Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Justin Wrobleski earned a well-deserved All-Star nod on Saturday, July 11th, for his fantastic season.
However, Wrobleski had to wait a while, as the league worked its way down the list of alternatives until it reached the southpaw.
In fact, reports reveal that Zach Wheeler rejected the honor before Wrobleski was asked to be an All-Star and accepted it.
Wheeler said he was interested in pitching during Tuesday’s All-Star Game in Philadelphia, but the wait before getting the nod made him feel disrespected.
The slot for Wheeler and Wrobleski only opened up after Chase Burns made the call to pull out of the game, picking up an injury.
Wrobleski, getting the chance to live a dream, naturally accepted the opportunity.
“You want to be an All-Star,” Wrobleski said about the possibility of being an All-Star. “It’s something that, regardless of the year, whenever, it’s always a big deal. It’s something I wanted to do. It’s frustrating to not get that nod.”
The pitcher seemed to be taking things in stride as he waited for his call. He was already getting ready to turn his possible snub into motivation.
“Hopefully I can gain the respect of players and everybody else and maybe be in there next year,” Wrobleski said.
Now, he will need to find other sources of motivation for the upcoming season, as he has earned MLB respect as one of the chosen few to be an All-Star.
Why Justin Wrobleski deserves his All-Star nod?
