My All - Star Report
It happens every year. The MLB popularity contest, I mean all-star game. No I had it right before. Popularity contest. Now I’ll start this by telling you how I feel if you can’t already see the path I’m taking. The all-star game is for the players that are having the best amount of success in the first half of the season. The fans are blessed with the responsibility of picking the starting line up bases on the aforementioned. The is the only criteria. First half stats.
So somebody tell me why the hell Mike Piazza is going to be the NL starting catcher. Come fans, even the people that voted for him and watch baseball must know this isn’t right. There are two maybe three other catchers worthy of the starting nod and they are too far behind to take the job. How about Scott Rolen being to top vote getter of NL third basemen? Do fans know he’s been on the DL forever? Yes the guy should probably be a perennial all-star and it’s a nice honor to him, but common. Why waste a vote on him when he’s not going to play. There is probably another guy out there is very deserving but he’s not getting the votes. Carlos Beltran and his big media money market and his .258 avg and .315 ops will be starting while Carlos Lee and his 72 MLB leading RBIs and Andrew Jones and his 25 MLB leading home runs are nowhere in sight of a starting spot.
Any how about Felipe Lopez? Who? Oh yeah that guy whose playing shortstop for the horrible Reds. He only leads NL shortstops in average, home runs, RBIs, slugging percentage and has played on average about 10 less games. He is not in the top five in votes, but he plays in a small market.
Now I’ll give kudos to AL voters. Not just because I’m a Sox fan and we will be well represented in the Summer Classic. Every Red Sox that is selected deserves it. Now if Bellhorn or Millar were leading votes for their position that wouldn’t be right. But they did get a fair amount of votes. I almost had a problem the Tito Martinez leading at first base but the fans got it and now Mark Teixeira is on top where he belongs. There are many close races in the AL vote because there should be. Example being second base between Brian Roberts and Alfonso Soriano. Both are very deserving this year. Also another close race is the third outfield slot with Ichiro and Johnny Damon. Again, both deserving.
Now both Managers and players vote will fill in the rest of the positions, so hopefully some of the guys I mentioned as deserving get in. Last night a final update came out and Johnny Damon moved into the final outfield spot. Derek Lee also moved up over Albert Pujols. And Pedro says don’t even bother asking me to come. But once an all-star, always an all-star.
Some people may ask why do you care? I’ll tell you why. I’m a guy that has been cursed with the love and appreciation for the game and it’s meaning. So for all you overlooked players that should be in Detroit on the 12th……tear it up in the second half.
S