This week, MLB.com released the current All-Star vote leaders for the American League and National League.
The National League seems to be right on in terms of vote leaders. Lance Berkman, Chase Utley, Hanley Ramirez, Chipper Jones, and Geovany Soto are all leading their positions—and deservedly so.
The NL outfield is curious, with Alfonso Soriano, Kosuke Fukudome, and Ken Griffey Jr. leading the balloting. I can understand Fukudome, and Soriano probably garnered a lot of votes with his incredible home stand last week in which he got more hits than there are drunk fans at Wrigley Field—and there are a lot of drunk fans at Wrigley.
Griffey is on there because he's Ken Griffey Jr., and is the only player leading the balloting right now because of who he is.
It's not the NL that I have an issue with—I couldn't believe that Hanley Ramirez, who toils in relative obscurity with the Florida Marlins (despite leading the team to first in the NL East), was beating out big-name NL shortstops such as Jose Reyes, Miguel Tejada, and Jimmy Rollins.
It's the American League that I have a huge problem with.
Let's start with catcher.
Here are my best three offensive catchers in the AL right now:
1. Joe Mauer, MIN: .329 BA, .414 OBP, .816 OPS, 20 RBI
2. Jason Varitek, BOS: .268 BA, .350 OBP, .822 OPS, 6 HR, 19 RBI
3. AJ Pierzynski, CWS: .293 BA, .348 OBP, .793 OPS, 3 HR, 17 RBI
Mauer is third in the balloting, Pierzynski is not in the top five, and Varitek is leading the voting. If Varitek starts the All-Star game, it won't be the biggest travesty of the year, but he's leading a lot on name and team recognition.
So, let's move on to first base. My best three offensive first basemen:
1. Justin Morneau, MIN: .313 BA, .384 OBP, .874 OPS, 8 HR, 39 RBI
2. Kevin Youkilis, BOS: .306 BA, .369 OBP, .918 OPS, 9 HR, 35 RBI
3. Casey Kotchman, LAA: .310 BA, .362 OBP, .835 OPS, 6 HR, 28 RBI
Morneau is second, but is over 200,000 votes behind the leader, Youkilis. Kotchman is nowhere to be seen in the top five. Like at catcher, there is definitely a valid argument for the Red Sox first baseman to start, but 200,000 votes ahead of Morneau? It doesn't take a brain surgeon to figure that one out.
My top-three offensive second basemen:
1. Ian Kinsler, TEX: .294 BA, .347 OBP, .801 OPS, 7 HR, 32 RBI, 15 SB, 0 CS
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2. Brian Roberts, BAL: .262 BA, .352 OPB, .769 OPS, 3 HR, 17 RBI, 13 SB, 4 CS
3. Dustin Pedroia, BOS: .289 BA, .331 OBP, .730 OPS, 2 HR, 27 RBI, 6 SB, 0 CS
This one's no contest. Kinsler is the only second baseman with an OPS over .800; he leads second baseman in home runs, RBI, and steals; and is second in batting average. And, yet, he is exactly 282,354 votes behind the leader, Pedroia. Second in voting is Robinson Cano, he of the magical .276 OBP. Roberts is fourth in the voting.
Now, for third base. Here's my top three:
1. Alex Rodriguez, NYY: .286 BA, .361 OBP, .899 OPS, 7 HR, 17 HR
2. Joe Crede, CWS: .269 BA, .337 OBP, .810 OPS, 8 HR, 28 RBI
3. Alex Gordon, KC: .281 BA, .361 OBP, .786 OPS, 5 HR, 20 RBI
Of course, Rodriguez is leading the voting—deservedly so. He has name recognition not only because he plays for the Yankees, but because he's the best player in the game today—quite possibly the best player since Willie Mays retired.
There's never a problem with A-Rod starting at the hot corner in the All-Star game, especially on his home turf. Crede is fourth in the voting and Gordon is not in the top five.
In second? Mike Lowell, of course. Yes, he won the 2007 World Series MVP, but his OBP is .315 right now.
