Pittsburgh Pirates: Derek Shelton an All-Star Coach

Fans across Baseball, including fans of the Pittsburgh Pirates, are anticipating the upcoming Midsummer Classic, the MLB All-Star Game, which is set to take place on July 11th. This year, the vibrant city of Seattle has the honor of hosting the event. Seattle has hosted the event twice before.

Of course, players and coaches are finding out the results of the All-Star voting and who will be at the game in Seattle. This is where the Pittsburgh Pirates come in as they already have seen one person named to the game. That of course, is manager Derek Shelton.

Shelton is an interesting choice. On one hand, it is good to see him get the honor, especially with the way the team started the season. On the other hand, the team quickly regressed and has looked closer to what we have seen in previous years than what Pittsburgh Pirates fans saw at the beginning of this season. Phillies manager Rob Thompson will be the head of the National League staff.

Inlcuding this year, Shelton's record with the Pittsburgh Pirates is represented by 180 wins and 284 losses. However, things do look like they are heading in the right direction and Shelton by all accounts has done a good job of holding the group of players together during tough stretches. Plus, he just is a good guy whom is universally liked by his players.

With Seattle primed to host the event, the Futures Game and Draft will provide a lead-up to the game. There should be inclusion of standout Pittsburgh Pirates players, such as Mitch Keller, David Bednar, and Andrew McCutchen. The Major League Baseball All-Star Game promises to be another exciting game and display of talent. As players and coaches wait for the unofficial midway point, there will be plenty of things going on for Baseball fans to still enjoy. Including the Bucs having the #1 overall selection in the draft on July 9th.