{"id":34450,"date":"2017-07-12T09:27:11","date_gmt":"2017-07-12T09:27:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/?p=34450"},"modified":"2017-07-12T09:27:11","modified_gmt":"2017-07-12T09:27:11","slug":"mlb-all-star-game-mvp-robinson-cano-thanks-those-who-paved-the-way","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/sports\/mlb-all-star-game-mvp-robinson-cano-thanks-those-who-paved-the-way.html","title":{"rendered":"MLB All-Star Game MVP Robinson Cano thanks those who paved the way"},"content":{"rendered":"

MLB All-Star Game MVP Robinson Cano thanks those who paved the way<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

MLB All-Star Game MVP Robinson Cano thanks those who paved the way:- Four players who participated in the 1967 All-Star Game \u2013 tied for the longest in history at 15 innings \u2013 were honored before Tuesday\u2019s 88th edition of the Midsummer Classic.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tony Perez, who won that game 50 years ago to the day with a home run off Catfish Hunter, joined Rod Carew, Orlando Cepeda and Juan Marichal among the legends recognized in a ceremony as Major League Baseball paid tribute to Latin-born Hall of Famers.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hours later, Robinson Cano added another line item in his bid to one day get a plaque alongside them in Cooperstown, homering off Wade Davis in the 10th inning to give the American League a 2-1 victory over the National League.<\/span><\/p>\n

Cano, named the game\u2019s MVP, caught a ceremonial first pitch from fellow Dominican native Marichal as part of the festivities, which filled him with pride.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThose guys opened the door for Latin American players,\u2019\u2019 Cano said in Spanish. \u201cTo be there among those legends who got the game going, it\u2019s a blessing. I can\u2019t wait to find that photo on social media and get it printed.\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n

Cano was not initially chosen for this, his eighth All-Star Game and seventh in the last eight years. Though he\u2019s having a solid season with Seattle Mariners, arriving at the break with 17 homers, 60 RBI and an .813 on-base plus slugging percentage, he was bypassed in favor of starter Jose Altuve and substitutes Jonathan Schoop and Starlin Castro.<\/span><\/p>\n

When Castro had to pull out because of a hamstring injury, Cano got the call and accepted the invite even though he\u2019s nursing a quadriceps injury himself. He was thrilled to see his line shot sail over the right-field fence for reasons that went beyond helping the AL win.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI hit the ball and thought, \u2018I hope it doesn\u2019t hit the wall because I can\u2019t run too hard,\u2019\u2019\u2019 Cano said. \u201cI know a lot of my teammates, and myself, didn\u2019t want to play any more extra innings because it was past 11 p.m. and the game was getting long. Several of us have to fly out tomorrow, so I\u2019m happy I was able to end the game.\u2019\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n

A former Home Run Derby champion, Cano helped the Yankees win the 2009 World Series and captained the Dominican team that claimed the 2013 World Baseball Classic, earning MVP honors along the way.<\/span><\/p>\n

With a .305 career batting average, 295 home runs, two Gold Gloves, five Silver Slugger awards and five top-six finishes in the AL MVP race, Cano is building a case as the top second baseman of his generation and a strong candidate for the Hall of Fame. That\u2019s still far down the road, though. At 34, Cano has another six seasons left on his 10-year, $240 million contract.<\/span><\/p>\n

Cano learned only Monday that the All-Star Game no longer determines home-field advantage in the World Series, and he figured that would increase his chances of getting in. He got the call as a pinch-hitter in the seventh and, three innings later, made sure the game didn\u2019t come close to matching that 1967 marathon.<\/span><\/p>\n

That heroics came as no surprise to Nelson Cruz, his longtime pal and teammate both in Seattle and with the Dominican WBC teams.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe finds a way to get it done,\u2019\u2019 Cruz said. \u201cThis game works in funny ways. Yesterday the fans got a great show with the home run exhibition put on by Aaron Judge and those guys, and today we had a pitchers\u2019 duel ended in dramatic fashion by Robinson. It was special.\u2019\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n

Source:-\u00a0https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/sports\/mlb\/2017\/07\/12\/all-star-game-mvp-robinson-cano\/470945001\/<\/span><\/p>\n

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