At shortstop, a disclaimer: Derek Jeter should be starting this game. It's the All-Star game in Yankee Stadium's final year, and Jeter is the consummate Yankee. Also, Jeter has the best offensive stats of any shortstop in the AL right now.
I also don't have a problem with DH—David Ortiz has the best stats of any designated hitter, a "position" that actually hasn't put up great numbers across the board in the American League. However, he's likely leading more on name recognition than his 12 home runs, 40 RBI, and .838 OPS.
So, let's move on to the outfield. Along with second base, this is where the real problem is. The top three offensive outfielders:
1. Josh Hamilton, TEX: .329 BA, .371 OBP, .974 OPS, 13 HR, 58 RBI
2. Carlos Quentin, CWS: .296 BA, .402 OBP, .988 OPS, 14 HR, 47 RBI
3. Milton Bradley, TEX: .329 BA, .438 OBP, 1.007 OPS, 8 HR, 28 RBI
So, who's leading the balloting? You'd be crazy to think any of these players are in the top three, let alone top five. Manny Ramirez, Ichiro, and Vladimir Guerrero would be starting the All-Star game if the voting stays the same.
Ichiro narrowly missed my top three (mainly because I was so impressed with Bradley's OPS) and would be a fine starter for the AL. However, Ramirez and Guerrero over Hamilton and Quentin?
Ramirez is having himself a fine season with nine home runs, 35 RBI, a .376 OBP, and an .881 OPS. However, when compared to Hamilton's stats, Ramirez looks more like Roger Cedeno.
Guerrero is having a down year, with seven home runs, 28 RBI, a .321 OBP and a .764 OPS. Now, glance back up at Quentin's stats. If you were guilty of voting for Guerrero, shame on you.
Granted, Quentin isn't even on the ballot—another problem I have with it. MLB doesn't revise the All-Star ballots. You can vote Jacque Jones into the All-Star game for the American League despite the fact that he's currently with the Florida Marlins, and Jerry Owens could become the first player to ever make the Midsummer Classic without getting an at-bat at the MLB level.
However, even if Quentin got on the ballot, he probably couldn't beat out the establishment of Guerrero/Ramirez/Ichiro.
If Hamilton isn't starting the All-Star game, it would be a huge point for people who want the vote taken away from the fans—like me.
It's no coincidence that the NL will be starting the best players.
There isn't a team like the Red Sox or Yankees in the NL that gets the kind of attention that those teams do—and, if the Mets do get that kind of attention, it's pretty negative right now.
If MLB really wants the All-Star game to "count," they can't seriously give the vote to fans who will just see "NYY" or "BOS" and punch their ballots for them. If the game should count, then only the best players should be playing and starting in the game. Seven of the AL's starters likely will be from either Boston or New York.
Just because they play in overexposed markets doesn't mean they're the best players.
I think I speak for a lot of baseball fans who live west of the Hudson when I say that I don't want to watch a team of mostly Yankees and Red Sox taking on the National League. I want to watch the young, exciting hitters, guys who maybe haven't been to an All-Star game before, guys who are in awe of the whole event play.
But, as long as ESPN keeps focusing on the Yankees and Red Sox, we won't see that.
And, because of that, we'll be seeing Josh Hamilton riding the pine for most of the 2008 All-Star game.
That's just not right.
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3 months ago
not bad. from covering the philliesi know that j-roll is not in there because of his DL stunt. if he keeps up the numbers since he got off he will be seen. there are a lot of great players. P.S. everyone give chris coste as many write ins as possible. he is surely the most deserving nl catcher. look at his stats then look at his story.
from 3 months ago
Those are very impressive seeing as he's a 30something rookie, but over Soto/McCann? It's a nice story, but both those guys are more deserving than he is.
from 3 months ago
Keep in mind, J-Roll did not even make the All-Star game last year. Not only was he not voted in, but he was never appointed as a backup. It makes Major League Baseball look horrible when their season MVP did not even make the All Star Game
3 months ago
No, the nice story is that Geo Soto is going to be the first rookie catcher to ever start for the NL in the midsummer classic!
