The All-Star break will get started a little early this year, as the 2012 MLB Futures Game will be held on Sunday afternoon. This game is a showcase for the best minor-league baseball players to strut their stuff. Once again, this year's game will feature U.S.-born players taking on foreign-born players for bragging rights.
Both the San Francisco Giants and the Oakland Athletics will have players in the starting lineup for the U.S. team. Giants catcher Tommy Joseph will bat eighth, while A's left fielder Michael Choice will bat sixth. Infielder Chih-Fang Pan will also represent Oakland on the World roster.
The game will begin at 2 p.m. PT and will be televised nationally on ESPN 2, or you can catch the game online at MLB.tv.
For more on the Giants, head over to McCovey Chronicles. For more on the A's, check out Athletics Nation. For complete coverage of the All-Star Game and all things MLB, check out Baseball Nation.
