All Star Game

Big-Franchise, Big-Name Problems

I love the Red Sox. I love them unconditionally. But I have a problem with the All-Star Game right now.

It's actually important to beat the National League in the All-Star Game - the league that wins gets home field advantage in the World Series, and you want that. The American League is supposed to come together with the common goal of securing this advantage for whichever team ends up representing them in the Series, but that's not quite how it's working.

People take a lot of pride in the All-Star Game. Last year, when the Red Sox had 6 players on the roster (though only David Ortiz was a starter), I was as proud as the next Red Sox fan. And those players deserved to be there. Josh Beckett was pitching W's like crazy, Hideki Okajima had an ERA under 1.0, and Jonathan Papelbon was closing the deal every time. Mike Lowell was hitting like a beast. Manny and David were healthy, and hitting well. Jason Varitek was...well, he was leading the best team in baseball, anyway. I felt good about the roster not just because the Red Sox were well represented, but because the players on the roster were legitimately among the best in their positions. This year, I don't feel that way.

It has become increasingly clear that players on big-franchise teams (like the Yankees and, embarassingly, the Red Sox) have an unfair advantage when it comes to getting into the All-Star Game. People do not vote for the best player in each position; they vote to maximize the number of players from their team that make it onto the roster.

While the All-Star Game serves the practical purpose of determining which league gets home field advantage in the World Series, part of its purpose is to acknowledge and honor the outstanding performance of the best players in baseball that year. In the same way that people get a little bit too proud about making sure that it's their team's players on the roster, I think people are too sentimental when it comes to making sure that the big-name players make it to the game year after year.

Big-name players are not always aging incumbents. David Ortiz, though aging, is a big-name player who deserves his spot; he is a better hitter than any of the other DH's in the running. Alex Rodriguez is the best 3B in the American League, and probably will be for many years. That's just the nature of star players - they really are some of the best in the game. But players who have, in the past, deserved beyond a shadow of a doubt their All-Star designation and established themselves as heroes are not necessarily the best players in their positions for that year.

I understand the pain. In a lot of ways, it's the same pain that permeates every non-baseball aspect of our lives - change. The end of a baseball career is one of the saddest things I can think of. Here you have a player who has delivered the big hits, the big plays, the big moments, again and again; here you have a name that's known to even the most ignorant of laymen. Hey guy on the street, you know who Ken Griffey Jr. is? Sure, he's a baseball player. One of the greats. So when you see these guys fading, it can be distressing. Here was something constant in an inconstant world, and here it is flickering like a - dare I say it - candle in the wind. As I'm writing this, the Red Sox and the Reds are on the 3rd game of a 3-game inter-league series, and I watched Junior ground into a double play with guys on 1st and 3rd and 1 out in the middle of what would have been a game-winning rally. I was happy because the Sox ended up winning, but it was really sad to look at that man's face as he stood in the box. He's hit 600 home runs, weathered a lot of injuries, and played a lot of games, but it looks like that's where he's gonna run out of gas. Do I think he should go into the hall of fame? Absolutely. Do I think he should represent the National League as one of the best outfielders this season? No.

Who Deserves It vs. Who's Getting It

National League Standings as of June 15th, 2008

1B
1. Lance Berkman
2. Derek Lee
3. Albert Pujols
4. Ryan Howard
5. Prince Fielder

2B
1. Chase Utley
2. Mark DeRosa
3. Kozuo Matsui
4. Dan Uggla
5. Orlando Hudson

3B
1. Chipper Jones
2. Aramis Ramirez
3. David Wright
4. Ty Wiggington
5. Mark Reynolds

Short
1. Miguel Tejada
2. Hanley Ramirez
3. Ryan Theriot
4. Jose Reyes
5. Jimmy Rollins

Catcher
1. Giovanni Soto
2. Brian McCann
3. Yadier Molina
4. J.R. Towles
5. Russell Martin

Outfield
1. Alfonso Soriano
2. Kosuke Fukudome
3. Ken Griffey Jr.
4. Carlos Lee
5. Carlos Beltran
6. Ryan Braun
7. Matt Holiday
8. Hunter Pence
9. Pat Burrell
10. Rick Ankiel

Now, Soriano's an old-timer and a big name, but he's also having a monster season (up until the hand-breaking). Fukudome? Maybe. He's been a big part of the Cubs' success, but he's not exactly performing at the All-Star level in my opinion. What about Ryan Braun? Ryan Ludwick? Nate McLouth...Pat Burrell...there are a lot of outfielders having big years this year, but they're not making it onto the All-Star roster. Could this have to do with how many ravenous Cubs fans there are? Well, if we look at the leaders in the NL roster, we'll see a few more Cubs lurking. The first and most upsetting standing is Giovanni Soto over Brian McCann. No way. I get that Soto's a great little rookie and all, but who's really doing better this year?

