Jason Bay is leader in All-Star voting

The Pirates have waged an aggressive All-Star campaign.
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- The Pittsburgh Pirates don't win many games or draw many sellout crowds at home. That doesn't mean they can't turn out the voters.
Helped by a feverish get-out-of-the-vote campaign orchestrated by the team, Jason Bay is the leading vote-getter among NL outfielders for the major league All-Star Game July 11 game at PNC Park. Also, Jack Wilson is second among shortstops, Jose Castillo is third among second basemen and Freddy Sanchez is fourth among third basemen -- even though all of Sanchez's 597,249 votes are write-ins.
The Pirates have been running vote-for-the-Bucs ads during their televised games for several weeks, a drive initially designated to assure that Bay made the NL starting lineup but later expanded to include the other players.
"It's awesome -- it shows a lot about the organization promoting it and showing commercials during the game," Wilson said Tuesday.
Standouts trail Bay
Among those trailing Bay in the outfielder voting are stars Ken Griffey Jr., Andruw Jones and Barry Bonds.
"It's flattering, given the market and the effort it takes for a lot of people to vote that many times," Bay said. "I never really imagined I'd be in this position, especially with the names that are up there. It's unbelievable."
Bay also has been helped by votes from his native Canada and a vote-for-Bay endorsement by Pearl Jam singer Eddie Vedder during a Pittsburgh concert last week.
Curiously, the ballot-stuffing came amid an 11-game Pirates losing streak that is the franchise's longest in 51 years. The Pirates took an NL-worst 26-51 record into Tuesday night's game against the White Sox, and were swept in a three-game series last week by Kansas City, the AL's worst-record team.
Deserving despite slump
However, Bay seems deserving of the honor despite a recent slump -- he is among the NL leaders in home runs (20), RBIs (56), total bases (155), walks (53) and outfield assists (7).
"Obviously team-wise we've struggled, but when you look at the people are still going out there voting, it shows the type of town Pittsburgh is as far as a sport town and [the fans] being hungry -- when they have something to get excited about, they definitely do," he said.
Still, considering that the small-market Pirates haven't had a player voted into the NL starting lineup since outfielder Andy Van Slyke in 1993, Bay is surprised by the persistence and tenacity of the Pirates fans. Each is allowed to vote online 25 times per day, and Bay acknowledges making a few clicks beside his own name.
"But no more than 10 or 12," he said, smiling. "Then I get carpal tunnel [syndrome]."
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