Pat Caputo: Tigers Have Six Players Who Could Be Chosen For All-Star Game
The Tigers sputtered on an interleague road trip to Colorado and Los Angeles recently, but for the most part, during the first half of their season, there have been more good things that have happened than bad.
Not the least of which is several Tigers' players emerging as legitimate candidates to participate in the All-Star game July 12 in Phoenix.
There are only 25 players on a major league roster, yet the Tigers have six viable candidates for the All-Star team. Here are those six players, in the order they should be considered for the American League squad, and why they belong:
1. Justin Verlander — In April, Verlander was better than he had been in the past during the opening month of the season, but still not that good. Since then, he has been a mesmerizing performer. Six of his nine wins have come after Tigers' losses, another when they were tied for first place with Cleveland — and he beat the Indians — putting the Tigers in sole possession of the top spot in the American League Central at the time. He's pitched a no-hitter and flirted with another, twice. Josh Beckett and Verlander would be the leading candidates to start for the AL, but it's likely Verlander won't pitch in the game because of where his spot in the rotation falls.
He is slated to pitch the Sunday before the All-Star break.
