Joey Votto and Freddie Freeman to represent Canada at 2018 MLB All-Star Game

Joey Votto (Keith Allison, Wikimedia Commons)

The 2018 Major League Baseball All-Star Game takes place on Tuesday evening from Washington, D.C. There will be two Canadian first basemen representing the National League. The starting first baseman will be Freddie Freeman of the Atlanta Braves and the reserve first baseman is Joey Votto of the Cincinnati Reds.

Now most baseball fans know that Freeman is a native of Fountain Valley, California. However he was the son of two Canadians, and represented Canada at the 2017 World Baseball Classic. So far this season, Freeman is batting .315 with 16 home runs and 61 runs batted in. Votto, a native of Toronto, Ontario, is batting .289 with nine home runs and 50 runs batted in.

This will be Votto’s sixth all-star game. He was the starting first baseman in 2012 and 2013. He also represented the Reds at the 2010, 2011 and 2017 all-star games. Freeman is playing in his third MLB all-star game after previously playing in 2013 and 2014.

There have been 19 other Canadians who have made an all-star team roster in baseball. They are outfielder Larry Walker of Maple Ridge, British Columbia (1992 with the Montreal Expos, 1997-1999 and 2001 with the Colorado Rockies), first baseman Justin Morneau of New Westminster, British Columbia (2007-2010 with the Minnesota Twins), catcher Russell Martin of East York, Ontario (2007 and 2008 with the Los Angeles Dodgers, 2011 with the New York Yankees and 2015 with the Toronto Blue Jays), first baseman Jason Bay of Trail, British Columbia (2005 and 2006 with the Pittsburgh Pirates and 2009 with the Boston Red Sox), pitcher Eric Gagne of Montreal, Quebec (2002-2004 with the Los Angeles Dodgers), pitcher Ferguson Jenkins of Chatham, Ontario (1967, 1971 and 1972 with the Chicago Cubs), outfielder Jeff Heath of Fort William, Ontario (1941, 1943 and 1945 with the Cleveland Indians), outfielder Terry Puhl of Melville, Saskatchewan (1978 with the Houston Astros), pitcher Paul Quantrill of London, Ontario (2001 with the Toronto Blue Jays), pitcher Claude Raymond of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec (1966 with the Houston Astros), pitcher Jeff Zimmerman of Kelowna, British Columbia (1999 with the Texas Rangers), pitcher Jason Dickson of London, Ontario (1997 with the Anaheim Angels), pitcher Ryan Dempster of Gibsons, British Columbia (2000 with the Florida Marlins and 2008 with the Chicago Cubs), outfielder George Selkirk of Huntsville, Ontario (1936 and 1939 with the New York Yankees), outfielder Michael Saunders of Victoria, British Columbia (2016 with the Toronto Blue Jays), pitcher Jesse Crain of Toronto, Ontario (2013 with the Chicago White Sox), pitcher John Hiller of Toronto, Ontario (1974 with the Detroit Tigers), pitcher Oscar Judd of London, Ontario (1943 with the Boston Red Sox), and outfielder Goody Rosen of Toronto, Ontario (1945 with the Brooklyn Dodgers). It should be noted that the 1945 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was not played due to World War Two.

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