Some quick notes before I tell you how MLB writers, players, managers and fans are, excuse my French, fucking retarded
- I am a firm believer that, like voting, you should have to take a test in order to vote for the All-Star game. And if you use the metrics RBI, Runs, Batting Average, or Wins to determine how you voted, you're automatically disqualified from voting. I don't care if you played baseball before or if you are currently playing- that doesn't mean you're smart enough to decide who's the best in your sport.
- This year, especially more than recent years, non-closer relievers were chosen. Guys like Matt Thorton, Arthur Rhodes, and Evan Meek were chosen as opposed to the teams respected closers. And that's a good thing. Ideally, the best bullpen pitcher on your team is NOT your closer, so that when your team is in a jam, your best reliever can come into the game and get your team out of the jam. It's nice to see these guys get more and more love as opposed to closers just because they get "saves".
- HOW THE FUCK IS ALEX RIOS NOT AN ALL-STAR!? Yes, I am a White Sox fan so of course I'm going to show love for my team, and there are others that got screwed this year, but this selection is just unjustifiable. Rios is 4th among AL OF in wOBA, 3rd among AL OF in WAR, 7th among AL OF in UZR/150, and 3rd among AL OF in OPS. He steals bases, hits home runs, has a batting average over .300 (all of which "baseball guys" like) and is by far the White Sox best player this year.
- I think Paul Konerko should be all All-Star too, but I'm not as worked up about it as I am about Rios. I think Morneau and Cabrera are better than Konerko, but he's light years ahead of David fucking Ortiz- who did get selected to the All-Star game. Konerko is t-2nd in the AL in home runs, 6th in the AL in OPS, 6th in the AL in wOBA, and 5th among AL 1B in WAR. By the way, Konerko is better than Big Papi in all those categories as well as: RBI, BA, OBP, and SLG. The one category David Ortiz does beat Konerko in: years of taking steroids.
- Stephen Strausburg does NOT, you hear me, NOT, deserve to be an All-Star this year. As awesome as he's been, like Manny last year, there are just as good of players out there that have performed just as well- but in many more games. They have been more valuable to their team than Strasburg has been in his six starts.
- Not every team deserves an All-Star. No other sports has this bullshit. If you're the Pittsburgh Pirates or Baltimore Orioles, you have a bad record for a reason, you're roster is full of shitty players. One of these shitty players does not necessarily mean they are good- especially to take away a valuable spot from a deserving All-Star. Ty Wiggington is an All-Star!? Really!?
Now onto to who actually deserves to start in the All-Star game
The AL TeamC- Joe Mauer (MIN)
1B- Justin Morneau (MIN)
2B- Robinson Cano (NYY)
3B- Adrian Beltre (BOS)
SS- Alex Gonzalez (TOR)
OF- Josh Hamilton (TEX)
OF- Alex Rios (CWS)
OF- Carl Crawford (TAM)
DH- Vladimir Guerrero (TEX)
SP- Fransisco Liriano (MIN)
- This pick actually shocked me too, but Liriano leads the AL in FIP and xFIP and his 3rd in the AL in K/9. All better than Cliff Lee and Jon Lester.
The NL TeamC- Brian McCann (ATL)
1B- Joey Votto (CIN)
2B- Chase Utley (PHI)
inj- 2B- Martin Prado (ATL)
3B- David Wright (NYM)
SS- Troy Tulowitzki (COL)
inj- SS- Hanley Ramirez (FLA)
OF- Josh Willingham (WAS)
OF- Corey Hart (MIL)
OF- Andre Ethier (LAD)
DH- Albert Pujols (STL)
SP- Josh Johnson (FLA)
- This was a hard one because you could also make a great case for Roy Halladay and Yovani Gallardo. Surprisingly, all three are better than Ubaldo Jiminez.
Next post, who deserves to be the back ups