Nice article JJ, can't say that I'm going to be very attentive to your White Sox articles, but I think you're very talented at sports writing. I'm actually thinking about majoring in journalism, unfortunately, I don't think that I have the grades or the talent that you had that got you into Mizzou...
from 3 months ago
He's been huge in that Cubs lineup. Once Ramirez really comes around, it's going to be scary to face the middle of that order...
And it's not like you HAVE to go to Mizzou to get a good journalism education...but you can get one AND watch a damn good football team there while you're at it.
3 months ago
Good article. A lot of good points on that AL Ballot and always loved to see things packed with statistics. And having Hamilton not as a starter would be a true slap in the face, to someone having one of, if not the best first half of the season.
from 3 months ago
Hamilton's first half truly has been incredible. A Cubs fan friend of mine brought up the fact that the Cubs actually had Hamilton before the 2007 season...think if they still had him now. Soriano/Hamilton/Fukudome? That'd be an unstoppable outfield.
from 3 months ago
As a die hard Cubs fan, that would have been a great outfield to see, but the Cubs never really had him. Hamilton was available in the Rule 5 Draft when the Cubs came up at Number 3 overall. They didn't want anyone and you can't trade the pick the Reds came to Chicago and asked if they could "buy the pick", essentially the Cubs still picked him, but the trade was already done. Plus Lou had been named the Cubs Managers by then and since Hamilton had walked out on Lou with the D-Rays in 2003, they probably were still worried about drug issues and if he'd gotten his life in order. Anyway last off-season the Cubs still tried to make a deal to acquire him, from what I understand, that included Sean Marshall and another player.
If either they had drafted him or gotten him in the trade, the Cubs' outfield would be unbelievable.
from 3 months ago
Makes sense. I knew it had something to do with rule 5 and there wasn't a feasible way for them to keep him.
I didn't know about that possible deal involving Marshall, though. That's pretty interesting—but I can see why Cincinnati took Volquez over Marshall.
Although, you have to wonder, if the Cubs had Hamilton...would they still have signed Fukudome? If not, he probably would have gone to the White Sox, and the Sox may not have needed Swisher, and would still have Gio Gonzalez & Fautino De Los Santos...hhhmmm...
3 months ago
I think the MLB players themselves should vote on who's an All-Star.
from 3 months ago
MLB players already have a say in who will be a reserve, but not who's starting. If the vote is taken away from the fans, then MLB should give it to players and coaches.
3 months ago
Thank God someone wrote this article. I spent part of the day trying to think of a way to write this article, but I'm glad you put it in here. Josh Hamilton has to be an All-Star Game starter or baseball's midsummer classic will be no more, and it will be the same as the NBA All-Star Game, entertainment not sport. However, you can't do that, since Bud Selig pronounced the winner of the game wins home-field advantage for their league, you have to put the best players out there. Thats why the vote should be left up to Players, Managers, GMs, Sports Writers, and a panel of Bleacher Report writers. And Steven is right, this gamke is for the fans, then don't the fans deserve to see the best players in baseball play???
from 3 months ago
Hamilton will make the game, but not start. If he doesn't, maybe it'll finally be the wake-up call MLB needs to take the vote away from the fans OR stop making the All-Star game count. This current system is just stupid—like most of the fans who voted for Dustin Pedroia over Ian Kinsler or Manny/Vlad over Josh Hamilton.
from 3 months ago
Yeah I'm not worried about him not getting an all-star selection, can't see any way that won't happen. I just think he truly deserves the start, and if not then he will follow in Hank Blalock, Alfonso Soriano, and Michael Young's shoes of late-inning heroics at the midsummer classic.
from 3 months ago
Funny, isn't it? The Texas Rangers—THE TEXAS RANGERS—have decided the outcomes of three of the last five All-Star games.
3 months ago
The problem is this.. The starter thing in theory is good, in the NBA it works fine.
But in the NBA they are only voting for five starters, and typically all the guys getting voted into starting spots deserve it, and that leaves like six or so sports to give the people who do deserve a chance.
