"This is a big deal for Joakim Soria, a very big deal, and he's smart enough to know it but too well-adjusted to make a stink about it. This is how it's always been with Soria. It's part of why Kansas City loves him and so many others don't know about him.

Tonight should be his national stage, finally his, the ball and three outs in the ninth inning in front of a worldwide audience to close out baseball's summer showcase. Except Yankees manager Joe Girardi doesn't see it that way, a mistake that will keep Soria hidden a little while longer.

Soria is fine with this. He isn't driven by fame, so remaining Kansas City's best-kept secret is good enough. He says he'll be ready tonight no matter what, whether he's needed or not.

"This is fun for me," he says.

Girardi is admittedly swayed by popular opinion and mainstream stats, so it shouldn't be a surprise that he went with Detroit's José Valverde, who has a 0.92 ERA and finished higher than Soria in the player voting.

Valverde is an easily defendable choice. Mariano Rivera is hurt, and Valverde has the shiniest ERA among a small handful of good candidates — and even though Soria is the best remaining closer and leads baseball with 25 saves, this is no grave injustice.

It's just that Girardi missed the chance to reward a superior long-term track record, and to let the rest of the baseball world in on Kansas City's secret. This could've been Soria's chance to break his small-market city's glass ceiling.

That will have to wait now, and that's too bad. It's a refreshing story for anyone who takes the time to hear it."