All Star Voting

by jpl on Jun 2, 2008 4:03 PM PDT

MLB released the current results of the All Star voting for the AL today. Out of the 9 spots we're voting on, 7 of the leaders are either from Boston or New York. The leaders as of now are:

C Jason Varitek

1B Kevin Youkilis

2B Dustin Pedroia

3B Alex Rodriguez

SS Derek Jeter

OF Manny Ramirez

OF Ichiro

OF Josh Hamilton

DH David Ortiz

The "Midsummer Classic" has quickly become nothing more than a showcase for America's Teams.

I understand that this game is for the fans, but I think the time has come to eliminate the fan vote. An alternative may be to come up with some sort of statistical rating that allows the players with the best ratings at their position to go to the All Star game. By basing it clearly on stats, we may actually see a wider variety of players in this game and maybe...just maybe the world may hear about some of the great players out there who don't play in Boston or New York.

Another option may be having the players vote. It would be far more interesting to see who is considered to be the best amongst peers.

As a baseball fan, how would you change the All Star game and\or selection process?

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I’d go for 1 person/1 vote to start.

by rixnotch on Jun 2, 2008 4:16 PM PDT reply actions

Meh...

I already voted 25x and the only two guys on that list who also got my vote are Hamilton and Suzuki. JPL, you won’t like this but my other AL-OF vote went to Ellsbury. :-)

I like the addition of the stats feature to this year’s online voting. Based on the current results though, doesn’t seem to matter whether or not the stats are readily available. As noted, taking selection stats-only removes the fan from the All-Star Game and I’m not ready to sign on for that. So I’ll watch the Stankees and BoSux represent the AL… whatever, “baseball is better than no-baseball.” Nice to see Pedroia in there; talented kid (and a Buck college teammate).

I’m good with the multi-voting. Who knows, maybe I want to be able to split my vote? But it would be nice if I had the option of clicking once and make all 25 of my votes exactly the same instead of going through the whole “vote again” rigormoral 24 times. Could also be that option already exists and I just didn’t see it.

"optimism 1 pessimism 0" ~Dirk

by 149 on Jun 2, 2008 4:33 PM PDT reply actions

Eh ... whatever ...

"It's for your own good. Big strong Devo knows whats best for Poppy" -- Mossback

by devo on Jun 2, 2008 5:30 PM PDT reply actions

no matsui?

Let's have our Piazza and eat the Cust too - SPWC

by closetasfan on Jun 2, 2008 6:10 PM PDT reply actions

What we need are bots

lots of bots to vote for non-evil teams.

by Zonis on Jun 2, 2008 10:38 PM PDT reply actions

Agreed

Make sure we write-in vote Petit for starting catcher.

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by DMOAS on Jun 3, 2008 12:20 AM PDT up reply actions

How about...

A’s fans come out to show support for their team for once…it’s pathetic looking at the crowds in that stadium…the more people that go to the games would vote and the more people that actually cared about A’s baseball would go online and vote…the fact of the matter is those guys that are tops in voting play in front of sold out crowds every night and that’s the difference…when Oakland decides to support their team then maybe the players can get some recognition

by jshaw25 on Jun 3, 2008 7:43 AM PDT reply actions

That doesn't change the fact that it's a popularity contest

and it’s flat out ridiculous that the game counts for anything, especially home field advantage in the WS.

by mikev on Jun 3, 2008 9:55 AM PDT up reply actions

It is ridiculous ...

though not really any more arbitrary than the previous method for determining it …

"It's for your own good. Big strong Devo knows whats best for Poppy" -- Mossback

by devo on Jun 3, 2008 10:05 AM PDT up reply actions

Deserving

Who would be the most deserving at each position on that list? Other than Varitek, you can make a fairly reasonable argument for each other starter from NY and Bos. Mauer would deserve it over Varitek, and Morneau, Kinsler/B Roberts have arguments too, but Jeter, A-Rod, Manny, and Ortiz probably all deserve it over any one else, with Youk and Pedroia being up there as well.

by Diggity Dino on Jun 3, 2008 10:24 AM PDT up reply actions

That's not really a response to my post ...

but what the heck …

C Joe Mauer (it ain’t close)
1b Morneau (Youk is very close—but if we’re talking stars, it should probably go to the guy with the MVP on his shelf … that makes him a bigger star than just playing for the Sox, right?)
2b Kinsler (by a wide margin … Pedroia doesn’t really even belong in the discussion)
3b Rodriguez (missing time makes the numbers competetive, but he belongs, period.)
SS Young (if Jeter were a legitimate SS it would make criticisms of Young more apt … as it is, those criticisms just point to BoCro being the real All-Star at a VERY weak position)
OF Hamilton
OF Sizemore (I’m almost inclined to lump him with the next spot and say, pick two … but I’ll give him a small edge)
OF Quentin/Upton/Manny (They’re all very close. Quentin has the best numbers, but Upton is the exciting youngster and Manny is the established star … any of the three would be a solid pick)
DH Bradley (Matsui is close, Ortiz isn’t that far behind)

So the voters, to this point, have completely whiffed on catcher, second base and one outfield spot, have made a defensible, but clearly wrong selection at SS and DH, were close but I disagree at 1b and a second OF spot and were right on at 3b and the third OF spot.

