The Texas Rangers are dominating early All-Star balloting

The first vote-tallies have been released from the All-Star Game. Gentlemen, start your outrage!

Texas Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton and Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp are Major League Baseball’s top overall vote-getters in the first balloting figures for the 83^rd All-Star Game ... Hamilton, a four-time A.L. All-Star, has received 2,587,991 votes as he attempts to make his fifth consecutive fan-elected start ... Kemp (1,952,910) leads all N.L. vote-getters and ranks second in the Majors, trailing only Hamilton.

By position, the leaders break down thusly. And yes, for the AL these are All-Stars, not just the Rangers starting lineup:

American League: C: Mike Napoli; 1B: Prince Fielder; 2B: Ian Kinsler; SS: Derek Jeter; 3B: Adrian Beltre; OF: Hamilton, Curtis Granderson, Nelson Cruz; DH David Ortiz.

National League: C: Yadier Molina; 1B: Joey Votto; 2B: Dan Uggla; SS: Troy Tulowitzki; 3B: David Wright; OF: Kemp, Carlos Beltran, Ryan Braun.

Lots of Rangers and Cardinals in second place as well, which tells you a lot about attendance, how good their teams are and all of that. And the fact that, unlike in many recent years, Yankees players aren’t dominating in the early voting, suggests that the Yankees fans are feeling somewhat “meh” about things this year.

Lots of voting to go. And no, it won’t bear too close a relationship to who is actually doing the best at each position this year. But then again it never has, so things are pretty normal.