Photo from Google Images
The MLB All-Star Game is the only sport where the fans select the starters, the managers select the pitchers and the players select the reserve players. This isn’t your typical cup-cake, please don’t touch me game that takes place in the NFL and the NBA. In baseball, you’re not playing for endorsements; you’re playing for home field advantage of the World Series. That’s important!
According to Wikipedia, the fans have elected the starting lineup of one player for each baseball position (except the pitcher) for both the National League and American League teams since 1970. How much beer was consumed by Bowie Kuhn, (the MLB Commish from 1969-1984), when this decision was made? He trusted the fans to decide who the best players are?
Whaaat? No… They trust me to vote- this should be fun! Here’s a summary of how I voted.
Example A. Never vote for a current Cardinals player or a member of the 2011 Cardinals. I will never vote for David Freese, NEVER!
Example B. Jose Bautista follows me on twitter, so he automatically got my All-Star vote. That was a no-brainer. He’s ranked 15th for best batting average in the American League, but his PR rep has him ranked number one in the fan vote for the second time in four years. He’ll have my vote every year for following @AlisonStClair.
Example C. American League = Vote for Texas Rangers (or former Rangers and Bautista).It was that simple, I vote for my team.
I think it’s cute that fans were nice enough to vote for Yankees SS, Derek Jeter as he makes his final All-Star appearance during his farewell to baseball. However, I wasn’t one of those nice fans. I voted for my little brother, Texas Rangers SS, Elvis Andrus. I watched him play in the minors and knew this kid was special. He loves the game and it shows every time he takes the field. I love watching E play even when he’s not playing to his full potential. He will always have my vote! But really, is Jeter the BEST player available for the American League? No, his stats list him as #5. Baltimore’s JJ Hardy is listed as #1.
Before you start judging my voting explain the Matt Wieters selection. Wieters was somehow selected as the AL starting catcher and has left some fans still scratching their man-hood. The kid is out for the year with Tommy John surgery. I repeat, He-Is-Out-For-The-Year! He only played in 26 games, 2-6, that’s not even a full month of baseball and he still got the most votes?!?! Cleary, a lot of girls saw his adorable picture and they voted for him. I’m just pissed I had him on my fantasy team and after 26 games; he’s now worthless to me.
Ian Kinsler might be my biggest snub along with most American League fans. The Rangers traded Kinsler to Detroit for the chubbiest, (former) vegetarian, in the league, Prince Fielder. The Rangers lost that trade only getting 42 games from Fielder before he had neck surgery and is now out for the season. It was a bad breakup for Ranger fans to see Kinsler leave and then exposing the front of the house operations. Ending the fist half of this season, the Tigers are leading the AL Central while my Rangers are 19.5 games out and sitting in last place in the AL West.
Fielder is also featured in ESPN The Magazine’s Body Issue. Yep, Fielder is in the nude, showing off his terrible tattoos (there’s even one of his self portrait, I mean a gummy bear) and his big belly.
The Ranger’s will be represented in the All-Star game with 3B Adrian Beltre and pitcher, Yu Darvish making the roster.
The National League has won 43 All-Star games while the American League has only won 39, but the American League leads the National League 62-44 in World Series Championships. This years game will be the 85th All-Star game and will be played at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota on July 15th. Let’s Go American League!