In the MLB, it just doesn't make sense. There are too many starters to have a vote and let it equal out. Because the fan bases in Boston and New York are so juiced, the players and managers can't make up for the dumb mistakes the fans make.
I've never liked the system.. I'm a fan and I want to see the best players.. On occasion something like Jeter's situation, even if he was having a sub-par year, OKAY let him in. But like I just don't enjoy this system. Especially with homefield advantage on the line, it can't be about what the fans want, it had to be about what gives each side the best chance to win the game.
The MLB has to make a decision. Do you want a game for the fans or do you want a game to mean something?
I agree with just about all of your players up there JJ, they all deserve it. I really don't care about the starters, as long as they deserve it and no one else gets snubbed.. But I have a sneak suspicion some really good players are not gonna make it this year, and it could be the year there is a massive uproar about it. Look at the AL and all the "under the radar" guys that are having great years. Someone who has no business missing out on the game is gonna miss it.
from 3 months ago
"Someone who has no business missing out on the game is gonna miss it."
That's a big issue with it. If Ramirez, Guerrero, and Pedroia start undeservedly, somebody good is going to get left off the reserves.
3 months ago
A couple of things, you contradict yourself a few times:
-first by stating the NL voting is fine and the AL voting isn't, when the voting is exactly the same
-second by stating the problem is Yankees and Red Sox shouldn't be there, then stating Varitek, A-Rod and Jeter should be there
Stating ESPN should stop showing Yankees and Red Sox games, which always pull highest ratings, isn't offering a logical solution. You clearly don't speak for the masses by stating Red Sox and Yankees shouldn't be there if they are leading the votes in seven categories. Try offering a true solution, such as what you would do to fix the issue, because all I see is that you have a problem with AL fans.
Also, using OPS as a stat is a pretty outdated way to attempt to make your argument. Youkilis has the highest VORP of any 1b by a landslide. Hamilton and Bradley may also be negated by smart fans who understand they are aided by playing in a hitter's park. As far as Ramirez, you're way off on your analysis, his VORP (15.2) places him 42nd in MLB, in line with Ichiro and BJ Upton, and behind Quentin, Hamilton & Bradley, but also far behind Magglio and Hideki, whom you don't even mention.
from 3 months ago
Hitter's park or not, Josh Hamilton should start at the All-Star Game. He's hitting .329 and his OPS is that high. What a lot of baseball fans seem to forget is that not every game is played at your home park. If that was true, the Cubs would be starting six positions for the All-Star Game.
JJ's right. The media shows a multitude of Red Sox vs. Yankees games, so that's what the cable-watching public is going to see; ESPN talks up the players and the rivalry (how many times have I heard the phrase "Manny being Manny" in the last two years?); they lead the highlights on Sportscenter 60 to 70 percent of the time during baseball season, and boom--people are saturated with those images. It's not a matter of opinion, it's the truth. We journalism majors know what's up.
Here's what you missed, Todd:
-the voting system in both leagues are the same; he's saying there is a much higher slant towards New England in the AL.
-He says that Varitek should be starting stat-wise, A-Rod should at least be there, and that Jeter should basically get the token invite as he's the face of the Yankees and always consistent, no matter what the Pinstripers are doing. What he's saying is that Dustin Pedroia and Robinson Cano should not be as high as they are in their respective categories, and that other Yankees/Red Sox players are just getting name votes, not stat votes. Feel me?
It's like that, and that's the way it is.
from 3 months ago
^^^What he said. You saved me a boatload of time, Chris.
from 3 months ago
Also, what I was saying about Varitek, A-Rod, Jeter, Youkilis is that yes, they may deserve to start stat-wise, but likely are starting because they play for Boston or New York and get that kind of attention, too.
from 3 months ago
Stick up for journalism majors all you want, it doesn't really make a lot of sense within the argument - especially, as others are stating, since you say the NL is fine, but then the same thing is happening in the NL with Cubs players getting more votes and Pirates players getting less votes specifically. That is just how it works. Anyone who understands All-Star voting knows that while Josh Hamilton is having a nice season, he clearly hasn't reached star status and isn't nearly the star people want to see. Its an all-star game, not "best half season" game. People want to see their favorite players, not players having nice seasons.
