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As Major League Baseball approaches its All-Star Break in St. Louis on July 14, let the banter begin over which players are deserving and undeserving of a roster spot among their respective league's stars.
Fan votes determine the game's starters via ballots acquired at MLB games and internet voting. It is a fair system considering it is "Average Joe Fan" who ultimately finances the players' obscenely inflated paychecks (see Alex Rodriguez). However, the system is routinely turned into a popularity contest. As a fan (a Cardinal fan, that is), year-in and year-out I find myself in a state of disbelief over how millions of fans could think that certain players are worthy of the honor of representing their team in the Midsummer Classic.
If the average fan were to look back at All-Star rosters of years past, it would be easy to make a case for several players who are better suited spending their time taking BP or playing a few rounds of golf. Let's review three cases of fan flubs from recent years:
Case #1:
2B Mark Loretta in 2006- Three years ago journeyman Loretta received the starting nod for the American League. Yes, the same Mark Loretta that the most tedious fantasy owner would have to think twice about to determine if he ever really existed. Loretta did play in the capital of Red Sox Nation in '06, which would explain the inordinate amount of votes, but his 2006 statistics of .285 BA/5 HR/ 57 RBI do not mirror his all-star recognition. Who was snubbed by Loretta's start? The underrated Robinson Cano of the Bronx Bombers. His '06 stats? .342 BA/ 15 HR/ 78 RBI in a mere 122 games.
Case #2:
Catcher Ivan Rodriguez in 2007- Make no mistake about it--Pudge has been the quintessential mainstay at baseball's most rigorous defensive position for nearly two decades. Rodriguez has iron in his DNA. However, in '07, fans must have based their vote on his previous years' merit. Although he had respectable .281 BA/11 HR/63 RBI line in '07, he clearly took Victor Martinez' starting spot. At the break in '07, Martinez was well on his way to an MVP-worthy season. Martinez put up ridiculous numbers to the tune of .301 BA/25 HR/114 RBI, the majority of which were put up while taking the abuse of catching.
Case #3:
Kosuke Fukudome in 2008- I realize that I am going to be accused of Cub-bashing here but, there really is only one logical explanation for Fukudome to start the All-Star game last year. My theory is that some two million fans or so mistook Fukudome for the next Ichiro Suzuki. OK, honest mistake, they both hail from Japan and have similar left-handed swings. However, Ichiro carries a lifetime .332 batting average and has never hit lower than .310 in a season. Fukodome hit a pedestrian .257 for the season in 2008. Hopefully, there is no case of mistaken identity in the 2009 voting.
As Major League Baseball approaches its All-Star Break in St. Louis on July 14, let the banter begin over which players are deserving and undeserving of a roster spot among their respective league's stars.
Fan votes determine the game's starters via ballots acquired at MLB games and internet voting. It is a fair system considering it is "Average Joe Fan" who ultimately finances the players' obscenely inflated paychecks (see Alex Rodriguez). However, the system is routinely turned into a popularity contest. As a fan (a Cardinal fan, that is), year-in and year-out I find myself in a state of disbelief over how millions of fans could think that certain players are worthy of the honor of representing their team in the Midsummer Classic.
If the average fan were to look back at All-Star rosters of years past, it would be easy to make a case for several players who are better suited spending their time taking BP or playing a few rounds of golf. Let's review three cases of fan flubs from recent years:
Case #1:
2B Mark Loretta in 2006- Three years ago journeyman Loretta received the starting nod for the American League. Yes, the same Mark Loretta that the most tedious fantasy owner would have to think twice about to determine if he ever really existed. Loretta did play in the capital of Red Sox Nation in '06, which would explain the inordinate amount of votes, but his 2006 statistics of .285 BA/5 HR/ 57 RBI do not mirror his all-star recognition. Who was snubbed by Loretta's start? The underrated Robinson Cano of the Bronx Bombers. His '06 stats? .342 BA/ 15 HR/ 78 RBI in a mere 122 games.
Case #2:
Catcher Ivan Rodriguez in 2007- Make no mistake about it--Pudge has been the quintessential mainstay at baseball's most rigorous defensive position for nearly two decades. Rodriguez has iron in his DNA. However, in '07, fans must have based their vote on his previous years' merit. Although he had respectable .281 BA/11 HR/63 RBI line in '07, he clearly took Victor Martinez' starting spot. At the break in '07, Martinez was well on his way to an MVP-worthy season. Martinez put up ridiculous numbers to the tune of .301 BA/25 HR/114 RBI, the majority of which were put up while taking the abuse of catching.
Case #3:
Kosuke Fukudome in 2008- I realize that I am going to be accused of Cub-bashing here but, there really is only one logical explanation for Fukudome to start the All-Star game last year. My theory is that some two million fans or so mistook Fukudome for the next Ichiro Suzuki. OK, honest mistake, they both hail from Japan and have similar left-handed swings. However, Ichiro carries a lifetime .332 batting average and has never hit lower than .310 in a season. Fukodome hit a pedestrian .257 for the season in 2008. Hopefully, there is no case of mistaken identity in the 2009 voting.
This year's fan voting faux-pas seems to be shaping up in the American League outfield. The injured Josh Hamilton is among the top three vote-getters alongside a worthy Jason Bay and perennial all-star Ichiro. No one can blame fans for voting Hamilton into the outfield after last years' dominant performance in the Homerun Derby, in which he hit a total of more than 30 tape measure bombs all over Yankee Stadium. The fact of the matter is that Hamilton is injured and will not be playing regardless of the vote. A worthy replacement? Look no further than Carl Crawford. To fantasy owners who were fortunate enough to have drafted or acquired C.C., this is yesterdays news. Crawford is a weapon. He is not a power hitting slugger like Hamilton, but it is arguably just as entertaining to watch Crawford swipe bags basically at will. He currently leads the MLB in steals by double digits and sports a robust .325 BA and 45 runs scored. For these reasons, Crawford gets my nod in AL outfield.
