PHILADELPHIA — The two managers in Tuesday’s MLB All-Star Game at Citizens Bank Park have a clear message for all those chosen to play in the midseason showcase: You should be here.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, leading the National League squad, and Blue Jays manager John Schneider, leading the AL, each gave polite but unmistakable calls for players to be more accepting of playing in the All-Star Game.
This year’s event has been not only hit with injuries to top stars such as the Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani and Yankees’ Aaron Judge, but a series of voluntary opt-outs among selected players, particularly pitchers.
“I’ve always believed that it’s an honor to be named an All-Star, to be able to participate in this game. I didn’t have that. I wasn’t a good enough player to be an All-Star,” Roberts said, referencing his prior, 10-year playing career, often as a reserve. “The way the game is now where there’s rest, recovery, injuries, which are certainly validated, I still try to encourage players to participate because it is for the fans. It’s a fans’ game.”
Points of Conflict
