Six White Sox and six Mets to play All-Star Game

NEW YORK (Reuters) – The defending World Series champion
Chicago White Sox will have six players in the 77th All-Star
Game after major league baseball announced its starters and
reserves for the 2006 edition on Sunday night.

The New York Mets will also be represented by six players
in the July 10 game at PNC Park in Pittsburgh.

Fans elected the starters for both the American League and
National League for the game, with AL manager Ozzie Guillen of
the White Sox and NL manager Phil Garner of the NL champion
Houston Astros naming some reserves and a player vote selecting
others.

No White Sox were elected to start, but pitchers Mark
Buehrle, Jose Contreras and Bobby Jenks, first baseman Paul
Konerko, outfielder Jermaine Dye and designated hitter Jim
Thome were named to the AL roster on Sunday.

Jenks, Buehrle and Konerko were selected to the team by
Guillen, while Thome, Contreras and Dye were selected in
balloting by the players.

The AL’s starting lineup features three players from the
East-leading Boston Red Sox. Designated hitter David Ortiz
(first base) Mark Loretta (second base) and outfielder Manny
Ramirez, will all start, with Loretta the only first time
starter for the AL.

PITCHING STAFF

Rounding out the AL starters are shortstop Derek Jeter and
third baseman Alex Rodriguez of the New York Yankees, Detroit
catcher Ivan Rodriguez and outfielders Vladimir Guerrero of the
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and Ichiro Suzuki of Seattle.

The rest of the AL reserves are: Minnesota catcher Joe
Mauer, Seattle second baseman Jose Lopez, Toronto Blue Jays
third baseman Troy Glaus, shortstops Miguel Tejada of Baltimore
Orioles and Michael Young of Texas, and outfielders Grady
Sizemore of Cleveland Indians, Vernon Wells of Toronto and Gary
Mathews Jr. of Texas.

Also on the pitching staff in addition to the three White
Sox are Johan Santana of Minnesota, Kenny Rogers of Detroit,
Scott Kazmir of Tampa Bay, Barry Zito of Oakland, Mark Redman
of Kansas City and closer B.J. Ryan of Toronto.

Four of the six Mets in the game are starters, including
catcher Paul Lo Duca, third baseman David Wright, shortstop
Jose Reyes and outfielder Carlos Beltran, with Wright and Reyes
first-timers. Starting pitchers Pedro Martinez and Tom Glavine
were selected by the players.

Other starters for the National League are first baseman
Albert Pujols of the St. Louis Cardinals, second baseman Chase
Utley of the Phillies, outfielders Jason Bay of the Pirates and
Alfonso Soriano of the Washington Nationals.

Selected as reserves were catcher Brian McCann, shortstop
Edgar Renteria and outfielder Andruw Jones of the Atlanta
Braves, Houston Astros first baseman Lance Berkman,
Philadelphia first baseman Ryan Howard, Florida Marlins second
baseman Dan Uggla and third baseman Miguel Cabrera, Cardinals
third baseman Scott Rolen, Pirates third baseman Freddy Sanchez
and outfielders Carlos Lee of the Milwaukee Brewers and Matt
Holliday of the Colorado Rockies.

Other NL starting pitchers selected were Brandon Webb of
Arizona, Carlos Zambrano of the Chicago Cubs, Bronson Arroyo of
Cincinnati, Brad Penny of the Los Angels Dodgers, Chris
Carpenter of St. Louis and Jason Schmidt of San Francisco, and
relievers Brian Fuentes of Colorado, Derrick Turnbow of
Milwaukee Brewers, Tom Gordon of Philadelphia and Trevor
Hoffman of San Diego.

Fans can vote at mlb.com through Wednesday for the final
player to be added to both teams’ 32-man rosters for the game.
Fans can select one of five nominees from both leagues,
including A.J. Perzynski of the White Sox, who could be the
seventh Chicago player in the game if he’s elected.

The league that wins the game is the host league for the
2006 World Series. The NL leads the all-time series 40-34 with
two ties, but the AL has an 8-0-1 record in the last nine
games.