The All-Star voting process in Major League Baseball is an absolute joke.
Every year around this time you see those bogus promotions that urge us to get out to the yard and vote for our favorite players. That’s exactly what fans do. They stuff the ballot boxes with the names of their favorite players, even if they are having down years (See Carlos Beltran and Ken Griffey Jr.).
That’s just plain wrong. We shouldn’t just be voting for our favorite players, but rather for the guys who deserve to be in the Mid-Summer Classic. The Giants will win a World Series before that happens. The fans have turned the All-Star voting into nothing more than a popularity contest.
Most of us would rather stuff the ballot boxes with the names of our favorite “stars” who are having a down year, than vote for lesser known players like Ryan McClouth and Ryan Ludwick who are having much better seasons. It’s a shame because year after year there are a number of guys who get screwed.
I understand that baseball is the fans game. They should get some say in who goes to the All-Star game, but it’s time to give players and managers more of a say in the matter.
With that said, here is a list (National League only) of the players who
SHOULD be starting in the 2008 All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium. (Through Saturday)
C: Geovany Soto (Cubs) – As much as I want to put Bengie Molina in this spot, Soto has three more home runs (9) and one more RBI (37) than does Molina. His OPS is an impressive .942. Not bad for a guy who is in his rookie season.
1B: Lance Berkman (Astros) - There is nobody hotter on the planet than this guy. In the last month he is hitting .475 with 9 home runs 22 RBI, and 6 stolen bases. His numbers aren’t too shabby for the year either. Berkman is second in the NL in home runs (17) and RBI (47). If that wasn’t enough for you, he’s hitting .386!
2B: Chase Utley (Phillies) – There is not a better second baseman in all of baseball. He ranks first in the majors with 18 long balls, and is tops among NL second baseman in RBI (48), and runs scored (44).
3B: Chipper Jones (Braves) – It’s almost June and Jones is batting a ridiculous .409, His OPS is an astounding 1.142. Who says you can’t get better with age. Jones has been one of the premier third baseman in the NL for the past decade, but often gets overlooked. It’s time he gets some recognition.
SS: Miguel Tejada (Astros) – This one was a tough choice. It came down to Hanley Ramirez or Tejada. I gave the nod to Tejada, but it was close. Miggy has not had any trouble adjusting to the new league. He leads all shortstops with 37 RBI, and 43 runs scored. Tejada is also hitting .323.
OF: Ryan Ludwick (Cardinals) – Most casual baseball fans probably have no clue who this guy is, but the numbers speak for themselves. In just 151 at-bats, he has slugged 13 home runs and driven in 39 runs. Throw in his .325 average and this guy should be making his first All-Star appearance as a starter.
OF: Jason Bay (Pirates) – Following a down year in 2007, Bay has bounced back nicely. He doesn’t get a lot of press because he plays for the lowly Pirates but he is a solid ballplayer. Through two months of the season he has 13 homeruns, 28 RBI, 40 runs scored and a .293 average.
OF: Ryan Braun (Brewers) – After his stellar rookie campaign Braun has picked up where he left off last season. He has 14 home runs, 39 RBI, and a .299 average.
SP: Edison Volquez (Reds) – I really wanted to write Tim Lincecum’s name here, but when you look at the numbers that Volquez has put up thus year, he has to be the choice. This is just rookie season, but Volquez has taken the NL by storm posting a 7-1 record with a 1.46 ERA, and 83 strikeouts in 68 innings.
Random Musings:
• Hindsight is always 20/20, but how bad would the Alex Rios Tim Lincecum trade been for the Giants? Through Sunday Rios is batting .262 with 3 home runs and 23 RBI. Lincecum is 7-1 with a 2.23 ERA. For all the flack that Brian Sabean gets for the bad trades he has made, this one goes down as best move that he didn’t make.
• When the Giants gave Aaron Rowand $60 million in the offseason I’ll admit to being less than thrilled about it. So far I have been dead wrong. He has been worth every penny so far in 2008. He’s hitting an impressive .340 with 8 home runs and 35 RBI.
• In case you missed it, the Giants turned a triple play in the eighth inning against the Padres on Friday night. Just how rare a feat is that? It was the first time that the Giants had done it at home since October 3, 1980.
• It’s hard to believe that a team as offensively challenged as San Francisco could have two of the top 6 batting averages in the National League. Entering play this week Rowand is 4th with his .340 average and Bengie Molina is 6th at .323.
• Speaking of hitting, unless there is a pitcher that is the next Tim Lincecum available at pick number 5 on Thursday, the Giants better draft a hitter. They have plenty of pitching at the lower levels in the minors. It’s time to start getting a few more decent hitters to go with those arms. My top three choices if they are still available: Pedro Alvarez, Justin Smoak, and Eric Hosmer.
• I hope Barry Zito was watching Greg Maddux mow down the Giants on Friday night with less than average stuff. You don’t need great stuff to win. It’s all about location, location, location. Zito has been a bit better of late, but there always seems to be a moment in the game where he falters a bit. I still don’t have a lot of faith in him when he takes the hill, but at least he finally got a win.
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