Stephen Vogt busts out Chris Farley impression for All-Star votes

A large portion of the fan voting for the All-Star Game is a popularity contest. This shouldn't come as a shock. We all remember Derek Jeter making it during his final season even though his numbers were far below average.

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This approach can sometimes lead to lesser-known players getting snubbed despite excellent numbers. Oakland Athletics catcher Stephen Vogt could fall into that category this season. Vogt did rank second at catcher on the first American League balloting update, but he trails the unstoppable Salvador Perez.

The Kansas City Royals fans were out in force early, making it tough to know whether Vogt will eventually overtake Perez before the final update is released. Vogt realizes he may not have the name recognition of some of the other players on the ballot, so he's resorted to other ways to buy your vote.

Vogt appeared on MLB Network's Intentional Talk on Friday as Matt Foley, Chris Farley's famous character from Saturday Night Live. Foley, as you know, is a motivational speaker who lives in a van down by the river.

Doing an impression can be a dangerous risk, but it pays off here for Vogt. He does a pretty solid job, and seems to know the motivations of his character.

That probably shouldn't come as a huge surprise, though. Vogt is no stranger to the Matt Foley impression. He broke out the character during a team meeting in spring training in order to educate the club about Major League Baseball's new set of rules.

As far as the All-Star Game goes, Vogt's numbers are more than deserving. The 30-year-old is hitting .317/.411/.597, with 10 home runs, over 168 plate appearances. His 2.3 WAR ranks him first among all catchers thus far.

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Though the numbers suggest Vogt should be on top, it will be tough to stop the suddenly feisty Royals' fans. Whether the impression pushes Vogt into the lead remains to be seen, but it kind of makes us want to root for him.

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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik