Who will be the Oakland All Star this year?

by Miata71 on Jun 20, 2009 8:10 AM PDT

Looking first at position players by position:

Kurt Suzuki, Catcher. Maybe. Kurt is a fine all-around catcher having a good year. His problem is that Victor Martinez and Joe Mauer are clearly better. Inge, Varitek, Posada, Barajas and Pierzynski are also reasonable candidates from popular teams. Depending on the health of Martinez and Mauer, and how many catchers Joe Maddon plans to carry, Suzuki has an outside chance. But see below.

Jason Giambi, 1B. No.

Adam Kennedy, 2B. Probably not. Adam has had a great couple of months for the As. Not playing the full season will hurt. Kinsler, Cano, Pedroia and Aaron Hill are better known and having better years.

Orlando Cabrera, SS. Doubtful. Jeter and Scutaro are locks. If there will be a 3rd SS spot, Jason Bartlett, Elvis Andrus, and Alexi Ramirez are competition.

Jack Hanahan, 3B. No

Matt Holliday, OF. Maybe. I doubt he will get voted in, because he got off to a slow start and plays for a lesser known team. There is a lot of worthy OF competition from popular teams: Jason Bay, Carl Crawford, Torii Hunter, Damon, Ellsbury, Ichiro. Plus other worthy players like Nelson Cruz, Nick Markakis, Rios, Wells, Cuddyer, Abreu, Dye. Not to mention Ben Zobrist, my vote for the best all around AL player of 2009. Besides, he's likely to get traded before the All Star game, so we can't count on him to represent the As anyhow. :-(

Ryan Sweeney, Jack Cust OF. No

Now to Pitching...

Starters: The young guys have pitched well, and Braden and Outman have an outside chance. But I suspect that Madden will think "they are young, they will get chances in the future" and not pick any.

Relievers: With an ERA of 2.28 and WHIP of 1.02, Andrew Bailey is truly one of the top AL relievers this year. He has a better WHIP than Papelbon, a better ERA than Rivera, and more Ks than those two or Nathan.

Since Oakland will probably get only one representative at the 2009 All Star Game, tough luck for Suzuki, and congratulations to Andrew Bailey.

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Comments

There is only ONE reason we will have an AS representative this year...

…because the rules say we have to.

As far as I’m concerned, we do not have a single player that is worthy. I suspect it will be Suzuki, as he’s probably the closest. As a back-up of course.

Back then, my idol was Bugs Bunny, because I saw a cartoon of him playing ball - you know, the one where he plays every position himself with nobody else on the field but him? Now that I think of it, Bugs is still my idol. You have to love a ballplayer like that.
~Nomar Garciaparra

by UncleLeo on Jun 20, 2009 8:25 AM PDT reply actions

Suzuki, Maybe Holliday..dark horse Bailey

If Bailey’s arm doesn’t fall off before the all star game that is….Give him a rest some time BOB you tard

by ryanmoser on Jun 20, 2009 9:03 AM PDT reply actions

I hate

the rule that every team has to have an all star. That’s such crap.

Booyah!

by Dub_TC on Jun 20, 2009 9:32 AM PDT reply actions

Why?

If it wasn’t for that rule there would be 30 Redsox/Yankees on the roster

"Their batters are patient to the point that it's annoying." -Ryan Franklin

by Helloooo 1st on Jun 20, 2009 11:08 AM PDT up reply actions

Not if they got rid of the rule letting fans vote, too.

"Go ahead and overachieve, you scrappy Brett-Favre-colored walk-takers." —Rev Halofan

by iglew on Jun 21, 2009 3:07 AM PDT up reply actions

I don't.

It’s an exhibition for the fans. Every fan should feel represented and included.

by UncleLeo on Jun 20, 2009 11:30 AM PDT up reply actions

I honestly wouldn't like the rule if the coaches picked the teams....

but since its the stupid fans….they need to have it. I mean the all star game would just be Red Sox/Yankees Vs Mets/Phillies/Cubs/Dodgers.
No other team would be represented….thats no fun

What you fail to understand in your joyless myopia is that baseball is the key to life-- the Rosetta Stone, if you will. If you just understood baseball better all your other questions your, your... the, uh... the aliens, the conspiracies they would all, in their way be answered by the baseball gods.

by winchester5 on Jun 20, 2009 11:39 AM PDT up reply actions

true

putting it that way makes me like the rule … I guess my issue with it is the few times someone gets snubbed cause someone HAS to be on the roster. and also, I agree with Leo …. I just don’t think there’s anyone on the roster who truly deserves to be an all star this year. maybe Mazzaro, but he’s only had 4 starts.

