ST. LOUIS — Third baseman Alex Rodriguez has boosted the New York Yankees since his return from hip surgery and may have even scrubbed his reputation after his February steroid-use admission, but he isn’t making up ground in the voting for the All-Star Game.

Rodriguez remains more than 1 million votes behind Tampa Bay’s second-year third baseman Evan Longoria. Longoria and Rodriguez’s teammate, shortstop Derek Jeter, are elbow to elbow in a race for the AL’s top vote getter, according to the recent totals released this morning by Major League Baseball.

The leaders at each position will be the starters at the 80th All-Star Game, which will be held July 14th at Busch Stadium.

Rodriguez led the voting the past two seasons, and before revelations of his steroid use bubbled-up this offseason, the Yankees third baseman figured to be in position to take a run at Ken Griffey Jr.’s career record of All-Star votes received. An election to the starting lineup this season would be Rodriguez’s 12th, tying him with St. Louis Cardinals’ great Ozzie Smith and putting him five behind the all-time record (Cal Ripken Jr.’s 17). With less than a month to go before the game and only about a couple weeks of voting remaining, Rodriguez may have to find alternate ways to be an All-Star this season. That means getting the vote of his peers, getting the votes via the last-chance voting that takes place or being the selection of manager Joe Maddon and his staff.

The closest position race in the American League is a classic duel between rivals Boston and the Yankees, with first base getting the Connecticut treatment, the territory caught in a tug-o-war between the clubs. Kevin Youkilis, the Red Sox first base, skipped ahead of Mark Teixeira, the Yankees first baseman, in the current totals. But only about 1,300 votes separate them. A Yankee has been involved in each of the previous two closest duels for votes, and the Yankee has lost both:

• In 1982, Fred Lynn edged Dave Winfield by 3,359 votes.
• In 1977, Rick Burleson edged Bucky Dent by 3,426 votes.

Obviously, the Youkilis-Teixeira race would set a record for the closest ever if the gap remains the same.

The voting, by leaders at the individual positions, so far:

CATCHER

1. Joe Mauer, Twins … 1,656,595
2. Jason Varitek, Red Sox … 800,095
3. Jorge Posada, Yankees … 716,361

FIRST BASEMAN

1. Kevin Youkilis, Red Sox … 1,110,366
2. Mark Teixeira, Yankees … 1,109,051
3. Justin Morneau, Twins … 937,057

SECOND BASEMAN

1. Ian Kinsler, Rangers … 1,451,201
2. Dustin Pedroia, Red Sox … 1,250,963
3. Robinson Cano, Yankees … 785,005

THIRD BASE

1. Evan Longoria, Rays … 1,957,380
2. Alex Rodriguez, Yankees … 872,557
3. Michael Young, Rangers … 786,993

SHORTSTOP

1. Derek Jeter, Yankees … 1,921,768
2. Jason Bartlett, Rays … 893,460
3. Elvis Andrus, Rangers … 707,605

OUTFIELDERS

1. Jason Bay, Red Sox … 1,494,784
2. Josh Hamilton, Rangers … 1,162,966
3. Ichiro Suzuki, Mariners … 1,069,599
4. Carl Crawford, Rays … 902,105
5. Torii Hunter, Angels … 836,673
6. Ken Griffey Jr., Mariners … 807,548

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