Jean Segura voted to the All-Star Game as Mariners’ first-ever Final Vote candidate

Sometimes the snow comes down in June
Sometimes the sun goes ‘round the moon
Just when I thought our chance had passed
You went and saved the best for last

Accepting disappointment with grace is a challenge, especially when you feel you got short-changed. Right after the All-Star selections were announced, Jean Segura made no secret of the fact that he was miffed not to be voted in, calling it “ridiculous” and saying he wouldn’t campaign for the Final Vote. His teammates took up the mantle, however, posting a plea to fans across their social media channels. Segura’s good friends Nelson Cruz, Dee Gordon, and Guillermo Heredia led the charge, but even players who don’t post much during the season, like Nick Vincent, or injured players, like Dan Altavilla, took up the cause. It’s a move that’s symbolic of these 2018 Mariners overall: the genuine respect and affection these players have for each other. A slight against one of them is a slight against all of them. They showed their unity on the team flight, with t-shirts they continued to wear to batting practice:

At some point, in the face of all this support, Segura had to relent. How long can you be mad at a faceless entity when faced with the Care Bear Stare of Dee Gordon cheerfully, relentlessly reminding the world about how great you are?

Let us all have a friend like Dee Gordon, someone who refuses to let you get down on yourself or upset with circumstances outside your control, and instead battles back negativity with positivity and light, someone who will slap you upside the head with your own awesomeness for as long as it takes to make you smile.

It’s not the way he wanted it to happen, but having Jean go through the Final Vote Instead of being a traditional selection might have been the most 2018 Mariners thing to happen. The Mariners’ superb marketing and social media departments, long consigned to spinning their wheels for losing teams, got a chance to shine, putting on a master class in fan engagement by running promotions to entice fans (and some non-fans!) to vote. Long-suffering Mariners fans had an opportunity to have a hand in bringing accolades to a beloved player, showing their might against the heavy-hitters of the big east coast fanbases. The players themselves were able to bond together in more of the solidarity that has set this season apart and show that they’re not just a collection of uniforms that take the field each day, but a family. And how fitting it was that it was Jean Segura—a player who has meant so much to the 2018 Mariners, who has stepped up as a leader while other players have struggled or missed time. No, he didn’t get the traditional nod, but instead he was treated to a two-day blitz from his teammates, the organization, and the fanbase. Everyone got a chance to express appreciation, admiration, and downright love for Jean. In the spirit of the 2018 Mariners, it was a true team effort.

Good job, all.