Chicago Cubs Infield to Start in All-Star Game

The starting infield for the National League All-Star team will be all Chicago Cubs players. At first base will be Anthony Rizzo, at second Ben Zobrist, at third Kris Bryant and at shortstop Addison Russell.

Dexter Fowler has been chosen as a starting outfielder. In addition, the Cubs will have Jon Lester and Jake Arrieta on the NL All-Star roster.

Rizzo earned the most votes for the NL and the rest of the infielders along with Fowler were picked by fans. Arrieta was picked by the players, while Lester was named by Terry Collins the manager of the New York Mets who will be the NL team manager.

This is the first time since the San Diego Padres of 1985 that one team has five players chosen to start an All-Star game. The one team that has had all four of the infielders starting was the St. Louis Cardinals of 1963, with Bill White at first, Julian Javier at second, Ken Boyer at third and Dick Groat at short.

Joe Maddon the Chicago Cubs manager said that he was blow away when the Cardinals had the starting All-Star infield in 1963 when he was just a kid. He said any baseball fan at 9 years old in ’63 felt the way a 9-year old fan does about our Cubs infield today.

He told the All-Star participants from his Cubs team, especially the new ones, to enjoy each second and play well when on the field, on the mound or at bat.

This is the third All-Star trip for both Rizzo and Zobrist, while Bryant is on the team for the second time. For Arrieta, Russell and Fowler it is their first trip.

Fowler has a strained hamstring and is on the disabled list, but hopes to be healthy to play next week in the All-Star Game. He is the first outfielder for the Cubs to win election by the fans since Alfonso Soriano and Kosuke Fukudome in 2008.

Zobrist is just the third Cubs second baseman voted to start in the game by fans. Russell, at just 22, is the youngest members of the Cubs ever selected.

Last year, Bryant and Rizzo represented Chicago in the game. In 2008, Chicago sent eight of its players. Arrieta, who won the Cy Young Award last season, will start on Friday against Pittsburgh and if picked could be the NL starter on Tuesday.