Apart from Fukudome, Griffey Jr., and Soto, there don't seem too be any violent upsets. The obvious winners at 1st, 2nd, and 3rd (Berkman, Utley, Jones) are leading. But look at how many Cubs are in second or third place: Lee, De Rosa, Ramirez, Theriot. And look at their positions: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, Short. Now, as I said, the proper winners are leading in the NL infield, but why not by more? Should Theriot really be anywhere near Hanley Ramirez and Miguel Tejada? Or Derek Lee anywhere near Lance Berkman? When you have players who are performing at such a superior level, why do people come out in droves to vote for other players? The big-franchise problem and the big-name problem.

Now, that said, I think that the National League roster is looking pretty good. That infield is really good. Let's look at the American League.

American League Standings as of June 15th, 2008

1B
1. Kevin Youkilis
2. Justin Morneau
3. Jason Giambi
4. Carlos Guillen
5. Carlos Pena

2B
1. Dustin Pedroia
2. Robinson Cano
3. Placido Polanco
4. Brian Roberts
5. Ian Kinsler

3B
1. Alex Rodriguez
2. Mike Lowell
3. Miguel Cabrera
4. Joe Crede
5. Scott Rolen

Short
1. Derek Jeter
2. Edgar Renteria
3. Michael Young
4. Julio Lugo
5. Orlando Cabrera

Catcher
1. Jason Varitek
2. Ivan Rodriguez
3. Joe Mauer
4. Jorge Posada
5. Victor Martinez

DH
1. David Ortiz
2. Hideki Matsui
3. Jim Thome
4. Gary Sheffield
5. Travis Hafner

Outfield
1. Manny Ramirez
2. Ichiro Suzuki
3. Vladimir Guerrero
4. Magglio Ordonez
5. Bobby Abreu
6. Josh Hamilton
7. Melky Cabrera
8. Grady Sizemore
9. Tori Hunter
10. Johnny Damon

Now I'm a huge Red Sox fan, but I think this year's American League All-Star roster is pretty fucked up. I'm gonna go position-by-position.

1B: I do think Youkilis is the best option. If you looked at Justin Morneau's stats, you'd see that he has more RBI's, and therefore seems like a better candidate, but you have to remember that Morneau bats cleanup for the Twins, and that Youkilis bats...well, he doesn't really have a set place in the lineup, but it's never 4th. He also doesn't start every game. They have a more or less identical OBP, and Youk's slugging percentage is about 50 points higher. The fact that the all-over-the-lineup Youkilis even contends with Morneau in offensive numbers when Morneau bats cleanup behind always-on-base Joe Mauer makes him a better choice in my book. If you need more of a clincher, look to Youk's defense to seal the deal. (I will note that this is a fairly bad offensive year for American League first basemen)

2B: Sorry Dustin, but the 2B roster spot should go to Ian Kinsler. He's hitting better than most players in the American League, let alone other second basemen. Dustin's got some great defense, and I'm a big fan of his hitting style - taking a lot of pitches and wearing guys' arms out, drawing lots of walks and getting on base for the big hitters behind him - but he just doesn't win out, in my opinion. I would probably take Brian Roberts over Pedroia as well.

3B: Yeah, A-Rod.

Short: This is one of those situations where I'm going to lose credibility because I'm writing as a Red Sox fan about a Yankees player, but I'll have it be known that if there is anyone on the Yankees I respect, it's Derek Jeter. I think he's been a great player for a really long time. I don't think he should be the first choice for American League All-Star shortstop this year. Michael Young should get it. Like the rest of his off-the-wall offense, Young is hitting extremely well. I know it's sad to think that Derek Jeter might not be the best shortstop in the world anymore, but it's just the way things go. Jeter should be the reserve. P.S. The fact that Julio Lugo is on this list at all is sickening.

DH: David Ortiz deserves this. He's an elite hitter and nobody can deny it. He's injured right now, but Thome, Hafner, and Sheffield are sucking and Matsui just doesn't come close.

Catcher: I love Jason Varitek. He's a great leader, he has great relationships with his pitchers, calls a good game, and jumps on board Red Sox rallies in clutch situations just the way I want him to. I'm proud to have him as my catcher, but this spot belongs to Joe Mauer.

Outfield: This is where it gets really hard to let go of legends. Manny has been amazing for the Sox this year, just as he has been in years past, and as I'm sure he will be for at least a few years to come, but I'm not sure he's the best power-hitting outfielder in the AL right now. To be sure, he's an elite hitter and a clutch hitter, and I wouldn't want anyone else at the plate when the game is on the line, but Milton Bradley and Josh Hamilton are the easy choices for two of the OF slots. Vlad Guerrero has sucked this year. Just because he's got a big name doesn't mean he's the best for the All-Star roster. The third spot should go to Ichiro, with honorable mention to Carlos Quentin.

I say the NL wins the 2008 All-Star Game. The AL has the players to put up a roster good enough to contend, but that's not how the fans are voting. If there were only more Rangers fans.