hawpe-brad2Brad Hawpe had a dazzling Sunday afternoon at Coors Field against the Atlanta Braves, clearing a two-out, walk-off double in the ninth inning to bring home Seth Smith and bag an 8-7 victory for the Colorado Rockies. Hawpe’s teammates raced to hug him after the play. Troy Tulowitzki nearly knocked him down, but thought better of it and backed off.

“I thought about doing that, but I figured he has some plans for this week,” Tulowitzki tells The Denver Post.

Those plans are Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game–Hawpe’s first, coming just two weeks after his 30th birthday. Hawpe is on the National League roster because of voting by players, coaches, and managers, rather than fans—something that makes him particularly proud (via Longmont’s Daily Times-Call).

“It’s an honor to be selected by teammates and people that you play against,” Hawpe says. “It’s an honor to get the respect of the people in your industry.”