.

Young is 3-for-9 with a double, triple, and three RBI in four previous All-Star appearances (DNP in 2007). He was the game’s MVP in 2006 with his game-winning two-run triple in the top of the ninth inning. He is hitting .312 with 24 doubles, 10 homers, and 30 RBI in 75 games in his first season at third base.

Kinsler joins 3B Chone Figgins of the Angels, 3B Brandon Inge of the Tigers, OF Adam Lind of the Blue Jays, and 1B Carlos Pena of the Rays as the candidates for the A.L.’s final roster spot. This marks the first time that the Rangers have ever had a player in the final All-Star roster spot on-line voting.

Kinsler placed second to Boston’s Dustin Pedroia in fan balloting to select the starter and was also second to Toronto’s Aaron Hill in player voting, thus giving Hill the other second base spot on the A.L. team. Kinsler is batting .259 with 19 homers and 51 RBI in 77 games for Texas this season.