MLB

In starting pitcher Edinson Volquez's first four games with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2014, the righty went 1-0 with a 1.71 ERA.  

Suddenly, it looked like the Pirates made a great decision in signing him to a one-year deal during the offseason.  

Canadians haven't had any luck lately. First, Milos Raonic and Eugenie Bouchard lose at Wimbledon. Now, the Toronto Blue Jays have lost Edwin Encarnacion to injury.

With a record of 37-49, the Texas Rangers' 2014 season is all but lost. For all the hype and anticipation following the offseason acquisitions of Prince Fielder and Shin-Soo Choo, things have gone too far south about as quickly as possible. 

Who will represent the Tampa Bay Rays in the 2014 MLB All-Star Game?

This question is a reflection of how the team has played so far this season both individually and collectively. 

Since 2008 the question surrounding the Rays' All-Star selections has been how many players the team would send. The franchise has sent at least two players to the Midsummer Classic each season since changing the name to the Rays.

During Saturday afternoon's game between the Miami Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals, one ball boy had to get creative to avoid being hit.

In the bottom of the first inning, Matt Holliday hit a line-drive foul ball to right field. The ball was headed right towards one of the ball boys, but he quickly hopped out of the way and stumbled into the stands.

Since the MLB All-Star Game decides home-field advantage for the World Series, the fan voting takes on a far more important role than in other sports. It's fair to debate the merits of placing such importance on an exhibition game, but it's something contending teams are forced to deal with.

Los Angeles Angels phenom Mike Trout continues to have a terrific season, and he made another huge play for his team Friday night.

In the bottom of the ninth inning against the Houston Astros, Trout swung at a ball well below the belt on an 0-2 count. The 22-year-old got all of the ball, however, and ended up hitting the walk-off home run to give his team the win.

Major League Baseball does so many things right by its fans, especially when it comes to putting on a show, but the one mystery the people running the sport have never figured out is the All-Star Game. 

The fan voting is an integral part of the process, as it should be. Despite what Bud Selig might have you believe, the game doesn't really count; it's just a fun way to get the biggest stars on one field to market the game. 

Chicago general manager Jed Hoyer and his counterpart in Oakland, Billy Beane, proved on Friday night that fireworks on the Fourth of July don't only explode overhead, completing a massive six-player swap that has wide-sweeping ramifications on the playoff picture in both leagues.

Voting for the 2014 MLB All-Star Game has officially come to a close.

As the Midsummer Classic approaches, all we can do now is speculate which players will earn enough votes to make the team and a starting role in the game.

The American League featured several close positional battles from the last time MLB.com released the standings. We won't know the official results until rosters are announced on Sunday.