Forgive me for being so cynical & even a bit anal, but the all star game is losing it's luster in my opinion. I'm starting to believe that the voting should be taken away from the fans. I know that is probably not the politically correct angle on this issue but some of the players starting in the all star game based off fan voting is downright rediculous in my humble opinion.Here are the guys that are starting based off fan voting so far.
AL - Jason Varitek, David Ortiz, Robinson Cano, Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Manny Ramirez, Vlad Guerrero, Johnny Damon.
Jason Varitek, as of June 3rd, is batting .233 with only 5 HRs. This is your starting AL catcher for the all star game? Are you kidding me? I know he has been a solid player in past seasons, but his numbers this season does not merritt the starting job at catcher for the AL. Joe Mauer, batting .354 by the way would have been a much better selection. Ramon Hernandez also deserves strong consideration. He's hitting around .300 with 9 HRs & 40 something RBIs after today's game versus the Yankees.
David Ortiz is obviously a pretty good selection, but Travis Hafner & Jim Thome are having better season's so far. Hafner - .301, 14 HRs, 44 RBIs. Thome - .295, 20 HRs, 52 RBIs. David Ortiz - .263, 15 HRs respectively, 48 RBIs. Shea Hillenbrand hasn't been chopped liver either with a .330 BA & 9 HRs.
Robinson Cano is an underated player, but why not Jose Lopez or T. Iguchi. Jose Lopez is hitting .286 with 9 HRs & 45 RBIs. He is doing this with his home field being a "pitcher's ballpark". Iguchi - .293, 6 HRs, 23 RBIs. Cano - .305, but only 2 HRs & 20 RBIs.
Derek Jeter - can't really argue with this. I will say that Tejada & Micheal Young make very strong cases as well to be the AL starting SS.
Alex Rodriguez - hard to argue this one as well, although there are 3 or 4 other everyday thirdbasemen in the AL with higher batting averages than ARod.
Vlad Guererro - can't argue with his numbers
Manny Ramirez - solid numbers, but there are a few others maybe a little more deserving.
Johnny Damon - I'm sorry! This is got to be a joke! Damon has put up decent numbers, but noy all star like numbers in my opinion. He was only voted in as a starter because he is identifiable having played in Boston & now for the Yankees.
There are other AL outfielders far more deserving. Will someone please give some love to the AL's current leading hitter? His name is Alex RIOS people. He might be the most underated outfielder in baseball. He is hitting .359 with 10 HRs & about 40 RBIs. If he doesn't atleast make the all star team, that would be a travesty. Vernon Wells is another. He is hitting .325 with 15 HRs & 43 RBIs. Either one of these guys should be starting over Damon & maybe even Ramirez based off this season's numbers thus far.
Let's not forget about Jermaine Dye! .307, 16 HRs, 41 RBIs. How about Magglio Ordonez? .317, 12 HRs, 39 RBIs.
Also very deserving, Nick Swisher, .292, 16 HRs, 42 RBIs, Casey Blake, .330, 9 HRS, 35 RBIs.
I haven't even mentioned guys like Suzuki, Crawford, Sizemore, Mench, & Gary Matthews Jr, who all support all star quality numbers & who all have better numbers than Damon, atleast coming into June 3rd. Damon's numbers by the way? .283, 6 HRs, & 27 RBIs. Not bad, but not nearly an all star starter in my opinion!
Here are the NL guys based off fan voting so far.
NL - Paul LoDuca, Albert Pujols, Craig Biggio, David Eckstein, Scott Rolen, Andruw Jones, Carlos Beltran, Jim Edmonds.
Paul LoDuca - process of elimination & a lack of all star quality catchers in the NL gives him the honors.
Albert Pujols - NO ARGUMENT HERE! Ryan Howard, Lance Berkman, & Prince Fielder should all be very strongly considered as Pujols back ups at firstbase.
Craig Biggio - This has got to be another silly joke, right? Can somebody say where's Chase Utley? Where is Jose Vidro? Even guys like Brandon Phillips, Jose Castillo, Dan Uggla, & Rickie Weeks deserve more consideration than Biggio based off this year's numbers. Utley - .327, 10, 32. Vidro - .328, 4, 25. Phillips - .310, 5, 32. Castillo - .306, 8, 30. Uggla - .306, 6, 29. Weeks - .302, 5, 14. Biggio's numbers you ask? .284, 5, 19. Not bad, but not all star.
David Eckstein - average is good(.329), but his other numbers suck! How about Renteria? .322, 5, 21. Vizquel? .318, 3, 22. Hanley Ramirez? .316, 2, 18, 17 stolen basis! Jack Wilson - .303, 5, 19. Felipe Lopez - .283, 5, 19, 16 stolen bases!
Scott Rolen - numbers are pretty good, but what about Miguel Cabrera? .354, 9 HRs, 43 RBIs. In comparison, Rolen is hitting .331, 6 HRs, & 30 RBIS. Freddy Sanchez & David Wright also have numbers very comparable to Rolen's.
Andruw Jones - solid selection, .290, 19, 52.
Carlos Beltran - PLEASE!!!!!!!!! What about Matt Holliday? Jason Bay? Alfonso Soriano? or even Pat Burrell or Carlos Lee?
Holliday, Bay,& Soriano all have better numbers than Beltran!
Burrell & Carlos Lee are atleast as good number wise & maybe better!
Jim Edmonds - This has got to be arguably the biggest joke of them all! .241, 5 HRs! ENOUGH SAID! Who are these fans watching?
The thing that disgusts me the most about all of this is that it has turned into a populatity contest. It is all about the who's who & glitz & glamour. It isn't an actual all star game anymore & really hasn't been for the past few seasons.
Look at the American League line up. It might as well just been a major ass kissing contest between the Yankees & Red Sox! People voted for those players because they are in the biggest markets & the media has their noses so far up the Yankees & Red Sox asses that everyone(especially the casual baseball fan or bandwagon fan) thinks they should pull for the Yankees or Red Sox because that is all we ever really here about if it isn't Clemens, Pujols, or Bonds! It has become a total joke really. A lot of the real all stars based off this year's numbers so far come from the smaller market teams, but no one ever really here's about them unless you are a true baseball fan or are into fantasy baseball. It is really quiet sad!
