MLB NEWS
MLB All-Star Selection Has Become a Joke
Published by MoonDog on July 7, 2008
Major League Baseball announced the participants for the 2008 All-Star game Sunday and the annual talk of snubs has begun in earnest. All of these mini controversies could be avoided if MLB revised the voting process which allows each voter to submit up to 25 ballots online.
Not unlike any election in this country, poorly educated voters will blindly cast a ballot instead of researching which person is most worthy of election.
This year, voters elected Cubs’ outfielders Alfonso Soriano and Kosuke Fukudome to the National League’s starting lineup, neither of which are deserving. The American League voters elected Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter as the starter, with no less than three players more worthy of being on the All-Star roster.
MLB has mandated that each team must be represented at the All-Star game, thus, at least one player from each team will be on the 32-man roster. By guaranteeing a roster spot for each team, it puts the respective manager’s in an untenable position having to select someone as a reserve that forces a more worthy player off the roster entirely.
Obviously, there’s going to be a few players left off each roster that deserved to be in the All-Star game. But the current process allowing each voter to cast 25 ballots online is just beyond stupid.
A rational voter may use two or three ballots to cast votes for players that are worthy of being in the game. For instance, I cast two ballots this year because there were five outfielders in the National League I felt were deserving to be in the game. Since you can’t select five outfielders with one ballot, I cast a second ballot to include the other two while not revising my selections at any other position.
Apparently voters in Chicago have Barack Obama syndrome and were easily fascinated with shiney objects in the form of Fukodome. The first-year outfielder has performed well but he isn’t an All-Star, not even close. His numbers don’t lie – he’s currently 36th in batting average and he’s not in the Top 40 among the leaders in HR’s or RBI’s. And this guy is an All-Star?
I can appreciate Jeter being selected in the American League for the simple fact he is a known commodity. But his current statistics tell the story of a player having a sub-par season.
It’s clear that many voters didn’t take into account the importance of the game with the winning team awarded home-field advantage in the playoffs. If a National League team, like the Cubs, finish the regular season with the best record in baseball but don’t have home-field advantage in the playoffs as a result of an American League victory in the All-Star game, do you think voting the most deserving players into the game would be important then?
I realize this is a game for the fans, but the players participating in the game shouldn’t be there as a result of illogical fans. Moreover, players on the All-Star rosters shouldn’t be voted as starters due to multiple ballots being cast.
Until MLB limits the number of ballots and the fan base becomes more attuned with reality, we’ll continue to see unworthy participants in the All-Star game.
If you’d like to see the rosters for this year’s All-Star game, click here for the American League and here for the National League.
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Ian | Inside the Iggles on Mon, 7th Jul 2008 15:39
Cole Hamels and Pat Burrell both deserve to be there. They are having great years.
MoonDog on Mon, 7th Jul 2008 15:50
I agree.
I believe Burrell has a chance of being elected by the fans in the online voting.
But he shouldn’t be in that position if Fukodome and Soriano weren’t elected as starters.
As I said in the piece, the whole process of selecting the 32 most deserving players is out of control.
cuulhead on Mon, 7th Jul 2008 18:39
You are right about voting, but I would rather limit the number of players a given team can have voted to the starting lineup to three. Let the manager decide whether the 4th and 5th players elected deserve to make the team.
Its complicated, but fair to small markets and lesser known players.
MoonDog on Mon, 7th Jul 2008 19:03
cuulhead – I agree with you. The bigger market teams have an advantage in being able to cast more votes. I’d like to see worthy players in the game and if they happen to be from a large market team, that’s fine with me.
I have a problem when fans don’t at least check out a player’s stats when making a selection. Fukodome and Jeter were perfect examples. Granted, numbers aren’t the whole story, but if we’re electing an All-Star team, shouldn’t the Stars have the best numbers?
Thanks for chiming in.
