In simpler times, a baseball player became an All-Star Game starter the old-fashioned way - by hitting, running, throwing, catching and ballot-box stuffing.
Today there are new methods. Now you can make the grade without appearing in a game, or even on an active roster. You can be disabled, you can be retired, but you can still be chosen, because the people must be given what they want.And this year, the people want Jose Canseco and Mike Schmidt.
Canseco hasn't played an inning for the Oakland A's this season because of a wrist injury. Schmidt hasn't played an inning for the Philadelphia Phillies since May 29 because of a retirement announcement. But both were among the 16 names selected by a vote of the fans to start in next Tuesday's All-Star Game at Anaheim Stadium.
Call them All-Stars by absentia.
Schmidt, to his credit, says he will show up in Anaheim, Calif., only to be introduced. "I'll tip my cap to the crowd and get goose bumps one more time," he said. Then, Schmidt will give way to another, younger, still-active third baseman.
Canseco looks at the matter differently. Sure, he's been out of the Oakland lineup since March. Sure, he's has more arrests than at-bats this season.
Big deal, Canseco says. He's still playing.
"The fans are and have been extremely supportive of me all season, despite all the negative things that have come out," Canseco said Wednesday from Huntsville, Ala., where he continues to rehabilitate his left wrist while playing for Oakland's double-A affiliate.
"They are the ones who vote for who they want to see in the game, their favorites, and obviously I'm one of their favorites."
Canseco was the third-leading vote getter among American League outfielders with 932,329, easily outdistancing Boston's Mike Greenwell (826,577). The only American League outfielders garnering more support were Kansas City's Bo Jackson (1,748,696) and Minnesota's Kirby Puckett (1,555,881).
Schmidt, who retired after beginning his 18th major-league season with a .203 batting average, outpolled all National League third basemen, beating out Cincinnati's Chris Sabo by 16,136 votes. Schmidt received a total of 729,249 votes to win the closest competition at any position.
The rest of the National League's starting lineup includes San Diego catcher Benito Santiago, San Francisco first baseman Will Clark, Chicago second baseman Ryne Sandberg, St. Louis shortstop Ozzie Smith, San Francisco outfielder Kevin Mitchell, New York outfielder Darryl Strawberry and San Diego outfielder Tony Gwynn.
In the American League, Jackson, Puckett and Canseco are joined in the starting lineup by Oakland catcher Terry Steinbach, Oakland first baseman Mark McGwire, Texas second baseman Julio Franco, Boston third baseman Wade Boggs and Baltimore shortstop Cal Ripken.
The balance of the squads - pitchers and reserves - will be officially announced Thursday.
Canseco's selection has proved a controversial one, even to his own Manager, Tony LaRussa, who is also the manager of the American League All-Star team. LaRussa is reportedly not playing Canseco unless he appears in at least one game for the A's before the All-Star break.
Canseco insists he'll play in Oakland's Sunday afternoon game against Texas, the A's last before the break, which is good of him.
"I think what Tony wants is for me to play at least one game for the team," Canseco said. "I don't think it's in Tony's jurisdiction to decide whether or not I play in the All-Star Game."
Another injured outfielder, Strawberry, has already said he'll sit out the game. Strawberry says he needs the rest to help heal an injured toe.
The game's leading vote-getter was San Francisco's Clark, whose name was punched on 1,833,329 ballots - more than 1.3 million more than the National League runner-up at first base, St. Louis' Pedro Guerrero (516,842).
Side note to Los Angeles Dodger fans: Guerrero outpolled Eddie Murray (411,801) by more than 100,000 votes.
The American League's vote leader was Jackson, followed by Boggs (1,295,355). In the National League, Clark was followed by his Giant teammate, Mitchell, the major leagues' home run and RBI leader, who received 1,814,118 votes.