July 06, 2008
All-Stars Named
The All-Star teams were named this afternoon. On my radio how this week, I discussed who I though should be the starters.
I disagreed with the following positions.
NL Catcher -- Martin instead of Soto.
NL First Base -- Pujols instead of Berkman.
AL Second Base -- Kinsler instead of Pedroia.
NL Outfield -- Pat Burrell, Carlos Beltran, Ryan Ludwick.
AL Outfield -- Carlos Quentin, J.D. Drew.
I picked a leftfielder, centerfielder and rightfielder rather than just lump outfielders together. I don't really have a problem with Soto, Berkman or Pedroia. Manny and Soriano, however, just aren't having great years. I can see Ramirez getting a pass for his great career, but it looks like Cubs fans were stuffing the box for Soriano.
Update: I see the only one of my picks that didn't make the team at least as a reserve was Burrell.
Jason Varitek made the all star team, Varitek for Christ's sake, his OPS+ is 73 and his VORP is -2.3, he has to be the worst all star ever.
I wonder if Yankee fans voted for Soriano a lot too... to see their old second baseman hit in Yankee one last time. He was well liked here in NY by Yankee fans.
Ichiro making it is something pretty awful, as well.
I'm a Red Sox fan but I winced when I saw Varitek's name. This isn't Francona's fault, however -- the Herald reported that he was voted in by the players.
Ichiro making the team is awful? Who would you have taken from the Mariners? Would you have taken Felix, only to be told he could not or would not pitch and then take someone else?
You would have taken Pujols over Berkman? You would have taken a guy whose VORP is 12 points lower?
The NL reserves are a disgrace. Miguel Tejada? Aramis Ramirez? Brian Wilson? Terrible.
I think all-star selections should be based on both career and season numbers. Pujols is the greatest hitter of his generation, so it takes either a very poor season by Albert or an extraordinary season by Berkman to knock out Albert.
I understand that Pujols is the second greatest hitter of this generation (A-Rod is #1), but I completely disagree with your criteria. It is not about career. Lance Berkman is having one of the greatest seasons anyone has had in some time. He should be deprived of the starting honors because Pujols was better over the past few years? That's nonsense.
Of course, this is all semantics. Both guys deserve to go, so it ultimately doesn't matter that much. But Tejada and his 17 VORP can stay home.
I can't believe Fukudome and Soriano made it. The AS is an absolute joke. The starting OF should be Burrel, Beltran and Holiday.
The only reason Pedroia makes the starting team is because he plays for the Red Sox and Kinsler plays for the Rangers. I think TV exposure has something to do with this because it sure ain't who's most worthy.
Kinslers made 16E at 2B before the break. That's pathetic.
So eleven errors (Pedroia's made five) outweigh a 123 point difference in OPS? Come on. Pedroia even plays in a better hitter's park. Plus, Kinsler has a better range factor than Pedroia and almost as good a zone rating.
Kinsler made the team, anyway, so it's not too ridiculous. But Red Sox nation stuffed the ballot box bigtime.
16 E at 2B is pathetic for a whole season. He's having a great year at the plate. He sucks beyond belief in the field.
Kinsler makes eleven more errors than Pedroia and he sucks? Pedroia must be pretty bad himself then.
Kinsler leads all qualified second basemen in range factor and ranks in the top half in zone rating. But since fielding means errors and nothing else, he sucks. Yeah, right.
Kinsler should be the starting 2B. It's not even close. Eleven errors don't mean squat.