As I have mentioned previously, I rarely get involved in the hoopla of the All-Star game. But this year is different. I want Yasiel Puig to play in this game. You should too. Let’s get out the vote in these last minutes for #VotePuig.

This is an All-Star game. You want to see the STARS! It is not the All-Deserving Game and it is not the All-Stats Game – it is an All-Star game. It should be exciting or as exciting as an exhibition game could be. Let’s face it – if you put Puig on that field, there is going to be plenty of that.

Over the past couple of days MLB has been promoting the Final Vote and Puig is still trailing Freddie Freeman with the vote ending on Thursday. Since MLB doesn’t publish the actual tabulations of the “ballot stuffing” it is hard to know by how much. You should be very disappointed if Freeman wins. Not because he is a bad player but because we would miss out on the great treat of having Puig in that game. After seeing what he has done for our Dodgers over this short period, we should respond in kind.

I have had a couple of conversations with Braves fans about why Freeman is worthy of the All-Star game and they always bring out his stat line or that of Justin Upton or someone else. Whenever someone brings out a stat line, I always ask “Have you seen him play, really?” Most will tell me that they never saw him actually play a whole game but through snippets of video. So I always respond, “if you haven’t seen him play a whole game, YOU DON’T GET IT.”

He is not about his currently ridiculous stat line. He is not even about those great video snippets. He is about this monstrous ball of energy and passion for the game like a little kid in a huge Bo Jackson body.

It is hard to be a pro in some aspects (I know, they get paid a lot). Sometimes it is a bit tedious playing such a long schedule. You can lose your boyish passion for the game over the many years that a professional dedicates to the sport. This is where the effect of greatness comes in that we are witnessing. Puig took a team that was languishing in the cellar and energized it. And guess what? The Dodgers are now only 2 ½ games out of first and there is a new skip in their step. They are having fun and winning. I am not saying that all of those games were single-handedly won by him (even though a few were). What I am saying is that his energy and passion for the game infected the rest of the team.

His personal story would inspire anyone. He was returned to Cuba 7 or 8 times by the US Coast Guard but his big smile and star-quality shown through even then when he risked life and limb to get to this country to play a game that he was somehow destined to play.

Of course this final vote is ridiculous. As I told my 8 year old son, this is NOT democracy in action. As we voted once, he asked me with a big smile, “Can we vote again?” I said, “Yes, we can vote all night if you want.” And he did or until he fell asleep. His boyish passion for the game came out as well. That is what Puig does. He infects you with his play, his energy, his story. He is a star and we should vote to get him there. So, take a little time out of your day to stuff a ballot box and #VotePuig.