Michael Young Selected To All-Star Game

As just announced on the TBS All-Star Game Selection Show, Rangers shortstop and reigning 2006 All-Star Game MVP Michael Young has been selected as a reserve for the 2007 American League All-Star squad. Young was not selected by the players or fans, but by AL manager Jim Leyland.

Young has hit .293/.343/.400 this year with 4 HR and 48 RBI in 335 AB. Michael began the year very slowly, hitting just .215 in April. He has since rebounded considerably, and had a monster June, batting .361/.426/.407 in 108 AB on the month. This will be Young's 4th consecutive All-Star appearance.

Young is the lone Rangers All-Star representative, with such hopefuls as Eric Gagne, Akinori Otsuka, Mark Teixeira and Sammy Sosa coming up short. The "All-Star Final Vote" will begin after the selection show is over, and I can certainly see the possibility of Gagne or Sosa getting a shot on that ballot. Otsuka's status is uncertain after being removed from today's game against the Red Sox with an ankle injury, and Teixeira is out until after the All-Star break.

The complete All-Star Game rosters for both leagues can be found here.

UPDATE: No Rangers made the "Final Vote" ballot, with Roy Halladay, Hideki Okajima, Pat Neshek, Kelvim Escobar and Jeremy Bonderman getting the nominations. You may note that these are all pitchers, and oddly enough, there are only pitchers on the NL ballot as well.