I think Bailey will be our rep.

Booyah!

by Dub_TC on Jun 20, 2009 11:55 AM PDT up reply actions

Even if the coaches and players pick the teams, some dumbass picks get on

Ex: last year: Mauer was voted to start, if I’m right. Varitek, who sucks, was picked externally.

"You end up with a name like ‘Outman,’" he said last week. "What else are you going to do? You’re going to get people out, man." ~ Dallas Braden

by Blicks on Jun 20, 2009 1:28 PM PDT up reply actions

Holliday

He will be our all-star rep

by pbra17 on Jun 20, 2009 9:43 AM PDT reply actions

thats what i'm thinking

by winchester5 on Jun 20, 2009 11:37 AM PDT up reply actions

We should hope that Holliday is selected...

and plays well. It’ll maybe bump up his value a little bit.

"I'm not going to buy my kids an encyclopedia. Let them walk to school like I did." -Yogi Berra

by brenarlo on Jun 20, 2009 10:29 AM PDT reply actions

But my guess will be Braden.

"I'm not going to buy my kids an encyclopedia. Let them walk to school like I did." -Yogi Berra

by brenarlo on Jun 20, 2009 10:30 AM PDT up reply actions

I hope its Cust

just because……

Oh, but if I catch a line drive by a girl, that’s girl-on-girl action, the twiceness is eliminated, and it just counts once - gigglingone

by closetasfan on Jun 20, 2009 10:48 AM PDT reply actions

Not Cust, Matt, or Zooks. It's Braden by far.

Cust leads the team in HR, is t-2nd in RBIs, BUT Holliday is second on the team in AVG, 3rd in HR, and 1st in RBIs. I feel like a lot of OFs are possible candidates in the AL, and they may not need another.

Catchers are deep too though, so Sukuzi is just as unlikely.

It will probably be a pitcher. Braden leads the team in wins, Ks, and ERA.

by chillicothe20 on Jun 20, 2009 2:53 PM PDT up reply actions

I hope it's Braden

Guy deserves it. Most of the games he’s lost he’s had terrible run support and he’s left with the lead 2 or 3 times now…

by stranahanahan on Jun 20, 2009 11:21 AM PDT reply actions

Vin Mazzaro!

Dude is unhittable! :-P

Nah, it’ll probably be Braden or Bailey.

Sometimes the impossible can become possible if you're AWESOME!

by ZeroIndulgence on Jun 20, 2009 11:25 AM PDT reply actions

I'm also thinking Braden or Bailey

the other question is will our rep play?

Your 2009 Oakland Athetics: This time, it's personal.

by Kallus on Jun 20, 2009 12:51 PM PDT reply actions

If it's between Braden and Bailey

I really really hope they pick Braden.

Not that he’s necessarily better than Bailey, but I want Bailey to get some rest over the All-Star Break.

Braden, on the other hand, would be the perfect guy to represent the A’s to the world, because he’s such a great character and so good before the public. Also, I think he’d enjoy the hell out of it. Even more than any other player would.

"Go ahead and overachieve, you scrappy Brett-Favre-colored walk-takers." —Rev Halofan

by iglew on Jun 21, 2009 3:13 AM PDT up reply actions

If we're talking who's the A's best player, its Braden.

Although I’d rather the AS rep be Holliday, simply b/c the ASG managers can do dumbass things with the pitchers sometimes. Hurdle had Lidge up in the pen warming up for 6-7 straight innings or so before using him. Sherrill threw 3 innings in the ASG last year, which is more than he threw in a single appearance all season.

Just look at the numbers. If they use ERA, Braden’s up there.

Although there’s a chance both Holliday and a pitcher get on the team. Last year Aaron Cook got on the all star team, and a lot of people were saying it was because the Rox would have a ASG rep in case Holliday was traded last July.

"You end up with a name like ‘Outman,’" he said last week. "What else are you going to do? You’re going to get people out, man." ~ Dallas Braden

by Blicks on Jun 20, 2009 1:04 PM PDT reply actions