Constant All-Star Chatter

Obviously the All-Star games and the picks for the teams generate a lot of chatter between baseball fans. Some sample questions that seem to be repeatedly asked...Is it the Best-First Half game or should it be filled with players who have proven to be stars year after year? Do we really need 33 players on each team? What substances did Bud Selig use before deciding the All-Star should determine home field advantage in the World Series? All are legitimate, but none come close to the talk about who got screwed when the teams came out. Of course, we, the fans, get to decide who starts, which is only fair because we buy the tickets and we should see who we want to see. Of course, we do not always get it right (Mark Teixeira I am looking in your general direction). Whatever, it is a part of the process and there is no reason to get all that worked up about it since the Managers and players usually vote in the players who deserve to go but were not well enough known to garner enough votes to start. That being said, sometimes people take this a bit personally...

Suzyn Waldman Rants

I have no problem with the first half of the article. Joba is mediocre at best as a starter. However, when she delves into the All-Star game is where she starts to lose me.

" I can't speak for the National League, I don't see them enough. But I think the fans, players, and most of all, the AL All Star Manager Joe Maddon, did an outstanding job in picking this year's All Star team
Let's start with the Yankees. Of course, almost 5 million people voted for Derek Jeter, who is having his best year in MANY a year...take that, you cyber people, who look at stats, don't watch the games, and don't understand that the game is played by human beings, not by robo-players. Take your stats and put them away for another day"

First of all, yes, we do watch the games. Second of all, Jeter is not the best shortstop in the AL this year, Jason Bartlett is. Jeter was making the team no matter what, he is having a phenomenal year and, after all, he is Derek Jeter. Stat geeks do not hate Derek Jeter or think he is undeserving of playing in the ASG, he just has not been the best this year and the stat geeks just want to see the best be honored for their hard work that may go unnoticed. Jeter has been top dog for years (thanks to his bat) and I doubt it would kill him to see Bartlett start. By the way Suzyn, the stat geeks you hate are the ones noticing that Jeter is having a decent year with the glove as well as his bat. Anyways, Waldman does not stop there...

"Mark Teixeira was an All Star in 2006...but this year, he's been better. The stakes are higher, he is scrutinized like never before, watching him every day is really something. Saving runs with his glove, playing with abandon, and doing it as a Yankee....players on the team ALL knew he was a good player....but most are surprised at just HOW good he is."

Well that is just a line of crap. Everyone knows Mark Teixeira is good player, but he was not even one of the top 3 1st basemen in the AL this year (say hello to Kevin Youkilis, Miguel Cabrera, and Russell Branyan). Defensively he has not been the best(or 2nd or 3rd), and he gets to play his home games in a band box, which don't exactly hurt his power numbers. Oh, and since when is being under the microscope of the New York media another reason to elect someone? He made the choice to play there (and sign for $180 million) and deal with the pressure he knew he was going to get. Doing it as a Yankee? If this was last year that might hold, but not this year.

It sounds like she might want to have a talk with this guy. Holy cow, I have problems with the All-Star game, but this guy has to be the most miserable S.O.B on the planet. Hating on Adam Jones and Aaron Hill? My god man, they deserve to be in St. Louis, and by deserve, I mean THEY EARNED IT. Hate the ASG as much as you want, but at the end of the day, only the best deserve to go. Adam Jones and Aaron Hill will never forget this experience or the hard work they put in to make it there.