Phillies Scoop: Burrell bummed by All-Star snub

Jul/13/08 12:41 PM Filed in: Pat Burrell
PatBurrell
Colorado Rockies manager Clint Hurdle made the finishing touches on the National League All-Star roster when he replaced injured Chicago Cubs outfielder Alfonso Soriano with Mets third baseman David Wright.

Burrell, who lost out in the Internet voting competition a day earlier, and fellow Phillies slugger Ryan Howard were thought to be strong candidates to fill the spot.


"Yeah, it's disappointing," said Burrell, who finished third on the five-man Final Vote ballot. "Obviously, you have a chance to go, you want to go. It's that simple. But the reality is David Wright is an excellent player, and he deserves a chance to go as well."

Wright, who finished second to Corey Hart in the Final Vote competition, is hitting .288 with 17 home runs and 70 RBIs.

Burrell entered Friday hitting .279 with 22 home runs and 54 RBIs. He also leads the majors with 69 walks and is ranked fifth in OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage) at .993.

"Ever since the last half of last season, he's been a consistent hitter," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said. "In his career, he's been a run producer... I think it would have been great for him to (to go)."

Howard made a late surge in the last week. He hit his major-league leading 28th home run Friday.

Although he was hitting .234 before the game, Howard also led the National League with 83 RBIs.

"How can you possibly overlook that?" Manuel said of Howard's home run and RBI totals. "Yeah he's got 125 strikeouts or something. But at the same time, those are hard numbers to pass up."

If nothing else, Burrell was appreciative of the effort this week at Citizens Bank Park during the four days of the Final Vote process. The "Go to Bat for Pat" campaign included a trio of fans who spent the better part of three straight days constantly voting for the Phillies left fielder.

"The fan response, and the effort that the Phillies gave, I want to thank everybody for what they've done," Burrell said. "They made a huge impact on things, and I'm thankful for that."

While most players make vacation plans - some go home, some go fishing - Burrell kept his calendar clear.

Although he never went out of his way to campaign for his All-Star candidacy, the slugger, who has never been to an All-Star Game, wanted to be part of the midsummer classic.

"I can't lie," Burrell said in front of his locker stall Friday afternoon. "I'd love to have gone."

(delcotimes.com)