All Star Shaft
by JWO on Jun 21, 2010 3:02 PM EDT
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Greetings, brother bird-watchers. As the All Star Game rapidly approaches, I've begun to wonder which player who is most deserving, but will get jilted by the fanbase this year. I think most reasonable people would agree that the selection of players is largely a popularity contest. But that said, the game does determine which league gets home-field advantage in the World Series. For good or ill, that's a significant cookie to strive for. So based on the latest vote counts, here are a few of my suggested candidates for getting screwed. None of these individuals are in the Top 5 for their position (or Top 15 for OFs). I'm going to focus on the National League (based on 15 June numbers), but feel free to offer your own suggestions and opinions...
BTW - Attached is a link to the current vote totals, for those who are interested.
- Andrew McCutchen - currently, the Pirates outfielder is batting an impressive .315 as of June 21st, with seven HRs, 22 RBI, and 18 SBs. He's clearly the best player on the Pirates these days. So by league rules, he'll probably make it on the team. But not ranking him ANYWHERE in the top 15 outfield vote getters is... irrational.
- Colby Rasmus - Despite a ridiculous OPS, despite 13 HRs, 34 RBI, a decent .276 average, and defense that (at times) flashes on impressive, Colby is nowhere in the top 15. Yes, its because he is young. But there are other players like Jason Heyward that are killing the vote (he's second at the moment in the OF). Why no love for Raz? Isn't he at least a reserve?
- Ryan Zimmerman - He's batting .284, with 13 HRs and 36 RBI. He plays studly defense at one of the hardest positions in the field. He is a leader on his team. And somehow he isn't even in the top five for third basemen? WTH? Do people really think Placido Polanco is a vastly better player than Zimmerman? And the worst part is, with Strasburg likely to get picked for the game as a pitcher, Zimmerman may not make the game at all. A minor travesty, IMHO.
- Adrian Gonzalez - Riddle me this. Gonzalez has ridiculous numbers in a pitchers park (.310 average, 15 HRs, 47 RBI). And somehow he's left out of the Top 5 for 1B? Troy Glaus ranks fourth, and Gonzalez gets zilch? I think A-Gon will make the team as San Diego's lone representative, but if somehow another Padre slips in ahead of him (say Heath Bell becomes the SD rep) then somehow this guy gets left out in the cold. Insane.
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It's a hard question to answer
if you’re like me and want to see the best players in the All Star Game.
Just about everything about the All Star Farce, as I call it is wrong.
Baseball first, teams second, players third, agents last.
First base seems like the toughest position to break through the popularity voting,
because there are three marquee names there. Howard and Fielder are in 2nd and 3rd based solely on name recognition – by the numbers, neither one should be within sight of Glaus or Gonzalez, or for that matter Votto.
I guess you could say something similar about SS and name recognition, with Ramirez, Rolliins, and Reyes (although Tulowitzki is ahead of him). But HR are the ultimate popularity voting criterion and 1B has plenty of them.
by BTown Birds fan on Jun 21, 2010 3:19 PM EDT reply actions
Some of this has to be where he plays
Gonzalez has incredible numbers. I suspect if he played for an East Coast team, he would be at least 4th, and possibly 3rd in voting. Not to mention, his numbers would likely be stronger. Unfortunately, San Diego gets very little love.
I'm betting if he
played for an East Coast team, he’d be one of the biggest names in all of baseball. He gets my vote for most underrated.
I like your list. I’m surprised McCutchen isn’t higher up, although I probably shouldn’t be. I also am surprised by Zimmerman’s low vote count. I though he was pretty widely considered at least in the same talks as Longo in the “young, star third basemen” category. It will be a shame if he gets shafted for Strausburg.
really hate rollins
for the sole reason that he’s thought of as a great player..
Rasmus can hit lefties
cardinalred
St. Louis Sports blog
by stlcardsfan4 on Jun 21, 2010 8:50 PM EDT up reply actions
RFL
*now with more veterany veteranness and a higher grit factor
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Jun 21, 2010 9:35 PM EDT up reply actions
Yadier Molina and Placido Polanco
Your #8 and 9 hitters for the 2010 NL All-Star team. (As a Baltimore/DC resident, Ryan Zimmerman needs considerably more attention than he’s getting)
The votes for Heyward are still being fueled largely by ESPN’s ridiculous hype from April-early May. He’s cooled off considerably, but then again, ESPN also stated recently that Strasburg has a legitimate shot at the All-Star team.
