Posted July 3, 200520 yr comment_2744606 The All-Star selection special is tonight at 7pm ET on ESPN. Many people will likely complain about bad or questionable selections the fans made. Some people take this to mean that the fans should not vote for the All-Star starters. Let me tell you there is nothing wrong with the fans voting for the All-Stars. Usually when a bad selection occurs, it is a problem not with the voting population, but the process. The All-Star ballot places the starter (or projected starter) from each team on the ballot, and asks fans to pick one. Let's take the NL shortstops. There is no clear-cut candidate, so fans who legitimately try to select the best candidate are all over the ballot. Clint Barmes, David Eckstein, Cesar Izturis, Rafael Furcal, Jose Reyes, and Felipe Lopez all look or looked like fine candidates. So all of those players receive a portion of votes. Then a small percentage of fans, no more than 15% by my estimation, vote for the most recognizable name of Nomar Garciaparra. That is not a sign that the fans are idiots. That shows that whenever you use an unrestrained plurarity to run a vote, things like this will happen, particularly in the absense of a strong candidate. Rafael Palmeiro won the AL Gold Glove in 1999 in the same manner, despite playing just 28 games at first base. And that vote was from managers and coaches. If we really think fan votes are such a problem, I propose introducing a run-off into the system. We have internet voting now, so votes can be tabulated very quickly. Take the top three to five vote getters at each position, and conduct internet voting for a week or two. I guarantee you will eliminate 75% of the bad selections right off the bat. Then we have the player voting. The only real problem with the player voting is that it eliminates the flexibility from the manager, forcing him many times to make selections solely to satify the team representation rule. Still, the players should vote on merit. We'll see how that turns out. I will host a live chat tonight at 7pm to coincide with the All-Star selection show. All are invited to attend.
July 3, 200520 yr Author comment_2748351 I just got in. Anyone who wants to join the chat can invite themselves to "nmbbaseball," or IM me for an invite.
July 4, 200520 yr comment_2753984 Derrek Lee getting the nod to start at first is the first piece of good news the Cubs have had since early last week.
July 4, 200520 yr comment_2754278 I'm hoping Halladay gets to start off the game. I'm a little surprised with a few of the selections, but overall, not half bad. I think its a little hard for everyone to get a good picture of how good some people are because they can't watch all the teams and games. Which leads to more split voting.
July 5, 200520 yr comment_2760072 Time for a stupid question... What is the criteria on voting for all-stars? Is it mostly based on how players do in the first half of the season? That's what I've always assumed... but, never heard it said that way. It just seems pointless to vote in guys like Brian Roberts... then just throw in guys like Rolen and Beltran for the hell of it.
July 5, 200520 yr Author comment_2761260 Time for a stupid question... What is the criteria on voting for all-stars? Is it mostly based on how players do in the first half of the season? That's what I've always assumed... but, never heard it said that way. It just seems pointless to vote in guys like Brian Roberts... then just throw in guys like Rolen and Beltran for the hell of it. There is no set criteria. Basically, the All-Star ballot asks the fans, "who do you want to see play in the All-Star game?" Some fans vote based on reputation. Some fans dilligently study the current statistics and make a selection. Some fans simply vote for their hometown players. From there, you get a smattering of different results. Rolen and Beltran are in for the most part because they had highly successful seasons last year. Roberts had a well-publicized hot streak to start the season. Mostly it has to do with who is making headlines with their performances. When it comes down to the talking heads though, they always seem to discuss this half-season and only this half-season. I think more should be taken into account, because simple bionomial probability will tell you that you can't tell the best players from only a half-season of statistics.
July 5, 200520 yr comment_2763954 The fans generally do a good job IMO. They usually either get it right or get guys that should be reserves.
July 5, 200520 yr comment_2764205 Yeah, the fans have done a fairly good job the last couple of years. I'm more concerned with the coach/player vote, which gave us such gems as Danny Baez and Shea Hillenbrand this year. I understand it's difficult to juggle all of the parameters, but it seems like every year, there's at least two or three selections made outside of the voting process that are virtually indefensible.
July 5, 200520 yr Author comment_2765508 Shea Hillenbrand and Justin Duchscherer are as bad of selections as you can find.
July 5, 200520 yr comment_2765867 How is Duchscherer a worse selection than Nathan? He shouldn't be penalized just because he didn't pitch the 9th inning before Dotel went down.
July 5, 200520 yr Author comment_2766335 How is Duchscherer a worse selection than Nathan? He shouldn't be penalized just because he didn't pitch the 9th inning before Dotel went down.Duchscherer doesn't pitch the ninth inning now, Huston Street does. If you look over the numbers, Street has been slightly better this season, not surrendering a home run all season. But that is all besides the point. Yes, Duchscherer is having a better season than Joe Nathan. Nathan does not belong in the All-Star game either. I just don't think that 42 innings of good pitching qualifies a pitcher for the All-Star game. Relievers pitch where they do because they are not as good as the starting pitchers. Huston Street has struck out more than a batter an inning, with an ERA lower than Duchscherer's. Minnesota's Jesse Crain also has a lower ERA, while compiling an 8-0 record. Cliff Politte has a 1.10 ERA, giving up only 15 hits in 32.2 IP, with 32 strikeouts and nine walks. What makes Duchscherer better? Duchscherer is perhaps the sixth best reliever in baseball. That's excellent. It's also not quite an All-Star. The way relievers run, I would rather an established pitcher work the All-Star game. No other position features as much variance in performance. Looking at my statement though, I admit I worded myself too strongly. Duchscherer is far from ranking among the worst selections.
