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Mon Jun 30, 2008 3:54 pm EDT

BLS poll: Will Braun catch Fukudome in All-Star voting?

By 'Duk

Major League Baseball just released its final update of the National League voting totals and it appears that all but one position is locked up.

The uncertainty comes at the third OF spot, where Chicago's Kosuke Fukudome has seen his lead cut to just 32,925 votes by Milwaukee's Ryan Braun, who was in 10th place as recently as June 3. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that as of the previous voting update, Braun was trailing Ken Griffey Jr, who was in third place at the time, by about 175K votes.

Needless to say, the Brewers' campaign to get the vote out (check out their website) must be working. 

But with offensive numbers (.287/.322/.552 20 HR, 58 RBI) superior to Fukudome's (.297/.405/.434/6/33), Braun certainly has a more-than-solid case for earning that spot ahead of the 'Dome. 

(Milwaukeeans will argue — with good .292/.334/.518/14/51 evidence —that Corey Hart does also.)

All-Star Game voting at the stadiums has been shut down, but fans can still vote online until 11:59 p.m. ET on Wednesday. Do you think Braun will catch Fukudome by then? (And I ask that knowing full well that the injury to the leading vote-getter, Alfonso Soriano, will mean starting spots for both these guys.)

Cast your vote below.

Will Ryan Braun catch Kosuke Fukudome in the All-Star voting?

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11 Comments

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  1. saucy
    1. Posted by saucy Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:41 pm EDT

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    gotta love a .405 OBP...
  2. Butt Pirate
    2. Posted by Butt Pirate Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:03 pm EDT

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    Are you sure Soriano's injury will guarantee both of them a starting spot? I think the manager picks the replacement player, and Holliday is probably front and center on Hurdle's list.
  3. Duk
    3. Posted by 'Duk Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:07 pm EDT

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    You might be right, BP ... I forgot about Holliday, just as many All-Star voters seem to be doing, too.
    However, if you're a National League contender who wants a shot at homefield advantage, I think you have to want Fukudome's arm in right field instead of Braun's roller coaster defense in left.
  4. Mendoza Line
    4. Posted by Mendoza Line Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:25 pm EDT

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    I was at a recent Rockies-Cubs game and this blonde chick dressed in blue behind me asks her other blue friends if a player who hits a homer has a time limit to get around the bases, her friends could have sworn it was 90 seconds.
    This Fukudome/Braun bs is just another example of why Cubs fans are a cancer to baseball.
    Selig should instate the following rule after the Cubs choke later this year: a team is disbanded and will exist no more if they fail to win even a single world series within a 100-year timeframe.
    Oh, and DeRosa should have 1/10 the votes of Utley right now (not 1/3). Retarded Cubs fans.
  5. Matt M
    5. Posted by Matt M Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:13 pm EDT

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    Braun deserves a spot, but Soriano and Fukudome pale in comparison to Mighty Mighty Nate McLouth!
  6. Tom Bos Jr.
    6. Posted by Tom Bos Jr. Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:48 pm EDT

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    Ellsbury is not even on the ballot.
    The Hebrew Hammer should start the All-Star Game
  7. Buzz
    7. Posted by Buzz Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:15 pm EDT

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    Go Brawny..........Bill Hall should be seen..........in another team!
  8. MDH
    8. Posted by MDH Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:11 pm EDT

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    How can you say that Braun's numbers are superior to Fukudome's? Braun's average and OBP are lower than Fukudome, but with higher power numbers. They're entirely different players, and each excels at their own position in the lineup. I don't think anyone is shocked to hear that Braun slugs at a higher clip than Fukudome, nor would anyone be surprised to hear that a Japanese slap hitter gets on base more than Braun. Not to mention Fukudome's outfield defense, plate discipline, and baserunning are better than Braun's.
    Still not sure why Braun is supposedly "superior" to Fukudome...? A 0.040 difference in OPS isn't enough to convince me of Braun's so-called "superiority."
  9. Gmac
    9. Posted by Gmac Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:10 pm EDT

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    japanese voters are highly tenacious. They will find a way to get Fukudome in.
  10. 1stnoel
    10. Posted by 1stnoel Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:53 pm EDT

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    Isn't it a little embarrassing that these guys come from Japan and are instantly the best players on their team. Isn't this America's past-time. We are all too busy trying to mash the ball and then stand there in admiration of our own accomplishment to learn the fundamentals of the game like the players from abroad are. I'm a White Sox fan and I love to watch Fukudome play. Maybe someone should "accidentally" step on Soriano's hand in a couple of weeks so Fukudome can lead-off where he belongs a while longer. Or Lou could grow a pair and tell Alfonso, here's my line-up, deal with it: Fukudome leads off cause he's the prototypical lead-off hitter plus he doesn't whiff as often, Soriano 2nd for his RBI ability. Team 1st AS.
  11. LoddiToddi
    11. Posted by LoddiToddi Thu Sep 03, 2009 6:55 pm EDT

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    the only reason [profane]udome will get in is because of the high population of foreigners voting for him... BRAUN deserves it more than him ...

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