MLB All-Star Game: Fan Voting Will Ruin Summer Classic

When the AL All-Star votes came out a few days ago, I was very disappointed.  A big-city bias has turned the summer classic into a popularity contest rather than a great baseball game.

I think fan voting does have some positives, such as globally expanding baseball and reviving interest in the game. However, if the All-Star Game decides homefield advantage in the World Series, the average fan cannot be trusted to pick the starters.

The job of picking the starters must be left up to the players and coaches. Fan voting can have some role, but such an enormous event such as starting an All-Star game cannot be decided by the fans. Maybe letting the fans have 25% of the vote is more appropriate, or terminating the rule for deciding home field through the all-star game.

Here are some examples of players whom I believed are snubbed:

Here are two players, Player A's stats look ordinary, but not spectacular. Player B looks like a potential Triple Crown candidate. Yet player A has substantially more votes than Player B. Any ideas who is who?

	Avg	H	HR	RBI	R	OBP	SLG	OPS	SB
Player A	.292	57	9	34	31	.378	.503	.881	1
Player B	.324	72	13	58	35	.369	.595	.964	2

Player A is none other than Manny Ramirez, and Player B is Josh Hamilton. Obviously Hamilton is rather new to the show, but his numbers are still unworldly—and worthy of an All-Star starter's spot. Even though Ramirez' numbers are decent, they are not worth more than the nearly 310,000 votes he received over Hamilton.

Many factors contribute to a flaw like this for All-Star voting. Obviously, Ramirez has been around longer, and is one of the game's best hitters. Also, he is a fan favorite and a character that baseball has not seen in quite a while. The fact that he is chasing 500 home runs plays a factor.

But what really get me pissed off is the fact the name on the front of his jersey is blocking the way for young stars such as Hamilton. His big-market team propels Ramirez to the top of the outfield votes in the AL.  In fact, Ichiro is the only "small market" starter who has a starting position in the AL at the moment.

The NL is not as bad as the AL, however there are a few flaws, that over the course of time will hopefully be corrected.