If you disagree with this, decide what the solution should be, as the NFL has proven that taking votes away from the fans doesn't necessarily produce better results. Again, I'll state it, you don't offer any solution in the article, simply state the problem. This, again, makes me question your journalistic aspirations.
As far as the "New England" argument - you're talking chicken vs. the egg with Red Sox and Yankees coverage - is the media slamming those teams down the throats of fans, hence creating more Yankees and Red Sox fans...or are there just more Yankees and Red Sox fans in the sport, hence the media just showing the fans the teams they want to see? Again, if a Red Sox-Orioles, or Yankees-A's game will grab ratings, simply because people like to watch the Red Sox or Yankees, they aren't going to show a Nationals-Giants game instead just to show the value of the diversity of baseball. Try to understand that baseball is a business, money comes before anything else, ever.
from 3 months ago
"People want to see their favorite players, not players having nice seasons."
Which is why the vote should be taken away from the fans if MLB wants to make the game count. I'll admit that I skimmed over the NL, but the NL outfield is more off than I originally thought. Braun/McClouth/Ludwick should be the starters there, not Soriano/Griffey/Fukudome. Those three probably have got most of their votes because of name recognition.
I wouldn't have an issue with the voting if the game didn't count. I could care less if the entire game was all Yankees and Red Sox so long as it didn't matter. That's what you're missing about my argument—it's only being made because MLB is stupid enough to make the game count and still give the vote to the fans.
I guess I didn't make it clear enough in my article—either MLB takes the vote away from the fans and lets the game count or they let the fans keep the vote but don't make the game count. I thought my entire argument supported that, but I guess some people didn't catch it. Either of those two options would be better for the game. I don't think I can make it more clear than that.
And while there are a lot of Red Sox and Yankees fans—mainly Yankees—the Red Sox have gained a LOT of fans over the years because ESPN has shoved that franchise down our throats. Yes, they've won two World Series in the last four years, but where's the coverage for the White Sox? The Cardinals? The Angels? They all get buried in ESPN highlights and are rarely discussed in depth, usually getting bumped for discussion about, say, Joba Chamberlain or Curt Schilling. It's got to the point for me—and, I'm sure I'm not alone here—where I'm starting to tune out all the Red Sox babble on ESPN. Does it get ratings? Yes, yes it does. But if ESPN wans to consider themselves journalists, they can't pander like that.
3 months ago
Outstanding piece of analysis. Great job! (Even though I seriously dislike baseball)
from 3 months ago
Well thanks, Adam. Like Matt said below me—it's like this in other sports. But, the difference with baseball is that the winner of the All-Star game actually gets home field advantage for the World Series...
3 months ago
Fans should definitely be banned from voting for the All-Star Game. I hate to see people get voted in when in reality they are a cut above average. Remember back when Nomar Garciaparra led the shortstop position when he hadn't even played a game?
from 3 months ago
That was a fun time. While it hasn't been AS horrible as in years past, the fact that Hamilton and Kinsler won't get to start in this year's All-Star game is nothing but a travesty.
3 months ago
All star voting in every sport is ridiculous. As bad as it may be in the MLB, which I don't follow closely, I'm sure it's worse in the NBA. Most fans don't know enough and don't follow the regular season enough. Good point in writing an article about this because it can definitely be seen across all sports in which the fans have the vote.
from 3 months ago
Exactly, Matt—which is why it's just dumb to have the MLB game actually count for something.
3 months ago
You are so right! Thanks for posting this. My guys Kinsler and Hamilton are getting killed in the voting. Great article.
3 months ago
JJ, I couldn't agree more. It's obnoxious in the NL too. Ludwick not being an All-Star would be a crock of you-know-what. Hallelujah holla back.
from 3 months ago
I did kind of skim over it in the NL, but Bruan and Ludwick should be starting over Soriano and Fukudome without a doubt.
from 3 months ago
Maybe Soriano... But I'm going to disagree with you on Fukudome...
