Los Angeles Dodgers rookie outfield Yasiel Puig has won over many fans during his short time in the major leagues. Philadelphia Phillies closer Jonathan Papelbon is not among them.
Deadspin.com reported that Papelbon was highly critical of the possibility of Puig earning a spot on the National League roster in the All-Star Game on July 16.
Puig is batting .436 in 26 games with the Dodgers since being called up from Double-A Chattanooga on June 3. His 44 hits in the month of June are second in baseball history by a rookie to Joe DiMaggio, who had 48 hits in 1936.
Los Angeles is 15-11 since his arrival and has won eight of its last nine games to pull within 3 ½ games of NL West-leading Arizona entering Tuesday night's games.
A campaign has started to get Puig in the All-Star Game. Papelbon thinks that idea is ridiculous.
"They're comparing him to some Hall of Fame big leaguers. To me it's an absolute joke," Papelbon said on MLB Radio Network. "It's really kind of stupid if you ask me. You expect that from L.A.
"Yasiel Pig, Puig, whatever - the guy's got a month in the big leagues and you're comparing him to this and that and everybody's saying he's going to make the All-Star team. That's a joke.
To me it really does an injustice to the veteran players."
According to JohnStrubel.com, 16 players that were selected to play in the 2012 All-Star Game were replaced.
"Derek Jeter was voted the starting shortstop in the American League but declined the offer claiming 'fatigue,' " the blog stated. "Jose Reyes, Alex Rodriguez, Ryan Braun and Placido Polanco all declined to appear despite being voted by fans of the game as starters."
After a tie in the All-Star Game in 2002, baseball commissioner Bud Selig tried to inject some life into the game by awarding home-field advantage in the World Series to the winning league's representative.
The Dodgers are trying to get Puig into the game as a write-in candidate. According to ESPN.com the last write-in candidate to earn a spot in the game was former Dodgers first baseman Steve Garvey.
Puig also could get in through a fan vote in which both leagues form a final five-candidate ballot and gives the fans a few days to choose one last All-Star.
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