Since 1933, the All Star game has been played, symbolically marking the halfway point of the MLB season. The day before and after the All Star are the only two calendar days all year in which no regular or preseason game in any of the major US sports leagues are scheduled. A lot people think the All Star game is pointless and many more have a huge problem with the selection process. I'm not saying the selection process is ideal, but I think the point of the game is simple and doesn’t need to be analyzed for more than it is. The game is just something fun for fans to watch, pure and simple; an exhibition giving fans the chance to see great players who may never be on the same team play together. And really, who didn’t love struggling to stay awake for all 4 hours and 50 minutes of last year’s All Star game? Love or hate the All Star game, it is an honor to be picked. Let’s get down to who made the cut and who didn’t, but should have.
Yankee All-Stars
Derek Jeter: The Yankee captain received the highest number of votes of any AL player and will be making his 10th All Star appearance. Disclaimer, I love Jeter and will never say anything bad about him following my opposition to his high fade. That being said, while the Rays Jason Barlett is also a strong contender to start, I think Jeter deserved to make the cut. As evidenced by the number of votes he received, fans see Jeter as a more sure thing than Barlett who lacks the history and name recognition. And yes, that is one of the reasons people are opposed to fan voting. But I never said the selection process was perfect. Jeter has been effective defensively this year, even more so than previous seasons, quieting critics talk of “ineffective fielding.” Jeter is also hitting well, stealing bases, and scoring runs. On top of this, Jeter has proven to be a valuable asset to the AL All Star roster, with a .474 career average in the midsummer classic, ranking him 5th of all time. And don’t forget 2000, when Jeter was named the All Star MVP, the first time a Yankee was awarded this honor. I’ll admit it; I will probably still be putting Jeter down as a write in long after he is retired.
Tex: Yankee fans nationwide rejoiced in the off season with the signing of CC, Burnett, and Tex. Tex made Yankee fans especially happy, as many thought he might go to the dark side (aka the Boston Red Sox). Well CC has been good and Burnett was strong in his first
few starts, I think Tex is the one addition that is consistently delivering what Yankee fans expected from him. And yes to be fair, he did get off to a slow start. Yankee fans expected Teixeira to get hits and score runs and that is just what he is doing. He has hit 20 home runs and driven in 62 runs so far this season. Another reason Tex deserves to make the cut, he plays the entire game as if it matters and remembers the fundamentals of the game. If you need proof of this, just remember that sloppy win over the Mets. Sorry to bring it up again Castillo. When A-Rod made contact, Tex did what young players are taught to do when there are 2 outs, he ran on contact and didn’t stop. There are many great players who would have simply jogged slowly towards second after seeing the ball pop up. Those players would have stayed safe at second and kept the game tied to bring up another batter. Not Tex, who plays the game full speed until the last out is recorded. It just makes it all that much sweeter than Tex beats out our least favorite bald Red Sox.
Mariano Rivera: This one is pretty non-debatable, so really no need for a long explanation. It wouldn’t be an All Star game without Rivera, also making his 10th All Star appearance. Rivera has earned three All Star saves, tying Eckersley for the most All Star saves. Mo, let’s make it 4 this year and set a new record. I am still trying to recover from Papelbon’s comments last season. I wonder if he has arranged for a bulletproof car in St. Louis for his safety...
As much as I do love watching the All Star game, clearly it has its flaws, which leave some deserving players to get snubbed. There are many snubs this year, but two of the worst go to the Texas Rangers. I love Josh Hamilton’s story as much as anyone; in fact, I get choked up just thinking about what he’s accomplished and overcame. But two of his teammates deserved an All Star spot more than this comeback kid. While Hamilton has been injured, two of his teammates have helped to make the Rangers a top contender in the AL West.
Ian Kinsler: Sure he still has a 1 in 5 chance of making the team, but the reality is, he deserves the starting spot. Kinsler’s stats are impressive; he ranks in the top ten in runs, home runs, and stolen bases. So even if he didn’t get the start over Dustin, his numbers are simply better than Aaron Hill’s, who I actually would have started over Dustin as well. I will acknowledge is average is a little low for someone who hits at the top of the order, but Hill and Pedroia’s higher averages are not enough to edge them ahead of Kinsler. Again, Pedroia overshadows Kinsler, something he’s been doing since Arizona State. I still love you Ian and hope the fans will keep voting to give you what you deserve.
Kevin Millwood: The Texas Rangers and dominating pitchers don’t usually go together in the same sentence. However, Kevin Millwood has been dominating this season. One must also remember some of the games he does lose; he would have easily won had he had adequate offensive help. Again, the numbers don’t lie. Millwood’s ERA is lower than Josh Beckett's and he has pitched more innings than Beckett, including pitching two complete games. Millwood’s ERA is also lower than Tim Wakefield’s by an even greater margin. In fact, Millwood’s ERA is in the top 5 of AL pitchers. I mean we all know that Tim is 42 and this may be his last chance to make the team, but if you are leaving sentiment out of it, he didn’t deserve it more than Millwood. And it can’t be overlooked that Millwood was also hurt by the rule that every team must be represented. How about just giving players from the teams that don’t have deserving All Stars some front row seats to make a nice cheering section?
Regardless of who did and didn’t get picked, let’s hope that no one pulls a Dan Uggla this year….
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