3 months ago
Yeah the fact that the MLB All-Star game counts for home field in the World Series is a joke. At least David Stern and the NBA aren't dumb enough to pull that.
3 months ago
Josh Hamilton, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, Alex Gordon, Dan Uggla, and Nate McClouth all are helping destroy teams in my fantasy league.
Sad that maybe only 1 of them may make the all-star team.
So what can be done? Make those paper ballots at the ball park digital. Provide up to date stats with them, possibly handheld. Yes a little far fetched right now, but within 10 years I can see it happening, especially with the stadiums incorporating WiFi.
Sadly nearly every person at the stadiums (Oakland and SF I've been to) is over 40 or 50 filling those things out, and they just base it off their knowledge of baseball from 3 years ago. Or they are just Red Sox/Yankee band wagoners (the wagon is getting heavy everyone, start rooting for someone who needs attendance like Florida, WSH, Pitt, or even SF and Oakland no one is going to these games either).
So what to do about the people playing fantasy baseball and actually know the real numbers?
MLB should involve some sort of program integrated on the face of users lineups for fantasy baseball. Probably through the top 3 fantasy baseball leagues, ESPN, Yahoo, and MLB.com.
Make it quick and easy, not even a link. Just make it have a mini ballot to be able to vote for players on your own fantasy baseball team be able to pick 3 offensive players and 3 pitchers from your own team.
Then if they care that much be able vote for other players on their opposition, trust me I know the week Lance Berkman was crushing against my fantasy ball club, deservingly so I would vote for his all-star status.
Fantasy owners know who is doing well for their team and who deserves the vote.
Fantasy owners (aka myself) just don't have the mindset to go and vote for players, make it accessible immediately on my team where I am the most on the internet. I am not googling "mlb allstar voting" its not on the top of my mind. This is sadly the way the future is going, but instead of arguing against it, lets embrace it. Its the future like it or not :)
Sadly my own system would not help my offensive machine with my before mentioned players. Thanks guys keep it up!
from 3 months ago
That's actually an interesting idea of putting digital voting booths at the parks. Problem is, if just 5,000 people voted at 50 of these stations, that's still 100 people voting at each station. If they're looking over live, up-to-date stats, it might take as long as five minutes to vote, so there would be huge lines.
But I like the way you think. If fans had quick and easy access to stats of these players, there's no way guys like Kinsler, Hamilton, McClouth, Ludwick, Morneau, Mauer, and Quentin wouldn't be getting more votes.
3 months ago
oh yeah great article man.
3 months ago
Great analysis on the AL, JJ, and what you said about those players you mentioned is true, but I wish you would've mentioned the same problem is going on in the NL. For example, here in Pittsburgh, the best-hitting outfield in baseball roams the grass at PNC Park, and neither Nate McLouth, Jason Bay, or Xavier Nady are any higher than eleventh in the voting. We're talking about a group of guys who are among the best of every outfield in hits, batting average, home runs, RBI, slugging, on-base percentage, OPS, and total bases, yet no recognition of how well they've performed has surfaced in terms of the media or the All-Star voting. Why, you ask? Because they play for the Pirates. Problems like this are equally as unfair.
from 3 months ago
It really is a shame, and you're right—the NL starting outfield should include at least McClouth.
3 months ago
I don't think it's a big problem. The deserving players who missed out will be added as reserves and, as was stated, it's for the fans.
Your point about the game counting is something you should drive home earlier in the piece, as it's the main thing that lends credence to your argument.
Still, deciding home-field advantage for the World Series might as well be a coin flip, anyway, because records in different leagues aren't exactly comparable. A team that emerges from a tougher division in a tougher league is usually going to have a record disadvantage compared to a team in a weak division.
When that is compounded by a 162-game schedule with peaks, valleys, and injuries, a team with a one- or two-game record advantage shouldn't necessarily get home-field advantage, either.
