SWX Right Now-Sports News for Washington and IdahoFormer Zag Bay voted into baseball's All-Star game

Former Zag Bay voted into baseball's All-Star game

SPOKANE, Wash. - Former Gonzaga Bulldog Jason Bay was selected to start in this month's Major League Baseball All-Star game, receiving four million votes from fans.

Bay will join Seattle's Ichiro Suzuki in the outfield, along with Tampa Bay third baseman Evan Longoria, Boston second baseman Dustin Pedroia and Minneosta catcher Joe Mauer.  The top vote-getter in the American League was New York Yankees short stop Derek Jeter.

"It's great," said Bay in a news release issued by Gonzaga on Monday.  "I think everybody would love to go as many times as you could.  First time in the American League for me and getting voted in, it's pretty special."

This year's All-Star game will Bay's third overall. His first two trips were in 2005 and 2006 when he was with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Bay, who was born in Canada and just recently became an American citizen, played for Gonzaga in 1999-2000 as a junior.  His freshman and sophomore years were spent playing baseball at North Idaho College.  He entered this week leading the American League in RBI (70) and fourth in home runs (19).

"We're very proud of Jason once again getting selected to be an All-Star," said Gonzaga head coach Mark Machtolf, who was an assistant coach and hitting coach for the Zags during Bay's time at GU.  "He is very deserving of being voted in by the fans as he continues to get better every season with the tremendous work ethic he possesses.  We couldn't be happier for Jason to be recognized by the fans and earn another trip to the All-Star game."