During an ESPN telecast on July 6 announcing his All-Star selection, Dallas Keuchel's name was misspelled in a graphic.
Keuchel may still be a relative unknown in some circles, but American League players and managers know exactly who the Houston Astros ace and former Arkansas Razorbacks pitcher is.
Kansas City Royals Manager Ned Yost, who is managing the American League All-Star team, named Keuchel as the AL's starting pitcher Monday for today's All-Star game at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati. He'll be joined by North Little Rock native A.J. Burnett, who will represent the Pittsburgh Pirates on the National League team.
Former Arkansas Traveler Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels will start in the outfield for the American League. Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez and outfielder Lorenzo Cain, both formerly of the Northwest Arkansas Naturals, will also start for the AL.
Royals third baseman Mike Moustakas and pitcher Kelvin Herrera, also former Naturals, will be AL reserves.
Keuchel (11-4, 2.23 earned run average) will be the fourth Houston pitcher to start an All-Star game, joining Roger Clemens in 2004, Mike Scott in 1987 and J.R. Richard in 1980.
It's the first All-Star appearance for Keuchel, 27, who is tied with the Seattle Mariners' Felix Hernandez for the most victories in the AL this season. He also leads the AL in innings pitched with 137 1/3.
"It's definitely very exciting," Keuchel told reporters Monday in Cincinnati after being named as the starter. "I was able to tell my family but I couldn't tell many more. And even my family has loose lips, so I was very thankful for them not telling anybody. I mean, I never expected this.
"Just to be on the team with some of the best players in the world is truly an honor. That's the way I'm going to approach it, to have as much fun as I possibly can."
Yost said it was a difficult decision choosing the AL starter. Chicago White Sox ace Chris Sale had 115 pitches in his start Saturday and White Sox Manager Robin Ventura suggested to Yost that he shouldn't start the All-Star game. So it was down to Keuchel, Oakland's Sonny Gray and Tampa Bay's Chris Archer.
One factor that played into Yost's decision was the support Keuchel received from players who voted. Keuchel outpointed all the other AL pitchers.
"I kind of looked at numbers and studied numbers," Yost said. "I looked at the players' votes. I settled on Dallas Keuchel, and that was tough decision too with all of these guys."
Before Monday's announcement, Houston Manager A.J. Hinch said Keuchel's didn't need his manager campaigning for him.
"There's multiple guys that have the qualifications to start," Hinch said. "I just don't know that anybody's been better, and I hope the consideration is strong, because Dallas has certainly anchored everything that we're doing."
Keuchel is the first Astros pitcher to make the All-Star game since Roy Oswalt in 2007 and the first left-handed Astros starter to do it since Mike Hampton in 1999.
Arkansas baseball Coach Dave Van Horn said he is proud of what Keuchel has accomplished in the major leagues since leaving the school in 2009.
"There's always a sense of pride when you see someone battle their way to the big leagues and find a way to play at such a high level," Van Horn said. "We could see his potential when he was here. We just hope we helped him out a little bit. It all just boils down to him and having a great work ethic."
Van Horn said he could see Keuchel's ability as soon as Keuchel arrived in Fayetteville.
"He came here knowing how to pitch," Van Horn said.
Arkansas pitching coach Dave Jorn kept Keuchel on an upward path, Van Horn said.
"He pitched a lot for us as a freshman, which is hard to do in the SEC, and by the time he was a junior, he was the ace of our staff. I don't think they [the Astros] knew what they had until he got there."
Burnett's All-Star selection, his first, as a 38-year-old in his 17th season, was loudly applauded by teammates -- literally -- when Pirates Manager Clint Hurdle made the announcement.
In terms of service time, Burnett (7-3, 2.11 ERA) ranks behind Cincinnati's Arthur Rhodes, who made his All-Star debut in his 19th season in 2010 and Doyle Alexander, who was chosen in his 18th season when he represented the Detroit Tigers in 1988.
Burnett, who has a career record of 162-153 with 2,470 strikeouts, is one of four pitchers, along with Tim Wakefield (2009), Jamie Moyer (2003) and Charlie Hough (1986), to make an All-Star team for the first time in his 17th season.
"When two-fifths of your rotation ends up in an All-Star game, that does well for the organization and everybody that played a part in it," Hurdle said after announcing Burnett's and teammate Gerit Cole's selections. "You've got a young bull and an experienced bull.
"I won't call him old," Hurdle said of Burnett, "because I've got to live with him the second half of the season."
Information for this article was provided by the Houston Chronicle, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, USA Today and MLB.com.
First time, long time
Pitcher A.J. Burnett of North Little Rock will be among the oldest first-time All-Stars when he steps on the field today for the National League team in Cincinnati. While Negro Leagues legend Satchel Paige is the oldest first-time All-Star (he was 45 in 1952), Burnett would rank third-oldest among those debuting since the game was integrated:
YEAR;POS NAME;AGE;TEAM
2003;LHP Jamie Moyer;40 years, 239 days;Seattle
2014;RHP Koji Uehara;39 years, 103 days;Boston
2015;RHP A.J. Burnett;38 years, 192 days;Pittsburgh
1986;RHP Charlie Hough;38 years, 191 days;Texas
2012;RHP R.A. Dickey;37 years, 255 days;NY Mets
SOURCE USA Today
Sports on 07/14/2015