Monday, July 03, 2006
All-Star Joke: ¿Donde Esta Francisco Liriano?
The rosters for the American and National League All-Stars, released last evening, can be best described as atrocious. Certainly the system within itself is flawed: Every team should not have at least one representative and the game should not determine what team wins home field advantage for the World Series. However, those are imperfections within the system...I am here today complaining about the actual All-Star selections. So let the chastising and correcting begin:American League
Francisco Liriano replaces Mark Buehrle: I haven't seen an injustice like this sense the Seahawks had to play the Steelers AND the officials in Super Bowl XL. Buehrle's 3.89 ERA is astronomical in comparison to Liriano's miniscule 1.99 ERA. Further, Liriano has been dominating recently and has now become one of the front-runners for the Cy Young award. Buehrle got hammered in his most recent start and there is no logic at all in choosing someone with an ERA of almost 4 instead of perhaps the best pitcher in baseball right now.
Jimmy Gobble replaces Mark Redman: It is unfortunate that every team has to have a representative, but that is life. However, Redman
has been awful this year. Ozzie should have selected Jimmy Gobble instead. Not only is Gobble's ERA and strikeout rate better, but his name is Gobble! I just want to hear the PA announcer say "Gobble". Otherwise, I don't really care which crappy Royals pitcher makes the team.Travis Hafner instead of Gary Matthews Jr.: Matthews' catch was ridiculous a few evenings ago and he is having a career year. But even given that, Hafner's season trumps Matthews performance thus far. Hafner is leading Matthews in hr, rbi, obp, slg, and ops. I'm not really sure if any more arguing is neccesary. If Michael Young wasn't on the All-Star team as well then I understand Matthews Jr. being here, however Young is, so I have to replace GMJ with Hafner.
Meanwhile, for Curt Schilling and Mike Mussina, I don't know what else to say except "I'm sorry". Yes, you two are having all-star years but I think every pitcher on the AL roster deserves to be there with the exception of Buehrle and Redman, and I have already found other candidates to replace them.
National League
Michael Barrett over Paul Lo Duca: Lo Duca might be the least deserving, aside from Mark Redman. Lo Duca is hitting just .288 and if he weren't in New York I am fairly certain he wouldn't be on the All-Star (voted in by NY fans). Meanwhile, not only is Barrett playing some great ball this year, but he has one hell of a right hook.
Billy Wagner rather than Derrick Turnbow: I am so confused. Why is Turnbow on
this team? Clearly Wagner is the better closer, is having a better year, and is more deserving. It isn't like Turnbow is the team's lone rep, Carlos Lee is a reserve. When Turnbow gives up a run in the All-Star game, I'm sure the NL had wished Wagner was there instead.Finally, Nomar Garciaparra has to get on the NL team somehow, and he most likely will via the final-vote in. Nomar is having a comeback year and is certainly worthy of being on the squad.
12 Comments:
The rule where you have to have an All-Star from every team is proving year after year to be a joke. Mark Redman? If teams don't want to spend the money to put a competitive team out there, they shouldn't be given an All-Star. Liriano should have made it over Redman and a few of the other starters.
Otherwise, not horrible. I won't gripe about my Yankees (Posada, Mussina, Giambi) who got snubbed, but I think that Guillen used a great deal of nepotism is selecting Jenks and Buehrle.
In the NL, although Sanchez has a great BA for the Pirates, aren't there more deserving candidates?
I think the idea of voting one guy off the All-Star game and voting two on would be great.
My prediction (since, according to Bud Selig, "It Counts") AL gets lead and shuts teams down with Ryan, Rivera, and Papelbon, then turn it over to Guillen's closer, Jenks in the 9th who gives up a game winning homerun to Ryan Howard.
After the game, Guillen uses the N word to talk about Howard and then defends himself by saying that it's cool to do so in his home country. John Rocker applauds his bravery.
Nice prediction. I bet right after Jenks blows the save in the 9th all of the analysts insist that Guillen should have used Rivera in the save situation.
Ozzie is an idiot, I wish I had some duct tape so I could shut his mouth for him.
It should be fun to see the AL shut down the NL in the 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th with those great closers on their roster.
Where is Curt Schilling? 10-2. What a f!@#$%^ joke. This is BS and you all know it. Go Soooox.
I watched some of the womens golf on Sunday and the playoff on Monday - there are no hazards whatsoever...no trees, no sand near the greens, the rough looks like pleasant picnic grounds...guys would have shot 10 under on this course...womens golf is not a sport...they misread every green and if i was the commissioner only the decent looking ones would be allowed to play...Pat Hurst would be the first to go.
I wish there were more Yankees chosen but I don't care because I'm going to the game!
la duca? what the hell?
The problem with the all-star game is that it counts, yet fans pick the starters and every team has to be represented. Selig needs to decide whether or not the game is an exhibition or not. Because if it is, then let the fans watch Lo Duca start at catcher and let Mark Redman pitch. But if the outcome of the game determines something as important as home field in the world series, then the fans should not have a say in the starters and guys like Hafner and Liriano shouldnt miss out at the expense of someone like Mark Redman.
Great point Scuba! I think Selig should make the all-star game a celebration for the fans, like the other major sports. Meanwhile, if he makes such a stance, home field could then be determined by best overall regular season record. It is such an easy solution...Why can't he see that?
This is bullshit. Pierzynski makes the final ballot over Liriano and Hafner? Did Ozzie Guillen stuff the ballot? What the hell?
I am absolutely baffled as well. It really makes no sense at all. I am speechless. I find it hard to believe that more people in Chicago voted in the "final player" ballot than in the rest of the world, because anyone with common sense would have chosen Hafner or Liriano over AJ "I enjoy taking punches" Pierzynski.
Post a Comment
Links to this post:
Create a Link
<< Home