For the first time in his career, Jhonny Peralta has been chosen by the fans to be a starter in the Major League All-Star Game.
“It feels pretty proud for being a selection,” smiled Peralta after the Cardinals 3-1 victory on Sunday. “I want to say thank you to the fans here for their support, everything that I’m doing. Right now I feel really happy to go there.”
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“It means a lot for me,” he added. “I’ve never been selected by the fans before. To come here to St. Louis and play here, the fans support a lot here. I appreciate it for the fans.”
That the shortstop was voted by the fans was a statement. The questions were unavoidable when Peralta signed with the St. Louis Cardinals–he was coming off a season for which he had been suspended 50 games for his connection to Biogenesis of America, an anti-aging clinic in Florida accused of providing banned performance-enhancing drugs.
Peralta only asked for a chance to prove himself moving forward.
“I know that situation happened to me, but I tried to put it in the past,” said Peralta. “I know fans understand that too. The fans here in St. Louis are pretty good, they forget about what people do in the past and right now it feels really excited for me.”
“Every once in a while, he’ll take a shot for that–we all live with decisions that we make,” said Mike Matheny. “I think Jhonny has handled that situation probably as well as anybody possibly could. He’s just gone about his business and really tried to find a new home here and start over. He’s done that.”
Peralta has led the voting for National League shortstops throughout the process, but has tried not to pay too close attention to it.
“I don’t try to put attention to that–I tried to be focused on the game here. But a lot of the guys said I was the leader a long time. It felt pretty good to be in that situation.”
Peralta leads all Major League shortstops with 90 hits and 11 home runs and is near the top of several other offensive categories for the position.
“You just know what you’re going to get everyday,” said Matheny. “The consistency in his approach and then the production. The way he goes about his business, just an absolute pro. He’s been a joy to watch, a joy to have on our club.”
“I try to be ready everyday in the field and do my job,” summed up Peralta.
photo credit: Scott Kane-USA TODAY Sports
