Monday, July 03, 2006

Random Thoughts On Baseball (All-Star Edition)

1. With the exception of the “Final Man” voting, the rosters for the 77th All Star Game have been set. Predictably, I have issues with the voting system...

A. I really hate the idea that every team has at least one player represented in the All-Star Game. Baseball is a meritocracy and there’s nothing about Mark Redman’s performance that merits his selection (5W – 4L/ 5.59 ERA/ 1.51 WHIP/ .293 BAA). Quite honestly, he’s one of the worst pitchers ever selected to the All-Star Game. While I understand the spirit of the rule, I think it diminishes the “All-Star” quality of the game. People in attendance (and those viewing at home) want to see the best and brightest stars, not 23 studs and a couple of barely-passable hacks.

B. I think the “Final Man” voting is fairly ridiculous. Fans already selected starters on each team and there are usually between 2-3 hiccups every year (Mark Loretta? Paul Lo Duca?). Giving fans the right to make more mistakes, is that what’s good for the game? And why is the “Final Man” selection limited to five players? Who says that AJ Pierzynski is deserving of the final five? How could Pierzynski have made it to this level over Johnny Damon, Jason Giambi, Brian Roberts, Justin Morneau, Carl Crawford, and Magglio Ordonez? I hope fans will do the right thing and select Travis Hafner over Francisco Liriano because...

C. ...there’s no way Francisco Liriano (9W – 1L/ 1.99 ERA/ 0.97 WHIP/ .203 BAA) should’ve been left off to begin with. I don’t have a huge issue with pennant-winning managers showing preference for their own players in a coin-flip but there’s just no way that Mark Buerhle should’ve made it over Liriano. Buerhle’s selection over Liriano is flat-out indefensible and his exclusion also highlights the stupidity of Mark Redman being on the team. I’m sure that when Ozzie Guillen was picking starters and it came down to picking between Mike Mussina (9W – 3L/ 3.17 ERA/ 1.04 WHIP/ .224 BAA) and Buerhle (9W – 5L/ 3.86 ERA/ 1.31 WHIP/ .275 BAA) he didn’t give it a second thought and picked his own guy. I don’t like it but that’s how it should be – a manager should be most loyal to his own players and should give preference to them whenever possible. But taking Buerhle over Liriano is an egregious omission on Guillen’s part. I’m beginning to think that All-Star Game managers should have less voting power, if only to prevent such abuses of power. If Liriano doesn’t get in via the fan vote over the next few days, baseball fans are being robbed of the opportunity to see the best pitcher in baseball.

2. Let me repeat that last sentence above for emphasis: Francisco Liriano is the best pitcher in baseball. More than a hot young running back in football, more than an explosive young scorer in basketball, the most exciting thing in all of sports is watching a great young pitcher. Running backs can only tear through a defensive line a few times a game and star basketball players play every night but a pitcher only performs once a week and there’s just something about watching a 20-something kid blowing away veteran hitters with an array of scary fastballs and nasty breaking pitches. I love young pitchers more than anything else in sports. I’ll let someone else have a young Jordan or a young LeBron or Wade, give me vintage Doc Gooden, Roger Clemens, Mark Prior or Liriano any day of the week.

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