INGE WINS FINAL VOTE TO CAPTURE SPOT ON AMERICAN LEAGUE ALL-STAR ROSTER
DETRIOT, Mich. – Former Virginia Commonwealth University baseball standout Brandon Inge described the past few days as a whirlwind.
On Thursday, all the hysteria and media coverage paid off as MLB.com announced Inge as the winner of the Final Vote contest, earning him a spot on the 2009 American League All-Star roster.
“As crazy as the past couple of days have been, it’s all worth it,” Inge stated. “I can’t thank our fans and the city of Detroit enough. The support has been incredible and I’m humbled by the opportunity to represent this great city and organization in St. Louis.”
In the biggest voter turnout since the Final Vote contest started eight years ago, Inge narrowly edge Texas Ranger second baseman Ian Kinsler. Chone Figgins of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim came in third, Carlos Pena of the Tampa Bay Rays fourth and Adam Lind of the Toronto Blue Jays rounded out the standings.
“One thing that I’ve really enjoyed is that it’s given the city something happy to think about for a couple of days,” Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. “This city loves Brandon, so do I. He’s the heart of this team. It’s definitely gotten the fans pumped up.”
He is the first ever Ram to earn an All-Star spot in any major professional sports league.
Known around baseball as one of the best defensive third baseman in the game, Inge’s fielding skill gains him regular appearances on highlight reels across the country. His 161 assists and 27 double plays are tops among all American League third basemen.
Any follower’s of ESPN’s Baseball Tonight recognize Inge from the popular Web Gems segment, which is tied for the most appearances with eight so far this year.
However, the Lynchburg, Va., native’s offense has been what has separated him from the pack with 19 home runs and 54 RBIs, both on course for career highs. He ranks first and second, respectively, among AL third baseman in those categories.
The 80th annual Major League Baseball All-Star game is scheduled for 8 p.m. at the Busch Stadium in St. Louis on Tuesday, July 14th. The game will be televised worldwide on FOX.