The Cleveland Indians are sending two players to the 2021 MLB All-Star Game in Jose Ramirez and Shane Bieber.
Unfortunately, Bieber is going symbolically as he remains on the injured list.
However, with so many players pulling out of the game in general it is not the worst thing in the world for Bieber to get the extra rest, regardless of his health status.
But Bieber being back in the event does draw up memories from 2019, the last time an MLB All-Star Game was even held.
Bieber put on a show in front of the home fans and it was a sign that he was blossoming into a true star.
Shane Bieber. All-Star Game MVP. #AllStarGame pic.twitter.com/maTr0p1SrZ
— Hayden Grove (@H_Grove) July 10, 2019
The 2019 Heroics
The 2019 All-Star Game provided fans with a true party in the city of Cleveland.
The game was held at Progressive Field and after a fun Home Run Derby, the stars of the game came together for the annual showcase.
Bieber came on in the fifth inning in front of the home crowd and proceeded to strikeout the side.
The atmosphere was memorable, to say the least, and Bieber ended up taking home MVP honors and a brand new truck.
While he only pitched one inning, the way the crowd reacted to his perfect inning warranted the MVP Award.
Also, players probably weren’t too upset about the young pitcher being rewarded.
2019 still remains Bieber’s only true full MLB season of work so far and he finished fourth in the American League Cy Young voting that year.
As we know, he took home the award last year during the COVID-shortened season.
He likely would have started the All-Star Game if there was one to be held.
After there was no All-Star Game in 2020, Shane Bieber is excited to be back at the Midsummer Classic. @Indians | #AllStarGame pic.twitter.com/TPi5bU0yav
— MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (@MLBNetworkRadio) July 12, 2021
The same is true this year, before he ultimately was sidelined with his injury.
Waiting On A Return
Bieber remains on the IL and the hope is he can make it back in a few weeks.
However, he still isn’t pitching again so the timetable remains up in the air.
The Indians also aren’t the most reliable when it comes to injury timelines, based on recent history.
So far this year the ace is 7-4 with a 3.28 ERA.
The most notable stat of all are his 130 strikeouts, which led the league up until recently, even with Bieber sitting out for some time.
His 12.9 K/9 remains the best mark in the league.
The Indians being able to win three straight against the Kansas City Royals before the All-Star break made a huge difference in terms of the outlook for the second half.
Continuing the nine-game losing streak may have caused the front office to give up and just sell.
However, the team bounced back and knowing Bieber is returning at some point should mean the playoff hunt remains on schedule throughout the remainder of the season.
Leave a Reply