.@Twins fans came up big for @Jorge_Polanco1. He’s the starting SS for the American League! pic.twitter.com/RdTmxUHMfK
— MLB (@MLB) June 27, 2019
I think that we collectively knew that Jorge Polanco would reach the All Star Game this year, as he has accumulated one of the highest batting averages in the league this season, but it is fairly incredible that he was voted in, rather than selected as a manager’s choice.
Incredible, for one, that he did it from a market like Minnesota, where he is probably not even the most popular player on the team here, but also because he is doing it less than a year after an 80 game suspension for drug use. Usually, a player can’t get this kind of redemption, let alone this immediately.
Polanco is the only starter (unless Jake Odorizzi can get a nod) the Twins will offer, but there were a couple of other finalists in the voting that might make the Mid-Summer classic, like Nelson Cruz, or more likely CJ Cron. After last season, though, it would be downright inhumane to leave Eddie Rosario out of the Game.
And you know what? Eddie Rosario has a drug related suspension in his background too. I’ll tell you, these Twins sure have a lot of pent up good will. Most other teams would have smeared reputations and be one of the most disliked squads in the game if they came with this much baggage (I didn’t even bring up Miguel Sano) but this season surely charmed. A lot of it is personality, but surely, quite a bit of it is talent.
(For the record, there is no evidence that any Twins player is currently using any illicit chemicals. I am merely commenting on fans’ capacity for forgiveness and players’ ability to gain redemption. “
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