I admit it, I’m a sucker for Major League Baseball’s All-Star game. I can count on one hand the number of times I have ever missed the game on TV. Why, I remember that I once got mad at my Little League coach when he had the gall to schedule a practice that ended right as the game was about to begin, leaving precious little time to get home and catch the start… you HAVE to see the teams introduced! I even remember watching the game from a hospital bed when I was too sick to talk, but, man, seeing Ted Williams helped onto the field that night at Fenway surrounded by the game’s best and brightest sure did bring a tear to my eye.
It is this level of fandom that led me to fantasy baseball 20 years ago and it is this level of fandom that leads me to the annual debate over how to “fix” all that is wrong with the Midsummer Classic. But that’s a topic for a not-so-distant future blog entry. The issue that first must be dealt with is the actual balloting for the game. I will have plenty to say about how the players are chosen for this popularity contest soon, but I can’t in good conscience rant and rave about it without first casting my ballot. So that’s what I have done. Yesterday, I voted for the All-Star game online for the first time this year. There will be 24 additional ballots with my email attached to it in the weeks ahead, as everyone is allowed 25 votes. No, it’s not as fun as doing it the old fashioned way: borrowing a pen from your mom so that you could punch out the little white thingies next to the names of your favorite players during a hot summer night at the ballpark. But online voting was inevitable and MLB.com makes it easy.
Most of all, I really like how they have a link within each position that pops open sortable stats for each of the players under consideration. The intent is to cut down on some of the blind favoritism run amok that usually dominates the process and bring some actual analysis into the vote. Does it work? Sort of. The fact that, if balloting ended today, Cubs rookie Kosuke Fukudome would be starting for the National League speaks to the fact that everyone in Japan has Internet access and knows how to use it. Nice player, but not an All-Star starter by any stretch.
Who did I vote for? Glad you asked. My first ballot went like this:
American League
C Joe Mauer, Twins
1B Justin Morneau, Twins
2B Ian Kinsler, Rangers
SS Michael Young, Rangers
3B Miguel Cabrera, Tigers
OF Carl Crawford, Rays
OF Josh Hamilton, Rangers
OF Magglio Ordonez, Tigers
DH David Ortiz, Red Sox
National League
C Russ Martin, Dodgers
1B Lance Berkman, Astros
2B Chase Utley, Phillies
3B Chipper Jones, Braves
SS Hanley Ramirez, Marlins
OF Ryan Ludwick, Cardinals
OF Nate McLouth, Pirates
OF Matt Holliday, Rockies
I will keep you aprised of the changes in my ballot in the weeks ahead as well as provide some additional ideas and thoughts about what is easily the best and only relevant All-Star game of any of the major sports. For now, by all means go exercise your right to vote for the 79th All-Star game so that the players on the two teams we watch on July 15th at Yankee Stadium are actually deserving of being there.
Filed under: Baseball, Fantasy Baseball | Tagged: All-Star game, Baseball, Carl Crawford, Chase Utley, Chipper Jones, David Ortiz, Fantasy Baseball, Hanley Ramirez, Ian Kinsler, Joe Mauer, Josh Hamilton, Justin Morneau, Lance Berkman, Magglio Ordonez, Matt Holliday, Michael Young, Miguel Cabrera, Nate McLouth, Russ Martin, Ryan Ludwick
