Zvee, Haley and I are watching the 78th Annual All-Star game at their new apartment in Atlanta. I’m watching the game with them because they’re good friends. Not because they’ve got HD. Give me some credit.

I’m gonna give live-blogging a shot tonight. Here we go…

FIRST INNING

8:50 Me: Do you think LaRussa is hitting Bonds second so he’ll get more at bats?
Zvee: No, I think it’s because he’s a crackhead.

8:55 Ichiro leads off the game with a single. And so it begins. This could be a long night for an over matched NL team. Then again, they should be used to it by now.

8:58 Derek Jeter grounds into a double play. If the NL has an advantage over the AL, it’s up the middle. Reyes-Utley is better than Jeter-Polanco any day.

9:00 Papi hits a weak grounder to Utley, who fields and tosses to Prince Fielder, who DROPS THE BALL. Without a doubt one of the most amateur plays in All-Star game history. Joe Buck points out that Papi doesn’t tease Fielder. Buck says, “He’s thinking, ‘I might do the same thing later.’”

9:07 Reyes singles, then steals second on the next pitch. Ballsy. But now first base is open and Bonds is at the plate. Will they walk him? No. Bonds grounds out.

9:10 Carlos Beltran, the least deserving NL starter, strikes out. “That was predictable,” Zvee says.

9:12 Griffey, Jr. hits a single up the middle. Reyes scores. NL goes up 1-0. It’s all downhill from here.

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There are three inevitabilities in life: death, taxes, and an unsatisfactory roster of MLB All-Stars. Sure, it may be trite to even bother blogging about such a clichéd topic. But this year, there seems to be a new reason to be unhappy – Closers. 

NL Manager Tony LaRussa has decided to carry six Closers out of the eleven slots he made available to pitchers, having tabbed Trevor Hoffman, Billy Wagner, Brian Fuentes, Francisco Cordero, Jose Valverde and Takashi Saito. In previous years, the majority of pitchers named to be All-Stars have been Starters and generally speaking, each team would carry four or five relievers.  

Has this been a banner year for Closers in the NL?  Did these six pitchers really warrant increasing the number of relief pitchers from 4 in 2006 to 6 this year? Or have the NL Starting Pitchers been so terrible that only five among them could be considered All-Stars?  

Out of the six Closers on the NL roster, you could at least try to make a case (with varying degrees of success) for five of them – and none of their last names end in “uentes”. In an ironic twist, Brian Fuentes of  Colorado was deposed of his Closer role the very same day he was named an All Star for the third time in his career. To be fair, you could easily make the case that this is simply poor timing. Fuentes has allowed eight earned runs over his last four outings (during which he only managed to record a total of 7 outs). Not only is this true, he was tagged with a blown save AND a loss in each of these four outings. Brutal.

On the Starting Pitchers front, the easy call for inclusion is Brad Penny. The criminally underappreciated Jake Peavy is certainly worthy, and you figure that Smoltzie’s resume and worthy numbers thus far in 2007 made him all but a lock.   

But there are some notable snubs among the NL pitching corps this year, starting with Brandon Webb. The Diamondback with the devastating sinker is a curious omission given that he is on pace to record over 200 Ks and sports a sparkling 3.05 ERA pitching in the bandbox that is Chase Field (aka the B.O.B.). Other missing notables are Derek Lowe, Chris Young, Ian Snell, and – dare I say it – John Maine of the New York Mets.

Compare these four snubs with say, Cole Hamels, who was selected.  While it’s true that Hamels has won 9 already, so has Maine – and Maine’s ERA is over a full run lower than Hamels. It’s incredibly peculiar. In fact, among NL pitchers who have thrown at least 80 innings this year, Hamels’ 3.87 ERA doesn’t even crack the top 20. While it’s true that Hamels has put up these numbers in a hitter’s park while Maine’s blemishes are covered by the expanses of Shea Stadium, but if we’re rewarding Hamels for this, what about Webb? 

It simply is not the case that NL starting pitchers were undeserving. In fact, I feel that this has been a very strong year for the top arms, as 22 starters are currently sporting an ERA under 4.  

Clearly, LaRussa has constructed a pitching staff that more closely mirrors a real National League team – eleven pitchers, five starters. He chose six relievers so he could manage as if this were a real game. Deserving pitchers be damned. LaRussa wants to win and he wants home field advantage. Then it’s a shame his Cardinals are 8 games under .500. 

