Bryan LaHair Is Why I’m Watching the All-Star Game

I wasn’t planning on watching the All-Star Game on Tuesday.  The Cubs have only had one All-Star each of the last three years, and in 2009 Ted Lilly didn’t even get to play.  (The 2009 game was played in St. Louis, and Ted Lilly was, I think, booed more than any other player.  Of course, the reason for that was the Ted had slammed into the Cardinals catcher so hard in a play at the plate the previous September that the Cardinals catcher had to leave the game.)

In any case, I figured there would be only one Cubs player at the All-Star Game this year, he would be a reserve, and who knows if he would get to play.  But then things changed; the Cubs have two players going to the All-Star Game, and now I’m going to watch.  It’s not just because the Cubs have two players, though.  It’s because who one of them is: Bryan LaHair.

Bryan started in pro ball in 2003, after having been picked in the 39th round of the 2002 draft.  Since then, and before this year, he has played his entire career in the minor leagues, except for 45 games with Seattle in 2008 and 20 games with the Cubs last September.  After a great season in the Pacific Coast League last year (he was the PCL MVP), Bryan finally got his chance this year.  And he took advantage of it.  By June 7 he had twelve home runs, a .311 batting average, and an OPS over .900.  When he came in second in the voting by his fellow players for the All-Star game, he was on the team (because Joey Votto, who was first in the player voting also won the fan voting).

So, after 970 games and 3624 at bats in the minor leagues, Bryan LaHair, at 29 years old, is going to the All-Star Game in his first full season in the major leagues.  And I’m going to watch.

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Note: Bryan was in the All-Star Game last year, too.  The Triple A All-Star Game.  He is, as far as I can tell, the only player from the Triple A All-Star Game last year who will be in the Major League All-Star Game this year. 

Comments

[Jennie]

Did Ted Lilly get booed more than the president or Cubs fans on the street at the 2009 All Star Game?