"When I gave up a grand slam to Pete LaCock," Bob Gibson said later, "I knew it was time to quit."
By the way, I dig Andrew McCuthen.
He’s the NL’s Carl Crawford at this point.
"When I gave up a grand slam to Pete LaCock," Bob Gibson said later, "I knew it was time to quit."
by The Classical on Jun 21, 2010 3:29 PM EDT up reply actions
yeah, cutch is fun to watch
and zimmerman – even someone like myself who follows baseball religiously can tend to underrate him a bit. at least i did, and i thought he was the best 3b in the league – just didn’t realize how clearly better he was (although scotty is having a nice resurgence, he’s lost just a bit defensively). have followed the nats a little this year on mlb.tv and he’s superb and his offensive game has continued to improve.
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
heyward
to me is a lot like fukudome his rookie year. if it wasn’t for espn, heyward wouldn’t be anywhere close in asg voting.
Albert's grand slam, 7/3/09
@zoomzoomj88
Boog's stache is back!
Jeff Passan is an asshat
heyward gets a lot of hype
but that’s the only similarity to fukudome. one is 20 his rookie year and already a very good player, and the other was an old rookie coming over from japan and an average player at best.
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
at least heyward deserves it somewhat
Rasmus can hit lefties
cardinalred
St. Louis Sports blog
by stlcardsfan4 on Jun 21, 2010 8:53 PM EDT up reply actions
FUKU was on that team
simply because of the Japanese vote.
Asshattery: it's an epidemic.
Also, Dave Concepcion.
Another All Star Fact that may only interest me
Of the top 40 vote-getters for position players, only SIX of them are in the NL West (Four Dodgers, a Rocky and a D-Back). Does this not suggest at least some East Coast Bias?
(In fairness, the pitching staff should let the West even things out. Lincecum, Cain, Jimenez, Kershaw, Billingsly and Haren are all likely to make the team, along with Broxton and Bell.)
Billingsley shouldn't...
make the team. Especially with this DL stint limiting his starts moving forward. Even Haren should be a close call.
The NL is truly stacked with (young!) pitching this year so it’ll be interesting.
I would take Latos, Jonathan Sanchez, or even Clayton Richard over Billingsley and possibly even Haren at this point in the season to help rep the Best Coast.
"When I gave up a grand slam to Pete LaCock," Bob Gibson said later, "I knew it was time to quit."
by The Classical on Jun 21, 2010 3:57 PM EDT up reply actions
On further consideration
I agree. I retract Billingsly. I’d still stick with Haren, as I give him extra credit for pitching on a struggling team. I’d also agree with taking Latos. He’s not throwing beyond six innings often, but he has been very solid.
The young pitching this year has been pretty impressive. I guess the pendulum has finally begun moving away from the hitters.
billingsley wasn't near worthy before he was hurt
and haren is probably a long-shot (i think young or johnson could get a lone d’backs spot).
i know the rosters are expanded to more than 25, but how many pitchers do they take now to ensure not to run out? i’d think 12 is plenty, and the pitching locks thus far are: jimenez, halladay, waino, carp, johnson, hudson, wagner, bell, broxton. so that leaves room for 3, maybe 4, more out of: lincecum, cain, wilson, kershaw, latos, marmol, gallardo, oswalt, strasburg, pelphrey, rhodes, and haren. i don’t really like his chances presently, but things could change a lot in the next month.
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
i think in a month he might be a lock to make it
but as of right now, no – and some of those other pitchers in the running with him, such as marmol, oswalt, maybe pelphrey, and even haren, could be lone reps from their teams, which would mean timmeh has to knock one of my locks off the list, or they knock themselves off. also, i think there is probably an 80% chance strasburg takes a spot (there will be pressure on the manager from the commish to select him, i believe – hype and ratings and selling the game). it wouldn’t surprise me if timmeh doesn’t go.
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
I'm being argumentative
I’ll admit that up front. But consider the Freak’s current numbers:
3.11 ERA
1.22 WHIP
7-2 W/L
106 SO (in 92 innings)
Throw in the fact he’s pitched into the 5th inning every game he’s started this year. Also consider he’s only a hair off his career averages. No, he hasn’t been his absolute sharpest. But I think the lack of love is more because the pitching this year has been ridiculously good.
