The phone rang, and DJ LeMahieu hurried to answer. It was unusual to receive a call from his manager, Walt Weiss.
“I thought I better answer it,” LeMahieu said.
Weiss shared the news. LeMahieu was a first-time all-star.
With most of the Rockies’ all-star attention going to third baseman Nolan Arenado and the pending status of shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, LeMahieu was the humble, unsuspecting and somewhat surprising choice.
LeMahieu, 26, grabbed the attention of his peers. Despite not finishing in the top five of fan voting for National League second basemen, LeMahieu was selected as a reserve after a vote of players and coaches.
“It was so far off my radar,” LeMahieu said. “But it is quite an honor.”
If LeMahieu, who won a Gold Glove Award last season, was surprised by the selection, his numbers say he earned it.
His fielding remains nearly flawless. Entering Wednesday’s game, his .995 fielding percentage ranked second in baseball at the position.
He earned an all-star berth this season based also on the quality of his bat. In the offseason, LeMahieu, who at 6-foot-4 will become the tallest second baseman in all-star history, abandoned his constant pursuit of home runs and focused more on hitting line drives and getting on base.
“He made a lot of adjustments this winter and came to spring training in really good shape,” Weiss said. “He made some mechanical adjustments offensively and was able to take them out there into the game and produce.”
LeMahieu had a .304 batting average entering Wednesday, third among NL second basemen and nearly a 40-point increase from his .267 average last season.
He has been at or above .300 for all but three games and has been at his best in the clutch. With two outs and runners in scoring position, LeMahieu is batting .394 with a .474 on-base percentage in 33 at-bats.
“I try to show up and play hard every day,” LeMahieu said. “It’s an honor for other players in the league to notice that.”
LeMahieu, a 2009 second-round pick from LSU, played shortstop for the Tigers and third base in the Cubs system before being acquired by the Rockies after the 2011 season.
The Rockies, though, wanted a second baseman. So they moved LeMahieu to the right side.
“It was the first time I played second base exclusively,” LeMahieu said.
Now three years later, LeMahieu could get a chance to turn a double play with Arenado in their first All-Star Game.
“I had my fingers crossed on both guys,” Weiss said. “DJ is one of those guys who’s had to work for everything he’s got.”
Cameron Wolfe: 303-954-1891, cwolfe@denverpost.com or