Sportsdawg on Mon, 7th Jul 2008 21:22
I’d like to see the voting taken away from “us” fans altogether. The game itself should be enough for the fans. The players and MLB would come much closer to a correct roster. Thanks for the article!
Joel on Mon, 7th Jul 2008 21:37
It doesn’t matter what we think: Bud Selig and his toupee is almost the worst commissioner in pro sports. He and his creative “This Time It Counts” campaign has made me stop watching the All-Star Game altogether, along with Chris Berman calling the home run derby.
I say almost because Gary Bettman did lose a major TV contract (ESPN).
But then again, who cares about hockey except when a fight breaks out???
MoonDog on Tue, 8th Jul 2008 07:51
Dawg – If they took the voting out of the hands of the fans, there would be a tremendous uproar. However, you’re right, there would be a much better roster formed for each league if the players and managers selected the participants.
MoonDog on Tue, 8th Jul 2008 07:56
Joel – Selig is the worst by far. Bettman is trivial at best and Stern reminds me of a guy standing behind the counter of a deli wearing a funny hat.
I’ll watch the home run derby – with the sound muted. I’m like you, Berman has become an annoyance.
I’ll still watch the All-Star game because there are a few guys in this year’s game that represent the up and comers. That and the fact there isn’t much to do on a Tuesday night.
MFSKEN on Tue, 8th Jul 2008 12:05
You want the players to select the all stars? How can the players justify putting Jason Varitek in the all star game? Some blogs have referred to Varitek as the worst all star ever.
I don’t know if he is the worst, but check out these stats, highlighted by his .215 average.
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI TB BB SO OBP SLG AVG
74 246 18 53 13 0 7 27 87 26 71 .297 .354 .215
It’s just an all-star game and it’s still the best in sports. Let the fans have their say.
MoonDog on Tue, 8th Jul 2008 13:32
The players, to my knowledge, didn’t select Varitek. If I’m not mistaken, he was selected by HIS manager. That’s why he’s in the game.
I agree that he shouldn’t be there. Neither should all of those I mentioned.
Did you move your two loads today? Are you overwhelmed?
MFSKEN on Tue, 8th Jul 2008 21:28
The fans selected Joe Mauer and the players selected Varitek as his backup.
Terry Francona actually selected Ray’s catcher Dioner Navarro and Twins closer Joe Nathan.
The remaining picks were used to make sure each team was represented so he added Royal’s closer Joakim Soria, Oriole’s closer George Sherrill (from ECS in Cordova, TN) and A’s starter Justin Duchsherer, and Tiger’s 1st baseman Carlos Guillen.
The National League players passed on the following: Albert Pujols, Dan Haren, Aaron Cook and Carlos Zambrano. Are you kidding me?
SI has it all broken down, here’s the link.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/john_donovan/07/07/donovan.allstarreact/?eref=sircrc
tophatal on Wed, 9th Jul 2008 13:15
Moon Dog
The only things that’s more asinine than the process for electing the candidates for the All Star Game in baseball. Is that of the election process for American Idol and electoral process for the nomination of a Presidential candidate for both political parties.
In the case of baseball …it’s favoritism instead of merit. In the case American Idol it’s style over substance and the apparent lack of talent. They can sing but a lot of them don’t know how to write music much less play a damn instrument. And when it comes to the political intrigue or lack of it thereof it’s nothing more than a pi##ing contest between the lesser of two evils !
There’s not much style or substance there at all !
I’m just calling it as I see it buddy as that’s the way I am !
tophatal ………..
tophatal on Wed, 9th Jul 2008 13:23
Moon Dog
The following piece was written by me within wordpress.com . I’d like your honest opinion as to your thoughts on the subject matter. I’ve provided a link to the piece for you below.
I’ll look forward to reading your comments as and when you’re ready . Chimin’ out.
http://abritishman.wordpress.com/2008/06/23/What It Means Or What It Ought To Mean
tophatal ………..