Yesterday, rightfielder Jayson Werth became the third Phillies outfielder selected for the National League all-star team, which will be managed by Charlie Manuel.

A spot on the 33-player roster opened because New York Mets centerfielder Carlos Beltran, who has been on the disabled list since June 22 with a bone bruise on his right knee, is unavailable.

Manuel had the final say on Beltran's replacement, and he surprised the hot-hitting Werth when he told him he was his choice.

"Yeah, absolutely," Werth said when asked whether he was surprised. "I knew he had a selection to make for Beltran. I talked to him when I first got to the yard, and he told me he was taking me with him. It's quite an honor."

Leftfielder Raul Ibanez was voted onto the starting team by fans, and centerfielder Shane Victorino won the final vote for the last roster spot.

"It shows we've got a real good outfield defensively and offensively," Manuel said.

It's the first time three outfielders from the same club have made an all-star team since the 1995 Cleveland Indians sent Manny Ramirez, Kenny Lofton and Albert Belle to the game. Coincidentally, Manuel was the batting coach for the Indians that season.

Although he conceded that an argument could be made for some other players, Manuel said that he wanted another outfielder, and that Werth's statistics and all-around play made him a worthy choice.

"I was looking at run production and defense and steals, and I felt another outfielder was very important," Manuel said before the Phillies began a three-game series with Pittsburgh. "Werth's very good in the outfield. He's got a great arm. He can run. He can steal a base. He can hit the ball out of the ball park to any part of the field, and he'll take a walk."

Werth, 30, will be the 26th player to go to an All-Star Game for the first time. He had hit 12 of his 20 home runs since June 13, the most of any player in the majors. He had four homers in four games before last night and had driven in 58 runs. Werth had reached base safely in 16 consecutive games and he had five homers and 11 RBIs in the first seven games of the homestand.

For Werth, the all-star selection is a highlight in a career that hit several obstacles before he became an everyday player. With Baltimore, Toronto and the Los Angeles Dodgers, he shuffled back and forth from the majors to the minors. He became an everyday player after taking over right field from Geoff Jenkins last season. And he spent the entire 2006 season on the disabled list because of surgery on a broken wrist.

"Going through all the stuff I went through in my career and to get an opportunity to play every day again and to have my manager select me, it's quite an honor," he said. "But I'm on the right track, and I've got a lot of good years left, and I'm on a great team. I don't have much to complain about."

All-Phils Outfield Not an All-Star First

Manager Charlie Manuel's choice of Jayson Werth as an injury replacement gives the National League three all-star Phillies outfielders (with Raul Ibanez and Shane Victorino) - the 13th time the All-Star Game has had three outfielders from one team.

The last time was 1995, when the Cleveland Indians' Albert Belle, Kenny Lofton and Manny Ramirez were on the American League squad.

The 1972 Pittsburgh Pirates were the last National League team to send three outfielders to the game: Roberto Clemente, Willie Stargell and Al Oliver.

In 1957, Cincinnati voters stuffed the ballot boxes and elected nearly all the Reds (except first baseman George Crowe). An angry commissioner Ford Frick removed Gus Bell and Wally Post from the starting nine and named Willie Mays and Hank Aaron as starters.

SOURCE: AP, Baseball Almanac