Your locks are pretty dang solid. But I could replace Hudson with Lincecum and I wouldn’t lose much sleep.
a lot can happen in a month
huddie’s team is in first, though, and that gives him an edge. pretty sure he also has a better era and whip, maybe same record – timmeh will always have the k’s. remember this is for all-star consideration, not the cy, so the criteria are a bit different with the manager and coaches picking the pitchers rather than writers voting.
also, not sure pitching into the fifth inning is a big deal.
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
Haren
Has no business in the ASG this year. I’ve seen him pitch 3 times live and a couple times on TV and he’s just not much better than an average pitcher with better K stuff it seems. Maybe the periphs show him being better, but if AZ only gets one rep it should be the best player on their team this year. That’s Kelly Johnson and his almost 900 OPS at 2B, and he should represent the D-backs. With the depth at pitching Haren shouldn’t get in on name recognition alone considering he’s been the definition of average with a 96 OPS+.
4.71 ERA, WHIP of 1.33 because of 10+ H/9. He’s currently on pace for a WAR of 2 if he’s lucky, which would be his lowest ever in a full season.
He is also currently sporting a negative WPA.
Haren isn’t even the best pitcher on his team this year. Ian Kennedy has been worth 2 wins while Haren isn’t even worth one. I know the ASG is usually a joke anyway with who they put in it, but Haren would be especially horrible, and would be an embarassment for AZ if he is the representative. Hopefully they wouldn’t play him at all, because it would be very bad for the NL.
yeah, i don't think he has a chance
if it was voted on by fans, maybe, but not with the manager and coaches picking. but i still think huddie, as it sits now, would get picked over timmeh.
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
Atlanta is in first because
The Phillies have struggled this year. I would argue the NL West is much stronger and competitive. As for ERA/WHIP verses Strikeouts, I would rather have a pitcher who keeps balls out of play. Remember, in the all star game, these are great players who DO NOT play with each other on a regular basis. Individually, defense is still good, but collectively players are a little more sloppy.
As for the fifth inning being a big deal, it means Lincecum has battled every start and wasn’t blown away on any single occasion.
hey, you're the one who cited era and whip for timmeh
as for the fifth inning, i’d think this true of most if not all starters considered for the all-star game. i’d prefer seeing timmeh pitch, believe me, but right now huddie has an edge, and cox will be one of the coaches picking, i’m sure, it being his last year.
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
no garcia
calling carp a lock and garcia not even a maybe???….lucky or not, if the ERA stays under 2 it would be tough to leave him out. It seems the traditional stats hold more weight in picking all stars, and maybe rightfully so, its not about projecting going forward or how lucky they were, but what the actual results have been thus far.
by I miss Jack Buck on Jun 23, 2010 11:14 PM EDT up reply actions
right, and garcia doesn't have the w-l record
or the k’s – he is behind carp and waino, and they probably don’t even take two cards starters, so i put garcia’s chances at 0
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
before carp's start against the jays
which is his 16th to garcia’s 14th
garcia has 1 less win, 18 less K’s, similar k/9, much worse bb/9, much better HR/9, similar AVG whip babip & xfip, higher WPA and WAR and an ERA over a run better.
Not arguing for garcia over carp, but i think its alot closer than you would think. Once the fangraphs updates to include carp shutting down the jays it will look a little better in his favor. Its still awesome to have the 2nd and 3rd best pitchers statistically doing this good.
by I miss Jack Buck on Jun 23, 2010 11:54 PM EDT up reply actions
numbers aside, there's just no way jaime makes all-stars - 0
i’m just being realistic.
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
ok, what would you put the odds?
1%?
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
Nope a lot higher
Jaime has a 1.80 ERA right now, if the holds steady and Carp’s and Waino’s go over 3, there is not way they get put on instead of him.
by vivaelpujols on Jun 24, 2010 3:59 AM EDT up reply actions
interesting
would he be ahead of them in the cy race too, if happens what you suggest with ERA?
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
While I'm kicking over All Star Game Anthills
I would LOVE to see Charlie Manuel go into this game and say, “Ok, Bud. Since you’ve made this game ‘count’, I’m going to play my absolute best lineup. The NL has lost 12 of the last 13 games. So I’m playing my A-Team the entire game. Pujols, Utley, Hanley Ramirez and Braun are going all nine innings. I’m going to pitch Jiminez for four innings, Halladay for four more innings, and then use a hammer in the 9th.”
And if the AL wants to play friendly, and get everyone in the game, that’s their business. But the NL is tired of getting its teeth kicked in. I’ve got to believe that all the managers for the division leaders would favor this approach. (Don’t you think Larussa would support using Wainwright for four innings if it meant locking homefield?) And if Bud doesn’t like it, maybe he should rethink the “carrot” he has tied to this game.