Maybe it would be better to have total interleague record decide the advantage, but Selig and his compatriots aren't stupid. The All-Star game needed a pick-me-up to regain some importance, because the two sides stopped playing for pride a long time ago.
3 months ago
The only reason the Cubs drafted Hamilton last year is because they already had an agreement with the Reds that they would draft him, immediatley sell him to the reds. Nobody really had a clue since he was dealing with drug issues.
As for the balloting. Watching Soriano here in Chicago, I really dont think hes playing like an all-star. He had a great 10 days, but otherwise, he was horrible during April, a butcher in the OF. The surprise in AL is the OF. The WhiteSox have Jerry Owens on the ballot. Quentin should be the starter in AL OF. The guy is amazing. Ditto for Hamilton.
3 months ago
This is sad...but very true. How can MLB say that it "counts" when all the players in essence ARE elected based on who they are, not on how they play? Especially for something as important as home field advantage in the World Series.
3 months ago
i dont mind the fans voting - the problem is that "it counts." let the fans see who they want to see. but it is a meaningless exhibition game. that it determines something as important as home field advantage is simply absurd.
from 3 months ago
Exactly. This article wouldn't be here if the game didn't count.
3 months ago
The other thing that would be great is if they printed out a stats sheet that they could put next to the all-star ballots. I wish younger players/more unknown players had a better chance to get voted in, but that's just the nature of fan voting. It's not the perfect scenario, but it engages the fans, and it only is for the starting lineup.
I am, however, a big fan of this game "counting" in terms of World series home-field. It gives me another reason to watch the all-star game and actually pay attention to it. Before it was just an exhibition. Now, at least there's some faux meaning to it, making it an exhibition game with a big rooting interest. The fact is that before this, home-field alternated between leagues every year. If an NL team was lucky enough to be good during an odd-numbered year, they would get home-field, vice versa for an AL team. If you want to make the World Series based on something like interleague record or better yet whichever WS team had a better record, I would definitely listen. But compared to alternating years, this is a better solution.
3 months ago
I think they should just have the team with the better regular season record out of the two WS teams get home field advantage... but the All-Star game is for fans.
Hell, I'll tell you as much- I've never heard of half of these guys you're talking about. Kinsler? Who? You think I'm kidding... well I'm not. And frankly I don't care to find out who he is either.
No, I'm a football fan- I'd get it right in the NFL, but I don't give a damn about baseball. When I do watch, I want to see Vlad and Manny play- not some unknown who's having a great year. Why do I care?
But as you say, a vote from a guy like me means a lot less than for a real baseball fan. So take away the fact that the game actually matters- it shouldn't.
Good article.
from 3 months ago
By allowing the fans to vote, MLB is trying to draw in the casual fan to watch the game, by billing Manny, A-Rod, Jeter, Vlad, and Ichiro on the promos. I understand that, if MLB wants the casual fan to watch, these are the guys who are going to have to play. However, to make it count really is just absurd. Either make the game count and take the vote away from the fans or let the fans keep the vote and revert it back to a glorified exhibition.
3 months ago
I think that the fan vote should stay, but I also feel that the players, coaches, GMs, owners and writers should all have a say in it.
I think that keeping the fans involved but just having their votes count on a lower scale than those of people involved with the league itself.
For example, for every one vote that a fan submits, a vote submitted by a player/coach/GM/owner/writer would be worth _____ times as much as the fan's vote.
That way, the fans can stay involved in it but also the people that truly eat, sleep and breathe baseball truly have more of a say and are as a result more influential in deciding who starts and who doesn't.
from 3 months ago
Scott, I tend to agree. If World Series homefield advantage weren't tied to the game's result (I still can't decipher the logic behind this), I'd be all for a fans-only vote.
But since the game has some meaning, baseball professionals (the players, coaches, GMs and baseball writers) should have a voice.
There's too much at stake in October. Having that last AB is so critical...
3 months ago
FYI, Hamilton is now second in voting.
from 3 months ago
And yet, he's still nearly 350,000 votes behind Manny. Kinsler is still nowhere in sight, over 360,000 votes behind Pedroia.
