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I knew there was a pretty good chance that this morning's piece was going to be irrelevant before long. Edwin Encarnacion will indeed miss the All-Star game, and Kyle Seager has been named to the American League squad in his place.
.@Mariners third baseman Kyle Seager will replace Edwin Encarnacion on the American League's #ASG roster.
— #FinalVote (@MLB) July 7, 2014
So it's Seager, Felix, and Cano in the All-Star game, and there's still a good chance that Fernando Rodney and his league-leading 25 saves might make it as well. Now the focus on position player snubs can turn to Ian Kinsler, who might actually have a better case for being snubbed than Seager did.
Before today, the M's haven't had three All-Stars since 2011 (Felix, Brandon League, Michael Pineda), and that was the only year of three since 2003. If Rodney does sneak in, it'll be the first time since 2003 that the Mariners send four or more representatives.
Even if All-Star games aren't the best way to evaluate excellent talent, it's still impressive that the following unbelievable streak has finally been broken.
Kyle Seager is the first drafted and developed Mariners position player All-Star since ARod.
— Spike Friedman (@SpikeFriedman) July 7, 2014
Through all of the highly touted draft picks, prospects, and free agent signings, Seager is a shining beacon of success for the Mariners organization through what has been an exceptionally rocky era. Congratulations are in order for Kyle and his family -- younger brother Corey is also playing in the Futures Game. America. Canada. World. Look at your voting mistakes. Learn from them. Kyle Seager keeps getting better.
Seager is ours and has always been ours, and we would like things to stay that way for a long time.
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