KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig and union head Michael Weiner expressed disappointment that the Yankees’ Robinson Cano was booed repeatedly by fans at the All-Star Home Run Derby after bypassing Billy Butler of the hometown Kansas City Royals.
Robinson, the AL captain for the derby, picked Detroit’s Prince Fielder, Toronto’s Jose Bautista and the Los Angeles Angels’ Mark Trumbo for Monday night’s event, which Fielder won.
Cano said, “I’m not upset with the fans. It’s part of the game, you have to take it. There’s nothing to get upset about. I’m looking forward to tonight and the All-Star Game and coming back here to play next year against the Royals.’’
“Robinson Cano certainly picked people he thought should be on there,” Selig told the Baseball Writers’ Association of American on Tuesday. “While I understand Kansas City and I understand the whole Billy Butler thing, I really felt very badly last night.”
Weiner thought the level of jeering was not justified.
“It struck me that it moved a little bit past traditional good-natured booing, particularly for an event like that , and got into another area,” he said. “But Robinson Cano grew up in the Dominican Republic, plays in the Bronx, plays for the Yankees. He’s going to be fine.”
Next year’s All-Star game will be hosted by the New York Mets at Citi Field. Selig isn’t concerned about fan reaction there if David Wright or another Mets star isn’t included.
“It won’t be any worse than it was last night,” he said. “You can only boo so loud.”