CHICAGO — Last week, after the Phillies pocketed a win in Detroit, Bryce Harper answered a question with a question.
“Has a team ever had all four [infielders] start [in the All-Star Game]?”
Why yes, actually. Glad you asked, Bryce.
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In 1963, the Cardinals had Bill White, Julián Javier, Dick Groat, and Ken Boyer — around the horn, from first base to third — start the All-Star Game in Cleveland. Fifty-three years later, the Cubs previewed their World Series-winning infield — Anthony Rizzo, Ben Zobrist, Addison Russell, and Kris Bryant — at the 2016 midsummer showcase in San Diego.
So, no, Harper & Co. won’t make history this year.
But the Phillies’ star-studded infield will have plenty of All-Star shine, with at least two, maybe three members heading to Texas on July 16 — and probably starting for the National League, to boot.
Harper is locked in — well, assuming his strained left hamstring heals in time, as expected — by virtue of leading NL players in the initial round of online fan voting. It marks No. 3′s eighth All-Star selection in 13 seasons and would be his sixth start.
But it’s been a while. Injuries have kept Harper out of the All-Star Game since he signed with the Phillies in 2019. It also would be his first start at first base, making him the fourth player ever to start at least five All-Star Games as an outfielder and one as an infielder, according to baseball researcher Sarah Langs. The others: Hank Aaron, Stan Musial, and Carl Yastrzemski.
Nice company, eh?
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But it’s the company that Harper keeps on the Phillies’ infield that had him curious about previous All-Star lineups.
Alec Bohm was recognized for his breakthrough season by getting the second-highest vote total among NL players in the first round of balloting, winning in a 2,183,431-vote landslide at third base over Manny Machado. Barring a Harry Truman-like upset (Google it, kids), Bohm will start his first All-Star Game.
Then there’s Trea Turner. Despite missing six weeks with a strained left hamstring, he advanced to the final round of voting — and was competing at shortstop with Mookie Betts, who is out until August with a broken hand. Turner barely has 200 plate appearances but doesn’t lack for numbers: .338/.386/.487 for an .873 OPS after his two-homer game Tuesday night at Wrigley Field.
“It would be cool,” Turner said. “Anytime you can get teammates together at the All-Star Game, it’s really cool. For me personally, just the way I started last year, just to be in this situation is a win for me.”
J.T. Realmuto, Kyle Schwarber, Nick Castellanos, and Brandon Marsh were also in the mix at their positions. The voting represented another chance for the Phillies to order T-shirts, each featuring the face of one of the half-dozen finalists wearing a cowboy hat, just to maintain the Texas theme.
“I’d wear a shirt, too,” manager Rob Thomson said, “but I’ve got to have all the players on my chest. I can’t show favoritism.”
The Phillies will be able to make their All-Star week plans imminently. The voting entered its final hours Wednesday, wrapping up at noon, with the winners set to be announced at 7 p.m. on ESPN. The rest of the rosters — reserves and pitchers — will be chosen via player voting and the commissioner’s picks and will be unveiled at 5:30 p.m. Sunday, also on ESPN.
In the two golden eras in their history, the Phillies had a terrific infield. Larry Bowa and Mike Schmidt were the anchors from 1976 to 1981, with Manny Trillo and Pete Rose arriving at second base and first in 1979. From 2007 to 2011, Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, and Ryan Howard formed three-quarters of baseball’s best infield, with a revolving door at third base that included Pedro Feliz and Plácido Polanco.
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The Phillies have had three All-Star infielders before. Schmidt, Bowa, and second baseman Dave Cash went to the All-Star Game in 1974 and 1976; Schmidt, Bowa, and Rose were there in 1979; Schmidt, Rose, and Trillo went in 1981 and 1982, with all three starting in ‘82 in Montreal. It’s the only time the Phillies had three starting infielders.
In that sense, then, Harper, Bohm, and Turner could make Phillies history.
“It would be huge,” Thomson said. “Because they all pull for each other.”
Bowa, who assists infield coach Bobby Dickerson in spring training and during the season in his role as a Phillies adviser, sees similar potential in the current crop of infielders.
“These guys work, man,” Bowa said. “They work hard. Bobby started in spring training with them and told them how important it is not to give away outs. We have two or three pitchers that are real big ground-ball pitchers. You’ve got to make the plays, and they’ve done that. They’ve done a great job with it.
“Not only that, but they’re all good hitters, which makes it even better.”
They could be together for a while, too. Harper and Turner are under contract — for $330 million and $300 million, respectively — through 2031 and 2033. Bohm isn’t eligible for free agency until after the 2026 season. Bryson Stott, who finished third in All-Star voting among second basemen, is under club control through 2027.
There’s still time, then, to join the 1963 Cardinals and 2016 Cubs as the answer to All-Star infield trivia.
