2011 MLB All-Star Game: 9 Reasons All-Star Voting Needs to Stay with the Fans

Ever since 1933, when Chicago Tribune sports editor Arch Ward conceived of the idea of bringing baseball’s best players from each league together to play in an All-Star Game, Major League Baseball and its fans have enjoyed the annual spectacle of seeing their favorite stars performing against other legendary players.

The Midsummer Classic has indeed seen some memorable moments, from Fred Lynn’s grand-slam home run in the 1983 All-Star Game, the only one ever hit in All-Star Game history, to Carl Hubbell, who in the 1934 All-Star Game struck out five batters in succession who were destined for the Hall of Fame.

Each year, through fan voting which has been in place since 1970 (fans voted for starting players from 1947-1957, and players, coaches and managers voted for starters between 1958-1969), there are always arguments that players have been selected by fans to start the All-Star Game who seemingly don’t deserve to start over other more deserving players.

While this notion certainly has its merits, opponents argue that the popularity of the All-Star Game has its very roots in getting the fans involved through the voting process.

In 2011, New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter was selected by the fans to be the AL starting shortstop, which again raised questions as to why fans should continue selecting starters. Jeter is currently hitting just .258, a full 54 points below his career average of .312. However as of Friday morning, he is now only two hits shy of the 3,000 hit mark, an achievement that only 27 other players in MLB history has attained.

Many players throughout the history of the All-Star Game have been voted as starters who may be having seasons that are not All-Star worthy—the vast majority of these cases involved veteran players who were the best of the best for many years whom fans still wanted to see play in the Midsummer Classic.

Fans need to be given the right to continue selecting the starters for the MLB All-Star Game, and here are nine reasons why.

Doug Mead is a featured columnist with Bleacher Report. His work has been featured on the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, SF Gate, CBS Sports, the Los Angeles Times and the Houston Chronicle. Follow Doug on Twitter, @Sports_A_Holic.

1. Fans Would Have Been Robbed of the Heroics of Cal Ripken in 2001

In June 2001, Baltimore Orioles shortstop/third baseman Cal Ripken announced he was retiring from baseball after 21 seasons. Ripken, who had broken Lou Gehrig’s record for consecutive games played in 1995, was voted by the fans to start at third base for the American League one month later.

By any standards, Ripken was not having a good year in 2001, hitting only .217 with four homers and 25 RBI when All-Star fan balloting ended. By comparison, Anaheim Angels third baseman Troy Glaus had gotten off to an outstanding start that year, with 21 HR and 52 RBI by the end of June.

In the first inning of the All-Star Game, starting shortstop Alex Rodriguez insisted Ripken move back to short, the position Ripken had manned for much of his career. Later, in the third inning, Ripken homered to left in his first plate appearance and was later selected as the All-Star MVP, becoming only the fourth player in history to win multiple All-Star MVP honors (1991, 2001).

Had Ripken not been selected by the fans to start in that particular game, they would have been robbed of one of the more memorable All-Star appearances in history.

2. Taking Fan Selection Away Results in Lack of Interest

In 1957, Cincinnati Reds fans participated in a ballot-stuffing scheme designed to ensure almost all Reds position players were selected as starters in the ’57 Midsummer Classic. Indeed, seven Reds starters were selected by fans—first baseman George Crowe was outvoted by Hall of Famer Stan Musial.

In an investigation, MLB commissioner Ford Frick found that more than half of the votes tabulated came from the Cincinnati area, and the Cincinnati Enquirer went so far as to print thousands of pre-marked ballots for fans to stuff ballot boxes with. It was also reported at the time that bars would not serve drinks to patrons until they filled out All-Star ballots with Reds players.

As a result of the investigation, Frick removed center fielder Gus Bell and right fielder Wally Post from their starting positions and installed future Hall of Fame players Willie Mays and Hank Aaron in their spots. Frick also suspended fan voting for All-Star starters and gave the decision to players and managers, a practice that remained in place until 1970.

While ballot-stuffing at the time was certainly an issue, Frick’s resulting decision caused a decisive lack of interest in the All-Star Game. Fans’ interest had waned because they no longer had a vested interest in the selection process, and MLB had also watered down the game by scheduling two All-Star Games between the 1959-1962 seasons. In 1970, MLB reinstated fan voting for position players, due in large part to earn back the fans’ interest once again.

3. The MLB All-Star Game Is an Exhibition for the Benefit of the Fans

In spite of MLB’s contention in its advertising that the All-Star Game counts, in the fans’ eyes it clearly doesn’t.

When Chicago Tribune sports editor Arch Ward came up with the original idea of the All-Star Game back in 1933, it was to be played as an exhibition game that coincided with the 1933 World’s Fair in Chicago.

Ward’s idea—to pit the best of the best from each league against each other—was part of a traditional exhibition, the World’s Fair, and because of its popularity as an exhibition has remained in place for 79 years.

The game does indeed count now, since MLB reached an agreement with the players' union to award home-field advantage for the World Series to the league that wins the All-Star Game. The merits of that decision can certainly be debated in another forum.

However, for the fans, it’s an opportunity to see their favorite players perform in an exhibition game that is meaningless as far as standings or statistics are concerned.