The irony is this type of game would get huge ratings. People will tune in if they think the teams have some “mean” in them, and are going to play ruthlessly to win.
that would be fine to do that
but you can’t preselect the pitchers who will throw 4 innings – they may have just thrown for their teams, or scheduled to throw the first game after the all-star game, and that will always take precedence – teams have a lot of say in how their pitchers are used, rightfully so (look at the possible conflicts of interest), and if they aren’t satisfied with the answer i suspect that pitcher might have a cold or the flu that day.
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
Managers can line up their pitchers ahead of time
Just make certain their ace is on five days rest when the game is scheduled. Also, I’d think that the super-aces, guys like Halladay or Sabathia would cowboy up and do whatever it took to win the game. At least, that’s what I would hope.
but managers will not line up their pitching to suit the all-star game
they line up their pitching to suit their own team. i think halladay et al could cowboy up, just don’t think they would be allowed by their teams. hell, teams didn’t even want their guys in the wbc.
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
The WBC was for pride
Win the All Star Game and your team (potentially) gets a tangible advantage in the post-season. Again, I could see the division leaders tweaking their rotation schedules to set up their ace for the game. And with the days off around the game, your guy wouldn’t be losing that much playing time.
In the end, its a moot point. The ASG is broken, and both leagues still haven’t figured out they should game the system.
let's check this out a little more in depth
I totally agree, the all star voting right now is batshit insane. Adrian Gonzalez always gets overlooked, he’s one of the best first basemen in the game. the first thing that strikes me as weird is that Placido Polanco has a sizeable lead at third base.
- Placido Polanco is closest to rookie David Freese. Like a lighter hitting better defense version. Their WAR is nearly identical, and we know that UZR is a component and could distort the rating, depending on how accurate it is so far this year. It’s a travesty Ryan Zimmerman is not in the lead. And yet he is not in the top 5. If we are looking at WAR Zimmerman, then David Wright, Scott Rolen, Polanco and Freese would be the top 5. If you just look at wOBA however, Rolen, Zimmerman, Wright, Freese, C. Jones. I simply cannot believe the season Rolen is having so far. Also, how great is it to have a rookie third baseman that could even be included in a discussion about the All Star Game. (sss caveat, of course)
- Outfield, wtf?? I would look at Marlon Byrd, Holliday now that he has started to hit some homre runs, Torres on the Giants, Mr. Ryan F Ludwick, and and maybe Huff or Willingham (top 5 in WAR at this point). Yet you have Braun in first, who’s having a pretty bad season. Also, Colby should undoubtedly be among the leaders here with his season so far at the plate (and I don’t think his defense is as bad as UZR is pointing it out to be).
- also, I’m glad that Pujols and Yadi are winning at their position, but McCann should probably go over Yadier. Also, Votto in fifth place is pretty weird. But you have to remember this is a popularity contest. to determine the home field advantage of the world series. (I do think Albert should be winning over Votto though, you can’t just look at this season’s stats).
*now with more veterany veteranness and a higher grit factor
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Jun 21, 2010 9:53 PM EDT reply actions
weird
I guess I shouldn’t have formatted it with a # symbol before each point. I’ll stick with the bulleted list!
*now with more veterany veteranness and a higher grit factor
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Jun 21, 2010 9:54 PM EDT up reply actions
i agree about Yadi
either McCann or Olivo
"He’s in his own world out there. He says he doesn’t cuss. I disagree." - Skip Schumaker on Jason Motte
Austin Wilson, please don't be a tease!
A small mea culpa
I somehow mixed up Braun with Justin Morneau in my head (who IS having a huge season). Still, Braun has been playing well. He’s batting .304, with 10 HR and 45 RBI. That’s not incredible, but that’s still pretty respectable. Very comparable to what Holliday has done thus far.
braun has been better than holliday, certainly before this last series
but neither one deserves a spot over colby or luddy, imo. i hope if we get an outfielder in, it’s one of those two. everyone’s numbers could look a lot different by the time the coaches pick the reserves.
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
I'd rather have Holliday personally
*now with more veterany veteranness and a higher grit factor
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Jun 22, 2010 3:22 PM EDT up reply actions
WAR
lego-3.3 (first among NL outfielders)
ludwick-2.6
rasmus-2.0
sss on half season of outfield UZR….but just the batting portion
lego-16.3
Rasmus-15.7
Ludwick 8.1
by I miss Jack Buck on Jun 23, 2010 11:24 PM EDT up reply actions
those must be fangraphs numbers, not b-r
holliday gets a big boost from uzr, and that is not deserved.