3 months ago
you drive me crazy with this garbage. Manny is 8th in AL outfielders in VORP, and 4 of the 6 between him and Hamilton, you don't even mention in your article as snubs, while Bradley has only played 8 games in the field this season, the rest at DH.
from 3 months ago
Well, I'm sorry we all aren't baseball savants who use VORP and mathematical formulas to explain the game. Yeesh.
from 3 months ago
And Bradley playing just eight games in the field this year is just another reason why MLB should edit the ballot if necessary.
3 months ago
seems as though fans base their voting on consistent performance over the long-term (and name recognition, to an extent) instead of who's doing the best over the past couple months; if you ask me, that's what the game should be about; all-star voting starts only a month into the season, when the great numbers of a kinsler or hamilton could be a flash in the pan or a statistical fluke; i think it should take a little more to get voted on than great numbers in april and may
let's compromise; if you want to talk about numbers, at the very least aggregate those of april and may 08 with those of the second half of 07. if not, then you're extoling players who do great in the beginning of the year (when it doesnt count as much) and inherently disadvantaging the pedroias, youkilises, who come up big in the pennant race (and post-season, which fans recognize should count for a lot- hence the prevalence of sox at the top of the ballot)
3 months ago
and tagging stats to the ballot is a ridiculous idea
3 months ago
digital voting booths-yeah right
ok say it takes 3 minutes to vote (if we want people to actually think about it)
game lasts 150 minutes, roughly
30,000 fans at a game
each booth can allow for 50 votes
how many booths do you need to allow everyone to vote once
600
at a cost of $2000 a piece
we're at $1,200,000
across 30 parks
$36 million
i'll grant that not every fan votes, so it maybe be an order of magnitude less-but still $3.6 million to get 'more informed" votes; its not that important
2 months ago
Well, I pretty much disagree with this article. Tek SHOULD be catching. The best there is out there right now, hands down. Arod, definitely. He deserves it, no questing. Jeter????? The most overrated bozo in modern baseball era. I love Manny, but the love is felt at home plate, not the field. Pedroia, definitely. Youk? Naahh. Yep, pretty much a Red Sox All Star team, which only means that......NL is gonna lose. The author is right on one count, though. There isn't a team in the NL that gets the attention the Sox or Yankees do right now. Wonder why???
from 2 months ago
And why should Varitek be starting over Joe Mauer? And Pedroia over Kinsler? I'm curious to see your reasoning behind this.
2 months ago
First of all if you take the all star voting from the fans who are you going to leave it too the writers. Players not in certain writers favor might not make it in. The all-star game is an exhibition game in the middle of the season, an exhibition game that’s all. Every year we have this cry from writers and some fans to take the vote away from fans because you have some fans that are not knowledgeable enough to vote. I cant believe the same fans that vote fro our leaders in government cant be trusted to vote for the starting line up for an exhibition baseball game in the middle of the summer. The very fact that baseball decided, a few years ago, to have their all-star game significant is a travesty. It is an exhibition game it is not suppose to mean anything.
The ones that cry every year about who didn’t make the team it are not the true fans. Baseball is not the match up sport that football and basketball are. There are no Russell and Chamberlain battles in baseball. No Deion Sanders vs. Jerry Rice match ups. They joy of the all-star game is watching Albert Puljos bat against Mike Mussina, not the other way around (which in most games turns out to favor the pitchers). There are those that want to abolish the each team-represented rule. Which goes against the traditional aspect of the game I assume the people in Pittsburgh and Cincinnati wouldn’t mind seeing the best player on their respective teams in the game. No one will ever get it right. Because first we are only human and second no matter who is chosen, by fans or other wise, somebody valuable will be absent. If you judge by states alone who belongs on the team you will never get it right for there are only so many spots on the roster once you get past the one player for every team rule. I for one, as a Chicago sports fan, wish this rule were in place in basketball. The Bulls’ last all star representative was Michael Jordan.
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