Segura and Gomez Head To Baseball All Star Game | Two Brewers Tagged As Reserves

The lowly Brewers received a chance to brighten up an otherwise dismal season over the weekend, as it was announced that rookie shortstop Jean Segura and center fielder Carlos Gomez were appointed to the 2013 National League All-Star team. The pair will play as reserves at their respective positions at the July 16^th game at Citi Field in New York. They are the first multi-Brewer nominations since Ryan Braun, Prince Fielder, and Rickie Weeks took the field for the NL in 2011. That season was Braun's fourth consecutive trip to the All-Star game, a streak he continued through 2012. Injuries this season kept the Brewers poster-boy from his sixth nomination is as many years.

Segura and Gomez represent a number of historic franchise accomplishments in the All-Star game. The 23 year old Segura is tied with Fielder, Paul Molitor, and Ben Sheets as the third youngest Brewer to play in the All-Star game, and is just the fourth shortstop in franchise history to be named to the team. Highlighting the record books though is Segura's title as just the second Brewer to become an All-Star in his inaugural season in the majors. Sheets was the first to accomplish the feat, in 2001.

Segura Playing Great Baseball At The Right Time

The Dominican's appointment was viewed as well deserved by fans and critics. He is the leading half of a duo that includes himself and Gomez as the second best combined teammate hitters in the NL.  Continuing his dominance over pitchers through the Winter League into the regular season, Segura leads NL in hits and is the only player in the entire league to have at least 25 stolen bases and more than 10 home runs. He has hit 11 over the wall so far this year, and has brought in 35 runners while maintaining an above .300 average.

The 27 year old Gomez, also born in the Dominican Republic, nearly matches the stats of his younger teammate and countryman. Since coming to the Brewers in 2009, he has become the team's dominant outfielder alongside Braun, and this year has improved dramatically at the plate. He is in the top-10 in every offensive category in the NL, earning his highest marks currently as 5^th in both stolen bases and slugging percentage.