Other Notable Snubs: 

Jimmy Rollins (PHI), Hanley Ramirez (FLA), Edgar Renteria (ATL) 

Shortstop in the National League is a hotbed of talent. Starting SS Jose Reyes is on pace to steal over 80 bases, rack up over 200 hits, and is currently getting on base at a .399 clip, a feat unfathomable for Reyes only two years ago. The Brewers’ J.J. Hardy has been in the early discussions for NL MVP, coming out of virtually nowhere to enter the top-5 in homeruns to go along with 51 RBIs. But his numbers in June were certainly unimpressive, hitting a mere .233 AVG with a .327 OBP and .384 SLG. Not quite All Star status. Rollins, Ramirez, and Renteria were all better candidates if you wanted to select guys who you knew were the best. Besides, LaRussa could find spots for Freddy Sanchez and Aaron Rowand but couldn’t put in one of these SS? That’s downright criminal (NOTE: Yes, I know Sanchez is Pittsburgh’s lone rep. Which is another reason why I find Ian Snell’s omission puzzling). 

Orlando Cabrera (ANA) 

What’s up with omitting deserving shortstops? As of this writing, Cabrera and Jeter are neck-and-neck in terms of numbers, having hit the same number of extra-base-hits (29 a piece), same number of runs scored (53) and are a mere .001 apart on batting average (Jeter has the edge with .338). But Cabrera has nine more RBIs, more steals (at a much better success rate), and thirteen fewer strikeouts in more at-bats. How does Michael Young get the nod over Cabrera?  

Kevin Youkilis (BOS) 

Sorry. I’m dry heaving as I write this. But did you know that Youk is currently in the top-10 in the AL in OPS? Did you know that he’s tied for 10^th in AL Win Shares – more than any other Red Sox? While it’s true that his power numbers don’t jump out at you, who would you say is having the better year – Youk or Manny Ramirez? With Mark Teixeira injured, Justin Morneau’s the only true first baseman on the roster. Youk could have been the second.

And of course, let us know who you think got the screw treatment in the comments page!

With his passing at the age of 93 yesterday, Gerald Ford is being remembered today for his accidental presidency (he was the only US president in history never elected as president or vice president), and for his infamous pardon of Richard Nixon.  But we should also take time to remember Ford as a sportsman and a baseball fan.

Although Ford is best remembered for his football exploits (he was a football star at Michigan in the 1930s), it is a little known fact that he was an even bigger baseball fan, and his dream growing up had been to become a professional baseball player:

“I had a life-long ambition to be a professional baseball player, but nobody would sign me.”

When Ford returned home from his service in the Navy during World War II, he became a huge fan of Women’s professional baseball.  While the men had been away fighting, the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League had started up (as immortalized in the film A League of Their Own) and was still flourishing.  Ford’s hometown of Grand Rapids, Michigan had its own team, the Grand Rapids Chicks, and Ford wooed his future wife Betty by taking her to Chicks games. Later Ford was often heard to remember those games fondly:

“Those gals played hard and skillfully and always put on a good show.”

In 1948, Ford was elected to Congress, and soon became the star catcher of the Republican baseball team.  You see, back in those days baseball was so popular, that every year the Democratic congressmen would play a baseball game against the Republican congressmen on the Washington Senator’s home grounds, complete with uniforms and and large crowds. At right, Ford is pictured conferring with his batterymate, pitcher Glenn Davis (R-Wis), prior to the 1949 Republican/Democrat Game.  As to why he was always the catcher, Ford said,

“I usually play the outfield, but everybody else refuses to catch so I’m stuck.”

As vice president, Ford was present at the game when Henry Aaron hit home run number 715 to break Ruth’s all-time record, and actually threw out the first pitch of that contest (pictured above).  There was actually a minor battle of wills at the time between Reds GM Dick Wagner and Baseball Commissioner Bowie Kuhn over whether the game would be interrupted to allow Ford to go onto the field and shake Aaron’s hand, but ultimately Kuhn prevailed and Ford was allowed to shake Aaron’s hand.

As president, Ford threw out the first two pitches at the 1976 All-Star Game, showing his versatility by throwing first righthanded to NL catcher Johnny Bench, and then lefthanded to AL catcher Carlton Fisk. No doubt remembering his own enjoyment of women’s pro baseball, Ford also signed into law a bill forcing Little League Baseball to allow girls to play ball.

And finally, of course, no piece on Gerald Ford would be complete without at least one of his trademark dumb Gerald Ford quotes, and there is indeed a good one having to do with the sport with which this blog is concerned:

“I watch a lot of baseball on the radio.”

Rest in peace, # 38!

Thanks to the overwhelming number of ten-year olds voting for their favorite hometown heroes (“Dad, where’s Yuniesky Betancourt?”), there will undoubtedly be a number of snubs for this year’s midsummer classic. Don’t spend the next three weeks on your hands and knees speculating about your favorite players – I have dutifully previewed the All-Star infield snubs. Enjoy.

C – BRIAN MCCANN (.352, 5 hr, 23 rbi) McCann’s fantastic year has been largely overlooked because of the Braves’ miserable first half. At times, McCann has been the Braves best hitter, lining pitches to all fields. With Adam LaRoche and Jeff Francoeur — poor on-base percentage hitters — batting ahead of him, McCann has not had many opportunities to produce. He has batted only 33 times with runners in scoring position all year. When the bottom half of the Braves lineup starts to hit, expect for McCann’s numbers to balloon.