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
he's still better than Braun
*now with more veterany veteranness and a higher grit factor
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Jun 24, 2010 12:39 AM EDT up reply actions
well, are you saying luddy and rasmus aren't?
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
not really
*now with more veterany veteranness and a higher grit factor
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Jun 28, 2010 2:30 PM EDT up reply actions
not deserved
he’s an above average fielder, you know? several years have proven this? please explain
Rasmus can hit lefties
cardinalred
St. Louis Sports blog
by stlcardsfan4 on Jun 25, 2010 12:26 AM EDT up reply actions
right now we are in extreme sss numbers with uzr
considering it really takes 3 years of data to sort out. holliday has a crazy uzr number right now which is inflating his WAR on fangraphs. he’s a little above average as a left fielder, maybe a solid above average considering some of his competition. he’s not very graceful out there, but he generally gets the job done – still, he’s no carl crawford by any stretch of the imagination. i’d rate him a C outfielder, a B amongst left-fielders only.
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
ooo yeh i just look at fangraphs
and see he has 8.9….. previous three years were still above average though
5.0, 2.9, 4.0
but i do see your point
Rasmus can hit lefties
cardinalred
St. Louis Sports blog
by stlcardsfan4 on Jun 25, 2010 1:20 AM EDT up reply actions
there's a chance he could be improving too
not that much that current numbers suggest, but he does play balls in the corner and off the wall better than last year, to my eyes thus far.
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
heyward is an interesting case
he’s hit worse than brendan ryan’s season stats over the last month, yet because he got off to a hot start, he’s getting more votes than established stars like Ethier.
Well the girls would turn the color of the avocado when he would drive down the street in his El Dorado... -the modern lovers
HOF
*now with more veterany veteranness and a higher grit factor
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Jun 21, 2010 11:24 PM EDT up reply actions
My 2010 NL & AL All-Star Starting Lineups:
as of now…
AL
1B – Miguel Cabrera
2B – Robinson Cano
SS – Alex Gonzalez (!)
3B – Evan Longoria
C – John Buck (!!)
DH – Vlad Guerrero (rather easily)
OF – Josh Hamilton
OF – Alex Rios
OF – Ichiro Suzuki (just ahead of Crawford)
NL
1B – Jose Alberto Pujols (Votto, Gonzalez, and Howard aren’t far behind)
2B – Martin Prado
SS – Hanley Ramirez (Tulo’s injury ends his push)
3B – David Wright (narrowly over Zim)
C – Miguel Olivo (Although Yadi making the team would help the NL more)
OF – Andre Ethier
OF – Andrew McCutchen
OF – Ryan Braun
Even though, we can’t VOTE for an NL DH…I really hope they use Albert in that role and have Gonzalez man First.
"When I gave up a grand slam to Pete LaCock," Bob Gibson said later, "I knew it was time to quit."
Re: NL 1B. How can you say Howard isn't far behind Jose Alberto Pujols Alcantara?
… are you sure you don’t mean “not even close”?
blarg
No, I meant what I said.
It was intended to be received in the sense that, if Howard makes the All-Star team, then I wouldn’t be disappointed. He’s really turned it on of late and is hitting just under .300 for the season. Their HR and RBI totals are a wash. Albert crushes him in nearly ever saber category, but “not far behind” is meant as in “at least somewhat in the same ballpark” (incredibly relative terminology, I know, but this is an exhibition after all). I tend to be in a sort of disbelief that Albert is having a “down season”, so I might have sold him short a bit in mentioning Howard. I did mention him last for a reason. I compare this to an unbiased viewpoint that some people have of the Heyward vote situation. He’s probably going to be voted in as a starter and, while his numbers aren’t really deserving to start, they’re not weak enough to cause mass hysteria and theatrics from fans of other more deserving players.
"When I gave up a grand slam to Pete LaCock," Bob Gibson said later, "I knew it was time to quit."
by The Classical on Jun 22, 2010 7:33 PM EDT up reply actions
I am actually shocked at John Buck
I thought everyone would vote Joe Mauer in even though his numbers are down this year (I suspect the new park is having the David Wright effect on him). I would have gone Victor Martinez, but not that big of a shaft.
