MLB All-Star Game 2013: American League snap NL’s streak

Popularity doesn’t always have a strong correlation with value, a fact that has been proven endlessly throughout time. “Two and a Half Men” outdraws shows like “Parks and Recreation.” Nickelback sells more albums than your favorite critically-acclaimed rock band. But even knowing this, data showing the Home Run Derby was watched by more people than any NBA playoff game shown this year on ESPN is still enough to make you do a double-take.

So, maybe baseball isn’t losing its grasp as America’s pastime after all?

The 2013 All-Star Game rosters have been finalized, and while 40 players made the American League team, only 34 will be available for Jim Leyland on Tuesday.

Leyland will have one of the more impressive lineups to grace the All-Star Game in recent memory. Mike Trout and Robinson Cano will lead things off before the brutal middle of the order comes around to bat. Cabrera and Chris Davis will bat in the three and four spots. Cabrera became the first player in history to have more than 30 home runs and 90 RBIs on July 11, with Davis following suit as the second player in history to reach the same plateau just a few days later.

In the first of many historic injuries inflicted by the All-Star Game, Indians outfielder Earl Averill hit a comebacker of the foot of NL starter and Cardinals right-hander Dizzy Dean. Told that his big toe was fractured, Dean said, ”“Fractured, hell, the damn thing’s broken!” Dean tried to come back too quickly, altered his mechanics, and shredded his arm. Then again, he had also pitched about 5000 innings over the previous five years, so who knows? Lou Gehrig homered for the second game in row.

The winning pitcher of the ‘39 All-Star game was Tigers right-hander Tommy Bridges. Known for his terrific curve ball, Bridges pitched 2.1 innings in relief, striking out three. A three-time 20-game winner who had the sixth-lowest ERA among AL pitchers during the 1930s (126 ERA+ career). With 194 career wins, he was almost exactly the David Cone of his time -- and has largely been forgotten. He had a tragic denouement, with too much drink, too little work.

The All-Star Game will start at 8 p.m. ET on Tuesday, with coverage of the game coming on FOX.

*will not participate in All-Star game