Zvee’s Projected NL All-Star Catchers: Paul Lo Duca, Johnny Estrada

1B – JUSTIN MORNEAU (.288, 19 hr, 64 rbi) Morneau deserves to be June’s “Player of the Month.” The Twins slugger has raised his average .48 points in June — from .240 to .288 – and has put together some outlandish power numbers. With 9 HRs and 28 RBIs this month, Morneau trails only David Ortiz for the season’s AL RBI lead. He has carried the Twins to an 18-7 June record, leading them back into contention for the AL wild-card. At the beginning of the season, baseball gurus proclaimed that Morneau must have an outrageous year for the Twins to compete – he has and they are.

Zvee’s Projected AL All-Star 1B: David Ortiz, Jason Giambi, Jim Thome

2B – DAN UGGLA (.312, 13 hr, 43 rbi, 49 runs) Uggla hasn’t played in eight days because of a hamstring injury and Marlins manager Joe Girardi does not appear to be rushing him back. Despite a week-long absence, Uggla is still on pace to hit 25+ HRs, 95+ RBIs, 100+ runs from a second base position that is inherently weak in both leagues. He is a leading candidate for NL Rookie of the Year and should be highly considered on All-Star ballots. What will cost Uggla is the fact that he plays in a poor baseball market for a low-budget team that receives very little national recognition.

Zvee’s Projected NL All-Star 2B: Chase Utley, Brandon Phillips.

SS – CARLOS GUILLEN (.299, 9 hr, 44 rbi) Beyond the big four (Reyes, Tejada, Jeter, Young), there is a drastic drop-off at the shortstop position. Guillen has had a solid first half for the Tigers but assuredly will not see the mid-summer classic thanks to Miguel Tejada, Derek Jeter, and Michael Young, all of whom are having spectacular seasons in the American League.

Zvee’s Projected AL All-Star SS: Miguel Tejada, Derek Jeter.

3B – JOE CREDE (.302, 14 hr, 54 rbi) Crede is enjoying the best offensive season of his six-year career, propelling the White Sox to a 51-27 record, 2^nd best in the majors. He has elevated his average .50 points from last season - .252 to .302 – and is only eight homeruns shy of matching his career high (22, set last season). Along with Paul Konerko, Jermaine Dye, and Jim Thome, he is one of four White Sox on pace to crack 30+ HRs and 100+ RBIs. Perhaps Crede’s first-half brilliance has been overshadowed by his teammates, because Crede is simply not getting the accolades he deserves. Although it’s possible that Ozzie Guillen could choose Crede as a Manager’s Selection, there are several other capable 3B candidates from which to choose.

Zvee’s Projected AL All-Star 3B: Alex Rodriguez, Troy Glaus.

UTIL. INF. – GARRETT ATKINS (.311, 10 hr, 53 rbi, 49 runs) Atkins is not flashy and that’s going to cost him in All-Star balloting. Many people have overlooked Atkins’ offensive year because of the Colorado altitude, but he isn’t driving people in with homeruns – in fact he has only 10 HRs on the year. Instead, Atkins has driven up his RBI numbers by becoming one of the most “clutch” hitters in baseball, sporting a .348 BA with runners-in-scoring-position. He is a vital part of a potent Rockies offense that has earned the nickname “Triple H’s” (Hawpe, Helton, Holliday). The only thing missing from the nickname is an Atkins inclusion – expect his absence to become a theme at the All-Star game, too.

Zvee’s Projected NL IF Reserves: Scott Rolen, Chipper Jones (sad but true).

Outfield snubs to come in my next article…

We’re about a month and a half away from the all-star game and today MLB announced the all-star balloting numbers.  Some of the players who are leading vote getters are actually having all-star years. Like Albert Pujols. Others, like Jason Varitek, are stinking it up.

Some notable potential snubs: Robinson Cano is leading the voting among second basemen in the AL with 30,000 more votes than Red Sox 2b Mark Loretta, who is hitting roughly 20 points higher than Cano and has comparable power numbers.

Johnny Damon is leading both Ichiro and Vernon Wells in voting. Damon has the third most votes for an outfielder, while Ichiro is fourth and Wells is sixth. Coco Crisp is ninth overall in voting, despite the fact that he’s played in only nine games this season.

In the national league, Craig Biggio is leading Chase Utley, while David Eckstein is leading Edgar Renteria.

Of course, there will always be a debate over whether the All-Star game should feature the players who are having the best year, or the players that the fans want to see. The current system of letting the fans choose the starters and the managers choose the replacements is a compromise.

But here’s a question: as long as we are treating the all-star game like an important event — allowing the winning league to host the world series — shouldn’t the best players, not the most popular players, play in the game?

  

MLB All Star Game Logo
Originally uploaded by alexo05.

I was watching a game through my MLB.TV subscription and I noticed a banner ad for the all-star game.

It immediately brought back some fond memories.