All Star Game MVP

Mike Trout had a double and triple -- which drove in Derek Jeter with the first run of the night -- and earned game MVP honors, as the American League won last night's All Star Game at Minneapolis. Considered one of the game's top young talents, the New Jersey product is still just 22 -- and appears on his way to his best season yet, with 22 homers and 73 RBI at the break.
With Jeter retiring at season's end, is there a better candidate to become the next "Face of Baseball" than Trout? Sure, there are other established stars such as Miguel Cabrera, but he's been around for a decade. Trout, Giancarlo Stanton and Yasiel Puig are still in the early years of what appear to be historic careers. Baseball needs to market a fresh crop of young stars in a world of instant celebrity and worldwide access via the Internet. Trout will clearly be in that conversation.
(This image was from a Yankees/Angels game in New York in July 2012.)

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