"It's for your own good. Big strong Devo knows whats best for Poppy" -- Mossback

by devo on Jun 3, 2008 11:06 AM PDT up reply actions

Jack Cust should be close for DH...

4th in EqA, and two of the guys in front of him are already going as outfielders…

Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.

by PaulThomas on Jun 3, 2008 11:40 AM PDT up reply actions

I was going by positions listed in BP and HBT's stats pages, where he's LF ...

He’d come in 4th, though … he might have been able to move up a spot if he had played full time …

"It's for your own good. Big strong Devo knows whats best for Poppy" -- Mossback

by devo on Jun 3, 2008 11:47 AM PDT up reply actions

I suspect he'll be moving up a spot anyway

Ortiz is hurt, possibly season-ending.

Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.

by PaulThomas on Jun 3, 2008 1:23 PM PDT up reply actions

yeah, saw that ...

He’d actually be a pretty good candidate for our representative—as the starter, likely without a backup for the position.

With Hamilton a shoe-in and Kinsler more deserving than him, Bradley is going to have a tough time making the team. It’s tough to see Matsui getting selected (if he doesn’t overtake Ortiz because of the injury) ...

"It's for your own good. Big strong Devo knows whats best for Poppy" -- Mossback

by devo on Jun 3, 2008 2:23 PM PDT up reply actions

Qualifying OPS Leaders

C1 – Mauer
1B – Youk
2B – Kinsler
3B – Rodriguez
SS – Young. I know he’s a 2B masquerading, but he’s got a 50 point OPS advantage on Jeter.
OF – Quentin
OF – Hamilton
OF – Manny
DH – Milton Bradley

Rodriguez has only played 37 games and doesn’t have enough ABs to show up on qualifying lists yet, but he’s been the best 3B by far.

Also, at least as of right now, Varitek and Mauer have idential .810 OPSes, but Mauer has a 50 point OBP advantage with Varitek having a higher SLG. I’ll take the .400 OBP every time.

by mikev on Jun 3, 2008 10:51 AM PDT reply actions

Er... my asterisk didn't work. It made everything bold instead. oops.

by mikev on Jun 3, 2008 11:01 AM PDT up reply actions

Your * don’t work in the ~~playoffs~~ All-Star Game.

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by Poppy on Jun 3, 2008 3:09 PM PDT up reply actions

I hate Boston and NY

but some of the pics need to stay.
C – Varitek – Could be replaced by Mauer, but hes not really having that great of a year either. This spot should belong to Vic Martinez, but he is a shell of his self this year.
1B – Youk – This is the right pick.
2B – Pedroia – Should be Ian Kinsler
SS – Jeter – No SS has separated themselves this year, so Jeter is the logical choice.
3B – A-Rod – C’mon, you cant have an AS game w/o the best player on the planet.
OF – Hamilton, Ichiro, Manny – Hamilton and Manny are the right choices here, as they are having really good seasons. Ichiro should get bumped for Carlos Quentin.

Really, outside of an OF, 2B, C and maybe SS, the choices are pretty accurate, no matter how bad it sux to see all of those NY and BoSox players.

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by SoCal As Fan on Jun 3, 2008 4:56 PM PDT reply actions

Michael Young is leading Jeter in pretty much every single metric possible.

Aside from the all important “Bandwagon fans around the nation” metric.

by mikev on Jun 4, 2008 12:41 AM PDT up reply actions

So what you're saying ...

is that aside from the half that you think are wrong, the other half are pretty accurate? (you omitted DH, btw)

That would mean only 3 of 8 would be Sox/Yankees … I don’t think anyone would complain about that … A-Rod is clearly an All-Star, Youk and Manny are, if not necessarily the best picks (Mourneau is having the better year at 1b and should be considered a bigger ‘star’ what with the MVP trophy and all), they’re not worth complaining about. It’s Varitek, Pedroia and Jeter - who are clearly considerably worse than Mauer, Kinsler and Young - that people are complaining about.

"It's for your own good. Big strong Devo knows whats best for Poppy" -- Mossback

by devo on Jun 4, 2008 11:31 AM PDT up reply actions