Blue Jays first baseman Justin Smoak among 12 first-time All-Star starters
NEW YORK — Once again, a late push of online votes from Canadians has made one of the Toronto Blue Jays a starter for the American League all-star team.
Blue Jays first baseman Justin Smoak was among 12 first-time starters elected Sunday for the All-Star Game at Miami on July 11, the most since voting was returned to fans in 1970.
Smoak bounced back to beat Kansas City’s Eric Hosmer by 555,000 at first base, two years after Toronto third baseman Josh Donaldson set the record for most votes ever to surge into that year’s all-star game.
“It’s awesome. It’s an honour. I think it’s something as a young kid you always dreamed of. It’s what you wanted to be was an all-star in the big leagues,” said Smoak. “I think early in my career, coming up through the minor leagues and getting drafted, that’s what I expected of myself. It didn’t happen that way but I’m here now and I’m excited to be a part of it.”