The Chicago Cubs will have all four of their players making up the starting infield for next week’s annual all-star game, Major League Baseball announced on Tuesday.
For the first time in 53 years, players from the same team will fill out the infield at the midsummer classic, comprising first baseman Anthony Rizzo, second baseman Ben Zobrist, shortstop Addison Russell and third baseman Kris Bryant.
It is only the second time in MLB history it has happened. The 1963 St. Louis Cardinals previously had all four infielders in the starting lineup.
“That’s awesome,” Bryant said. “I think it says a lot about the team. Everybody in the infield’s having a great year so far.”
Centre fielder Dexter Fowler will join his Chicago teammates, making the Cubs the first team since the Cincinnati Reds in 1976 to have five starters in the lineup.
Also on the National League roster will be Cubs pitchers Jake Arrieta and Jon Lester. Arrieta will be making his first appearance and Lester his fourth.
The non-Cubs starters for the NL will be San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey and outfielders Bryce Harper of the Washington Nationals and Yoenis Cespedes of the New York Mets.
“It’s a good feeling,” Arrieta said.
“I’ve been through a lot a lot of hard work. It started to pay off and my career has moved in a positive direction the last couple of years. It’s kind of a by-product of that, the hard work. Obviously the team performing at a high level has helped me get to this point.”
In the American League, the Boston Red Sox landed four starters on the team. Shortstop Xander Bogaerts and outfielders Jackie Bradley and Mookie Betts and designated hitter David Ortiz. Bogaerts, Bradley and Betts will be first-time starters while Ortiz will be making his 10th appearance in his final season of North American baseball.
Two Kansas City Royals players — catcher Salvador Perez and first baseman Eric Hosmer — were named to the AL starting lineup along with Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve, Baltimore Orioles third baseman Manny Machado and Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout, who will make his fifth appearance.
Perez topped all vote-getters with 4.97mn votes while Rizzo was the NL leader with 3.24mn votes.