Hanshin Tigers players have drawn overwhelming popularity in fan balloting for this summer's All-Star series, taking leading positions in all but one categories in early vote counts announced by baseball officials Wednesday.
Softbank Hawks starter Kazumi Saito pitches against the Hanshin Tigers in an interleague game
Wednesday at Koshien Stadium. Saito picked up his fifth win of the season in the Hawks' 12-5
victory.
Norihiro Akahoshi obtained 74,123 votes, the most in the Central League, to lead the Tigers' sweep of all three spots in the outfield along with Tomoaki Kanemoto and Shinjiro Hiyama among the eligible players for the games on July 22 and 23.