There are players and there are fans, and Tarik Skubal will always be both. His love for the game of baseball was at the center of his desire to start for the American League on Tuesday in Atlanta. The Tigers' 28-year-old ace got the official nod Saturday night, after spending the past two seasons dominating the majors.
"I think everybody in their career wants to start an All-Star Game," Skubal said Sunday morning. "As a kid you watch the game and you want to be the first arm out there, so that’s something that I’ll keep pretty special for the rest of my career. I’m glad that I’m able to check the box at this point in my career. I don’t know how many more games I’ll play in, but I’m glad I get to start this one."
Skubal will head to Atlanta with a record of 10-3, an ERA of 2.23 and an MLB-best WHIP of 0.86. He leads the majors in wins, ERA and strikeouts since the start of last season, fitting for the reigning Pitching Triple Crown winner. But Skubal wasn't necessarily a lock to start Tuesday's game.
There was a similarly compelling case to be made for Yankees starter Max Fried (11-3, 2.43 ERA) as he returns to the place where he spent the first eight years of his career and helped the Braves win the 2021 World Series. And the decision was in the hands of Fried's manager Aaron Boone, the AL skipper.
Skubal, the fan, was willing to give way to Fried. Then Fried gave him a call on Friday after bowing out of the game given the fact that he'd be pitching three days after his most recent start (and that he'll likely be pitching in Atlanta all the same next weekend with the Yankees visiting the Braves).
"He asked me if I wanted to start it," Skubal said. "It was actually a really cool conversation from his perspective, because obviously the history of Atlanta and all that. And I told him, 'Hey, if you want to start it, I get it. I’m a fan of the game, I want to watch that as well. So if you want to start it at all, go for it, I’m not gonna get offended or anything like that.'
"And he’s like, 'No, I don’t really care about the story. I think you deserve it. I was just wondering if you wanted to start it.'"
At that point, said Skubal, Fried went to Boone "and told him, 'Hey, Skube deserves to start the All-Star Game." Boone called Skubal Saturday to share the news.
"That’s just cool," Skubal said of Fried. "It’s a very professional thing to do. You got a lot of respect for guys that do stuff like that, because the story of him going back there — and obviously he’s been great this year, too — you just got respect for guys that do that."
Tigers manager A.J. Hinch, who had spoken with Boone as the Yankees manager mulled his decision, said the honor for Skubal is an "awesome recognition of what he is to this sport, what he is in the American League."
And to top it off, Skubal will be opposed by Paul Skenes of the Pirates -- at least for an inning -- making good on a matchup that nearly came to fruition last month in Detroit. The reigning NL Rookie of the Year was chosen as the National League starter by Dodgers manager Dave Roberts.
"He’s a hell of a talent," said Skubal. "We missed each other by a day-night double-header, but it’ll be fun to kind of square off on the big stage like that. Obviously it doesn’t really matter who wins or loses the game, but it’ll be fun just to go out there and compete against the game’s best."
Asked who he expects to face in the bottom of the first, Skubal smiled and said, "If you got the lineup, I’d like to see it. I’m assuming Ohtani is going to lead off."