July 6, 200520 yr comment_2768379 I think that Duchschere and Shea made it because of the goofy "Every team gets reprsented" rule. Although in Shea's case Halladay is in, but there isn't a whole lot of depth at 1B in the AL. What I'm wondering is when the players started voting for the All Star game? It seems to me that Torre was allowed to choose Yankees with impunity, but Francona seemingly has no choice in the matter. Matt Clement (for performance) and Mike Timlin (for performance and sentimental reasons) easily could have been chosen. Torre got to carry Mike Stanton to one game as a reward for all the years of hard work, Tito should have been able to do the same for Timlin.
July 6, 200520 yr Author comment_2769707 I think that Duchschere and Shea made it because of the goofy "Every team gets reprsented" rule. Although in Shea's case Halladay is in, but there isn't a whole lot of depth at 1B in the AL. The players voted for a reserve at every position, and Shea is the players' chosen DH. What I'm wondering is when the players started voting for the All Star game? It seems to me that Torre was allowed to choose Yankees with impunity, but Francona seemingly has no choice in the matter. Matt Clement (for performance) and Mike Timlin (for performance and sentimental reasons) easily could have been chosen. Torre got to carry Mike Stanton to one game as a reward for all the years of hard work, Tito should have been able to do the same for Timlin. I believe it started last season. I don't think Timlin deserves the All-Star game, but Clement probably does. It seems to me that Francona almost went out of his way not to pick Clement, and to avoid any controversy. I have no doubt though that some pitcher will drop (possibly Kenny Rogers), and Clement will be the replacement.
July 6, 200520 yr comment_2769796 Timlin probably isn't the most deserving choice but the manager should be allowed one sentimental pick.
July 6, 200520 yr comment_2769964 I think it's silly that the American League has SIX relief pitchers. Like you say, the reason they're relief pitchers in the first place is because they're not good enough to be starters.
July 6, 200520 yr Author comment_2770407 Timlin probably isn't the most deserving choice but the manager should be allowed one sentimental pick. He shouldn't, and I think you and I would be quite upset if it were a different manager besides Francona.
July 9, 200520 yr comment_2810792 According to Rob Dibble, the All-Star Game is a joke with no Jeter. And I thought others had a hard on for the guy... Baseball wants the All-Star Game to have meaning? I don't get it. If the game means so much, why are some of baseball's best players not in the game? Miracle Fielding Boy just lost out on the internet vote to Scott Podsednik. That never should have happened. And Michael Young is more deserving than Jeter??? Don't make me laugh. If I were starting a team right now, the first player I'd take would be Jeter. No one is more clutch in big games than him, no other shortstop in baseball has more championships, and no other shortstop has to play in a tougher media town. You'll never find a better person to represent baseball than Miracle Fielding Boy. His numbers easily warrant him being in Detroit, and the fact that he had to be on the list of five players that had to beg for votes is a disgrace to the game. First, the fact that home-field advantage is decided by this game is a joke. Second, can you imagine an NBA All-Star game without Michael Jordan or Magic Johnson? Neither can I, and Jeter is the Jordan of baseball. Third, if this game means so much to the outcome of the World Series, then put the best players out there on the field and forget the "player from every team" concept. Some teams don't have All-Stars, and fans don't want to see those players anyway, especially if they don't deserve it. If you want to do that stupid internet vote, let the fans of those non-deserving players vote their player onto the team, that way, when some team doesn't have a player, only the fans are to blame. The All-Star game is a joke, especially when the best players are not going to be there. Miracle Fielding Boy is better than the All-Star game. It makes me sick that he won't be there.
July 9, 200520 yr comment_2812497 It's all Kevin Mench's fault. Just what my fantasy squad needed. Kenny Rogers will also not participate and I believe Matt Clement will fill one of the two voids. It's funny how now that he's got run support and subsequently, a better W-L record than last year, Clement's now getting attention, even though he was this good last season.
July 9, 200520 yr comment_2813861 Well no doubt the Cubs look dumber for not investing some more dollars to keep him around, since he's looked better than any of their starting five (or 10) this season. Most (myself included) excused Hendry letting him walk so easily because we were under the impression that money was being cleared up for a big acquisition. No Jeromy Burnitz jokes, please.
July 9, 200520 yr comment_2814062 i for one cant joke about burnitz, im a mets fan. but a lot of people are saying that Varitek is part of the big difference in Clement's performance this year. Though he still would have been a great aquisition for any club with some offense. did the cubs go after troy percival?
July 10, 200520 yr comment_2817007 Even Bill Simmons thinks the All-Star Game should always include Jeter. Him, and 12 other players.
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