Clayton Kershaw is an eight-year MLB veteran, all of which with the Dodgers. He has won three Cy Young awards and is the reigning National League MVP. But his teammate, Zack Greinke, a one time AL Cy Young award winner who has been a Dodger for only three years, is about to do something that Kershaw has never done in (now) five All-Star appearances.

Start.

On Monday morning the starting lineups were announced for Tuesday’s Midsummer Classic and National League (and World Series champion Giants) manager Bruce Bochy named Greinke as his starting pitcher.

Unlike his predecessor, Cardinals manager Mike Matheny, Bochy selected the best pitcher to start the game rather than reward one of his own pitchers, as he certainly could have done with his own ace and 2014 World Series MVP Madison Bumgarner. But unlike Matheny, who started Adam Wainwright over the more deserving Kershaw, Bochy selected Greinke with his MLB-leading 1.39 ERA over Bumgarner and his 3.33 ERA. Kershaw would later magnify Matheny’s emotionally-biased blunder by going on to win both the 2014 NL Cy Young and MVP trophies.

This will be Zack Greinke’s third All-Star appearance but his first as a starter.
(Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

Fans may recall that after his one inning of work, Wainwright admitted to reporters (and later unsuccessfully tried to retract) that he had intentionally “piped” a couple of fastballs to retiring Yankee and future Hall of Famer Derek Jeter which led to the American Leagues’s eventual 5-3 win over the National League, thereby securing home-field advantage for the 2014 World Series.

In his one inning of work Wainwright allowed three runs on three hits – including a double by Jeter and a two-run home run by Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera – while striking out two. Kershaw, who followed Wainwright and did not “pipe” any pitches, retired all three batters he faced in order with one strikeout.

Although there is zero doubt that Bochy would have preferred to start Bumgarner, he did the right thing by naming Greinke as the NL’s starting pitcher – yet another example of why Bochy is among the best managers in the game today and why he will one day be enshrined in the sacred halls of Cooperstown, whereas Matheny will not.

In true Greinke style and not out of disrespect to anyone, the 31-year-old Orlando, Florida native was asked at Monday’s introductory press conference if he would like to say anything about being named as the NL’s starting pitcher.

“No,” Greinke answered.

Greinke will be the first Dodgers pitcher to start an All-Star Game since Brad Penny did so in 2006.

Also named as a starter in Tuesday’s contest is Dodgers rookie sensation Joc Pederson, who will play left field and bat eighth in Bochy’s lineup. It marks the first time since 1995 that two Dodgers have started an All-Star Game when catcher Mike Piazza and pitcher Hideo Nomo did so. And according to Eric Stephen over at True Blue LA, Pederson becomes the first Dodger to start in Left Field since two-time NL Batting Champion Tommy Davis did so in 1963. Pederson is also the first Dodgers rookie position player to start an All-Star Game in franchise history.

The Dodgers 2015 All-Stars.
(Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

Greinke and Pederson will be joined at Cincinnati’s Great American Ball Park by catcher Yasmani Grandal, first baseman Adrian Gonzalez and Kershaw, who was added to the roster on Sunday afternoon when it was announced that Nationals ace Max Scherzer would be unavailable to pitch because of his Sunday start. When asked if being named as a replacement was any less satisfying than being voted in by fans or players, Kershaw gave one of his characteristic good-natured answers.

“I’m a last minute fill-in?”

“I’m a last minute fill-in?”
(Photo credit – Craig Calcaterra)

After being named to the team on Sunday, Kershaw gave a more in-depth but no less characteristic answer to reporters.

“I said it before, I have no pride in how I get there, you get to go to the All-Star game,” Kershaw said. “I don’t care if I was the batboy, as long as I get to make it there. It’s a special time. You look back on all those, nobody will remember you were a replacement of a replacement that didn’t win the fan vote.”

The 2015 All-Star Game will be televised nationally on FOX Sports, with coverage beginning at 4 pm (PT) and first pitch set for around 5 pm (PT).

Here are the starting lineups for the 2015 All-Star Game:

(Image courtesy of True Blue LA.com)