What in the name of Willie Mays has happened to my beloved National League?
The Senior Circuit continually plays the second half of the Major League Baseball season with the American League's collective cleat protruding from its rear due to the latter's dominance in the All-Star Game.
Even casual fans of the diamond know the Midsummer Classic's gone to the league with that ridiculous designated hitter for a while now. Six in a row, 10 of the last 11, and a string of 12 consecutive contests without a loss by the Junior Circuit, to be precise.
Can you believe it? The NL's gotta look back on that abysmal, embarrassing tie in Milwaukee with fondness.
Ugh.
And, if you want to know why, it's because our side is usually of a poorer constitution.
Say what you want about the antics from New York and Boston—at least their guys can play. Dustin Pedroia obviously doesn't deserve to be starting over Aaron Hill or Ian Kinsler, but the guy is still dangerous on a per game basis.
Meanwhile, Derek Jeter and Mark Teixeira are both worthy starters, if not the worthiest.
Hmm, Yadier Molina? Give me a break.
Fans got the Molina part correct, but it should be Bengie going to the game, and it shouldn't be as the starter. Hello, Brian McCann.
Don't give me the defensive argument—the Atlanta Braves' backstop blows both "Flying Molinas" out of the water offensively, so that dog don't hunt. The older Molina also directs one of the best staffs in all of baseball, stacked with youngsters who take their cue from Bengie.
Part of the credit for the development of both Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain belongs to Big Money and the confidence he instills. Part of that is his straight-up defense—though probably and incrementally inferior to Yadier's.
Forget his percentages in throwing out runners, which is undeniably on his pitchers.
Furthermore, the offensive stats don't tell the whole story. Most of the runs Big Money's accounted for have been crucial to wins (hence the nickname).
But fine, the game's in St. Louis, and the younger Molina is a hometown favorite. Plus, the Cardinal is having a very good year, and it's at the catcher position, so there's no huge travesty.
Competitively, though, it hurts because it means Charlie Manuel has to keep the Redbirds' Molina in the game for a good long while. Effectively, the only true All-Star catcher will be a glorified pinch hitter because McCann's the only other donner of the "Tools of Ignorance" on the roster.
Can't really toss him in there in the third inning. What if the game goes 15 frames again? And you've trotted one of your rivals' best players out to squat for the majority of them?
On an "off" day.
Nope, I bet Yadier sees a lot of action.
Regardless, the real injustice here is Pablo Sandoval.
Although eligible for the last man vote or whatever the hell it's called, forcing Little Panda to wait on the side door is an insult enough—one potentially magnified if cyber-ballot-stuffing Philadelphia fans get their guy in (Shane Victorino) or the same from Los Angeles get their way (Matt Kemp).
If this "expert" has his way, prodigal strikeout son and Arizona Diamondback Mark Reynolds will get the nod. Got that?
This jackass wants to vote a guy with 101 whiffs in 301 at-bats an All-Star because his fantasy value is really high. Forget this is a real-world game and the Snakes are potent-but-anemic. What makes it possibly harmful instead of mildly irritating is he's spouting this tripe from Yahoo!, which means he probably represents and/or influences thousands of equally myopic fans.
Guess what happens to guys like Reynolds and, say, Charlie Manuel's pick (Ryan Howard) when they dig in against the kind of aces who populate the Classic in July?
They swing and miss. A lot. Not always, but very, very frequently.
Howard's on the team because his manager had a final decision and—from Manuel's own mouth—the Phillies' skipper wanted him to go.
Awesome.
Hey, I wanted Brian Wilson to go. I wanted Will Clark to go every year he played. Sometimes your guys don't deserve it, and you have to acknowledge that like a big boy.
I know Ryan Howard is a huge home run threat and RBI machine, he's from St. Louis, he's got an MLB commercial about his parents, and he was important last year and blah, blah, blah.
He makes four first basemen since you can't axe Albert Pujols, Adrian Gonzalez, or Prince Fielder. He's improved from a toxic spill to an albatross with the mitt, and like Reynolds, he fans at an atrocious clip—94 K in 310 AB.
Yet he's safely on the squad, and Sandoval's sweating out the last remaining spot. Garbage.
Don't take my word for it; check the numbers—I included Hunter Pence, who was selected by the players, to illustrate no part of the balloting procedure is immune.
Look at the raw stats and tell me how you neglect Little Money. That's before considering Sandoval plays the most premium defensive position of the group and does it slickly.
The only categories on offense Pablo doesn't dominate are in run production, and that's because the San Francisco Giants' offense around him is so anemic. Drop him in a better arsenal or smaller park and watch the counting stats accumulate.
Additionally, Sandoval trails Reynolds and Howard in taters.
That's why there's the Home Run Derby.
As far as hitting, the art of it, Sandoval's got everyone involved beaten. Easily.
Did I mention he's in his first full season and he's not yet 23? Or that he's playing third base, which is a relatively new position, and he's picking the hot corner clean (think I did mention the last bit)? Or that he's been one of the lone offensive stalwarts for the NL Wild Card leaders, a team that's shocking the baseball world outside the Bay Area?
Oh, and Little Panda would be an extra catcher on the NL's roster since it's his natural spot by trade.
I don't say it often, but thank the Maker for Ken Rosenthal.
As much as anyone, I take my shots at Rosenthal, and I admit I'm not a fan of his general approach. However, I've said it before, and I'll say it again—his main purpose is to report inside information, and that he does wonderfully.
Additionally, on this particular matter he is preaching the gospel with his analysis of the slight. Hopefully, more baseball enthusiasts across the nation will heed his wise words than the yahoo at Yahoo!, and we'll see the error corrected.
Of course, I wouldn't be stunned if it's not.
After all, there's a reason our guys haven't won since 1996.
VOTE FOR LITTLE PANDA—DO IT OFTEN.
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