Brian McCann, however, is so much better than Olivo (and Molina, as Molina has played WAY too much), and has actually played 59 games, whereas Olivo is spelled every 3rd or 4th day bu Chris Iannetta. That’s actually a pretty interesting discussion. Is Olivo better that he is producing with less PT? Or does the toll of playing C reduce offensive numbers (Like Yadi)?
But yeah, the AL is absolutely loaded with hitters, like Morneau, Pedroia, Bautista, and Youkilis, who are having great years, but are getting overshadowed by slightly better players.
In baseball the object is to go home! And to be safe! "I hope I'll be safe at home!"
-George Carlin (RIP)
why isn't the new park having a negative effect on morneau, if it is on mauer?
does it play better to lefty pull hitters than oppo hitters?
"Some days I feel like the hypotenuse in a love triangle; others as if my lucky number is pi."
I think Morneau's success is a bit more due to his approach
and also, he has been quite lucky this year with a .376 BABIP (He has a career .294 BABIP), but Morneau is hitting for a lot more power this year than he was last year, and hitting more XBH at a pace greater than his career average, but another key thing to consider is Morneau not hitting the ball on the ground. For his career, Morneau was roughly a 40% GB hitter, but this year, he has a 27% GB on balls this year, which is a major improvement, and he is hitting for more power than ever before, which is a lethal combination.
However, Morneau has only hit 2 HR in Target Field, and 13 on the road. So, it’s not just on Mauer, but with Morneau also. And in the fact that they are really different hitters now. Mauer has a GB rate of 45.5% for 2010 and a career 49.6% GB rate, while Morneau has made drastic changes in his approach. Mauer’s approach has made it that much harder on him I believe, even with his success last year.
I might compare some video of Morneau from 2009 and 2010 later if I have time, as I am really interested as to what changes made him more of a power hitter.
In baseball the object is to go home! And to be safe! "I hope I'll be safe at home!"
-George Carlin (RIP)
That's why it's called the All STAR Game
and not the “All best players game” it’s a popularity contest by default.
Looking for a good picture of Skip putting on his batting gloves to make an Avatar
While I like the fact that we have all-stars..
Id prefer none of our pitchers to pitch in the game. We have 3 all-star caliber starting pitchers right now and Id prefer not a single pitch in the game…my nerves can’t handle it.
I'd prefer that they don't play the game at all...
as long as something depends on the outcome.
Does anybody other than Selig think it’s a good idea to pin home field advantage to the All Star game?
It’s about the dumbest thing thing since letting the fans vote for the players. It stopped being an All Star game at that point and is nothing more than a popularity contest with slanted results.
If so much is riding on winning it then what’s the incentive to get all the players into the game so that the fans can see their favorites? Why wouldn’t a manager put his best nine on the field and try to win the game with them, especially if his own team is making a run for a division title.
What could be more fair than alternating the home field every year? Why put something in place that could give a league an advantage in the World Series? It’s just stupid.
Bud Selig could find a way to screw up a sunny day if given the chance.
If he insists that home field advantage be something that is earned then it would make a lot more sense to award it to the league with the best record in inter-league play during the season. At least it wouldn’t depend one one game, one team and one manager.
The whole All Star thing is just a farce. Lots of good baseball fans don’t even watch it.
Inter-league play is almost as idiotic. The concept is ok, I guess, but for as long as it’s been around, wouldn’t you think that every team would have played all the teams in the other league by now? The idea was suppose to be that fans in each league could see their favorite stars from the other league. When do we get to play the Yankees? I’m sick of the Tigers and the Royals, how many times do we have to play the same teams? Do it right or don’t do it at all.
If Bud Selig wanted to give the fans what they’d like to see…he’d resign. I’d vote for that!
Enough for now, before I say how I really feel.
Baseball first, teams second, players third, agents last.
by Dave Pendleton on Jun 25, 2010 10:23 AM EDT up reply actions
We played the Yanks in '04(?)
Clemens recorded win 300, and 3000 K’s (IIRC) in that game. Renteria was the K victim.
I’m not disagreeing with anything in your post btw. I dislike all of what you talked aboot pretty much the same as you.
Asshattery: it's an epidemic.
Also, Dave Concepcion.
yea, I know...
we played the Yanks then…and the tigers & royals about 100 times, it seems.
Baseball first, teams second, players third, agents last.
by Dave Pendleton on Jun 25, 2010 4:16 PM EDT up reply actions
no sir, I do not like it
*now with more veterany veteranness and a higher grit factor
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Jun 28, 2010 2:31 PM EDT up reply actions
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