
Angie Mentink can rest easy now
This morning, just as I was tucking in to these fluffy monstrosities, news broke that Ty France is officially an All-Star. Oftentimes, if breaking news hits prior to a game – particularly a day game – we’ll tuck the updates into a game thread, but if anyone deserves a standalone blurb, it’s the eternally-underappreciated France. The Edgar to Julio’s Griffey, a consummate hitter rocking a 146 wRC+ and surprisingly solid first base defense, and a key piece of the Mariners incredible current run.
He should have, of course, been named to the All-Star game last weekend, but we’ll just focus on the fact that this catastrophic wrong has been righted. And because baseball fancies itself a cruel, budding comic, this is how France managed to finagle his way in:
Ty France is headed to the #AllStarGame!
He replaces Mike Trout on the AL roster. OF Byron Buxton has been moved into the starting lineup. pic.twitter.com/CNyiaM4FZM
— MLB (@MLB) July 17, 2022
The All-Star game, held at Dodger Stadium this year, will be something of a homecoming for France, who attended South Hills High School – just a 30 minute drive from Chavez Ravine. France later took his talents to San Diego State, where he ended his collegiate career with a .337/.428/.470 line and, in an ironic twist, cited Trout as his favorite player. Taken with the 1,017th pick in the 2015 draft by the San Diego Padres, France has slowly and methodically worked his way into being one of the best in the league and I, for one, am thrilled to see him be recognized on the national stage.