4. Fan Selection Is a Popularity Contest—Get over It!

There have been numerous articles and opinions generated over the past several days, many of them objecting to the selection of New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter being selected by the fans over Cleveland Indians shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera and Detroit Tigers shortstop Jhonny Peralta.

As of Friday morning, Jeter is just two hits shy of the exclusive 3,000 hit mark, an achievement only 27 previous players in baseball history have ever obtained. Jeter, in fact, would become the first Yankee ever to do so.

The fact that Jeter’s expected 3,000th hit could come just days before the All-Star Game is of particular note. Yes, both Cabrera and Peralta have had much better seasons statistically than Jeter has—of that fact there is no debate.

Honoring players for past achievements is part of the voting process for fans. As mentioned in an earlier slide, legendary ironman Cal Ripken, Jr. was selected by the fans in 2001, and in previous years Brooks Robinson, Rod Carew, Wade Boggs, Reggie Jackson, Ozzie Smith and Johnny Bench were all selected by fans during seasons when they were clearly not the best players at their particular position.

In many ways, yes, it is a popularity contest. Cabrera and Peralta will have their chance to shine in the spotlight. This year, it’s the Jeter Meter that’s getting the nod by the fans, and rightfully so.

5. Fans Have Earned—and Paid—for the Right to Vote for All-Star Starters

The All-Star Game has become more of a three-day event as opposed to a three-hour exhibition game. The upcoming All-Star weekend in Phoenix commences with the All-Star Futures Game, followed by the Home Run Derby, followed by the All-Star Game itself Tuesday, July 12.

These three events are well-attended by fans who pay exorbitant prices just for the right to attend the events. All of the concessions, side events connected to the All-Star Game and the three nights of baseball activities themselves are paid for and attended by fans.

Considering the fact the fans are paying a significantly higher amount of money than a regular baseball game that means something in the standings, they have every right to have a say in who starts the game.

6. Manager and Player Selection of All-Stars Just as Flawed as Fan Selection

While publications and websites continue to rail against the selection by fans of Derek Jeter as the starting shortstop for the American League, addressed in an earlier slide, many others are also questioning the decision of National League All-Star manager Bruce Bochy’s selection of three of his own pitchers from the San Francisco Giants, most notably Ryan Vogelsong.

Vogelsong (6-1, 2.13 ERA) had not won a game in the majors since 2005 and had gone a span of 2,412 days between 2005-2011 without a win. In fact, Vogelsong hadn’t even appeared in the majors since 2006.

The other two Giants starters selected by Bochy, Tim Lincecum (6-7, 3.14 ERA) and Matt Cain (7-5, 3.22 ERA), are not having the best statistical years of their careers either.

However, Bochy has the right to select nine discretionary picks, and he chose his three pitchers, leaving many to question his decision. Much the same way others are questioning the fans’ selection of Derek Jeter.

7. TV Ratings Would Tank Even More Without Fan All-Star Selection Process

In 2010, the MLB All-Star Game suffered from low viewership, garnering a 9.1 rating/15 share for the prime-time portion (8:30-11 p.m.) of the game, a 12 percent drop from the previous season.

Try taking away the fan selection process and see how much the ratings really tank. Somehow I don’t think FOX or MLB would be very appreciative.

8.Fan Selection for All-Star Starters Generates Interest for Younger Fans

Current fan voting for the All-Star starters each year gives all fans a voice—especially younger fans who feel connected to the game by being a part of the process itself.

Many times I have witnessed fathers going over All-Star ballots with their children, encouraging them to vote for their favorite player. The process also allows fans to be engaged in the voting process for several weeks, giving all fans the opportunity to have their voice, or their vote, heard.

9.Fans Deserve to See Future Hall of Famers Regardless of Age or Skills

Sometime this coming weekend, New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter will reach the magical 3,000 hit mark. Jeter has been voted the starting shortstop for the American League for the sixth year in a row—by fans who want to witness greatness.

In 1992, Dick Groch, a New York Yankees scout at the time, was in the Yankees draft room prior to the June draft. According to Johnette Howard of ESPN New York, Groch pegged Jeter as a Hall of Famer.

Howard writes:

"

The day the Yankees' front office gathered to talk about using the sixth overall pick in the 1992 draft, there was a lively debate when Jeter's name came up as a possibility. "Jeter? Isn't he going to the University of Michigan?" Yanks scouting director Bill Livesey asked. Groch, who had scouted Jeter extensively and advocated drafting him, shot back: "The only place he's going is to Cooperstown."

"

Bottom line? Fans want to witness greatness. They want a chance to see aging ballplayers like Cal Ripken, Jr. in 2001, 39-year-old Willie Mays in 1970, 37-year-old Brooks Robinson in 1974, and now 37-year-old Derek Jeter, who will no doubt be a first-ballot Hall of Famer, just as Dick Groch predicted more than 19 years ago.

The fans have every right to vote for a player who has given baseball an incredible amount of highlight-reel plays and outstanding play for the past 17 seasons.

Asdrubal Cabrera will one day get his starting nod, just like Jeter waited for his.