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The selection of Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jacob Misiorowski to the MLB All-Star Game after only five career starts drew immense backlash from some players in the league.
Philadelphia Phillies defended their own as they began to learn that Misiorowski was given the nod over players like Trea Turner, Ranger Suárez and Cristopher Sánchez.
“What a joke. That’s f— terrible. I mean, that’s terrible, dude,” Turner said on Friday night, via The Athletic.
Phillies star Nick Castellanos said he remembered what former reliever Craig Kimbrel told him once when it came to the MLB All-Star Game, “It’s turning into the Savannah Bananas.”
Turner was asked whether the Misiorowski nod “cheapens” the selection.
“Yeah, 100%. I mean, it’s not the All-Star Game in the sense that the best players go there, or people who have had the best season. It’s whoever sells the most tickets or has been put on social media the most. That’s essentially what it’s turned into,” Turner added.
Misiorowski has been electric since he made his debut. He has a 2.81 ERA and 33 strikeouts, with his only blemish being an outing against the New York Mets on July 2.
He received support from his manager Pat Murphy and Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts amid the uproar.
“People want to see Miz pitch,” Murphy said. “He’s the new shiny toy in the league. It’s not deserving, that has nothing to do with it. He’s been given this opportunity. It’s not his fault.
“This wasn’t a fly-by-night decision. This is something they thought through. I think it would be really tough for the kid to say no to that.”
Roberts said the nod will add some “more excitement” to the All-Star Game.
Murphy likened Misiorowski to former Detroit Tigers pitcher Mark “The Bird” Fidrych, who gained favor with the fans because of his idiosyncrasies on the mound. He was an All-Star the first two seasons of his career.
“From what I know of The Bird, it just seems that he was really authentic and really super talented,” Murphy said. “There’s some parallels there for sure.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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