ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, July 2, 1996 TAG: 9607020071
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: NEW YORK
SOURCE: Associated Press
For the second consecutive year, Ken Griffey Jr. was voted to start baseball's All-Star Game. And for the second consecutive year, a hand injury may deny fans a chance to see him play.
The Seattle Mariners center fielder was the top vote-getter in the final fan balloting announced Monday for the July 9 All-Star Game in Philadelphia.
Sidelined with a broken hand, Griffey received 3,064,814 votes - better than 500,000 more than the closest player, Baltimore shortstop Cal Ripken.
But after injuring his right hand while fouling off a pitch June 19, Griffey underwent surgery and is expected to miss at least a month of action. He had to sit out last year's game in Texas after fracturing his left wrist while making a spectacular catch.
With Griffey out, it's up to AL manager Mike Hargrove of Cleveland to choose another starter. The likely pick is the fourth-place finisher, Baltimore's Brady Anderson, who leads the majors with 28 homers.
``I just hope I make it,'' Anderson said Monday. ``It would have been nice to be voted in, but I can't actually say I expected it.''
Mike Piazza finished second to Griffey and first among NL players in the voting. Piazza, leading the league in hitting, was named on 2,272,115 ballots.
Joining Griffey in the AL's starting outfield were Cleveland teammates Albert Belle and Kenny Lofton.
Ripken, the top vote-getter in 1995, will be making his 12th All-Star appearance. He received 2,550,275 votes, easily outdistancing Cleveland's Omar Vizquel (829,519).
Ripken's teammate, Roberto Alomar, will start at second base and New York's Wade Boggs was named the AL's starter at third.
Texas catcher Ivan Rodriguez and first baseman Frank Thomas of the Chicago White Sox complete the AL starting lineup.
Barry Bonds of San Francisco, Tony Gwynn of San Diego and Dante Bichette of Colorado were voted starters in the NL outfield.
Bichette, named to his first All-Star team, had not placed among the top three outfielders since the preliminary voting was announced June 4. However, he overtook Atlanta's David Justice and Montreal's Henry Rodriguez in recent weeks.
The NL's infield features Atlanta's Fred McGriff at first base, Houston's Craig Biggio at second, San Francisco's Matt Williams at third and Cincinnati's Barry Larkin at shortstop.
Hargrove and NL manager Bobby Cox of Atlanta will announce their reserves and pitchers today.
LENGTH: Medium: 55 linesby CNB