Sunday, July 06, 2008

All-Star Rosters

A few observations:

1. Let's stop the charade that calls for each time to have a player on the All-Star team.
2. Do you really mean to tell me that Cole Hamels isn't one of the top 10 pitchers in the National League?
3. Let's watch ballot box stuffing. It's bad enough that Ryan Theriot outpolled Jimmy Rollins at shortstop, but to name Kerry Wood as a pitching selection after the Cubs already are more than well represented is absurd. I wonder if he'll even be healthy enough to last the season.
4. The Cardinals' pick should have been Kyle Lohse, what with the way Ryan Ludwick has struggled in the past month.
5. Pat Burrell deserves to be on the All-Star team. Yes, that's unbelievable coming from Philadelphia, but he's having a great (if contract) year. Look for the Phils to re-sign him.
6. Both Billy Wagner and Brad Lidge (who inked a new contract today for $37.5 million over 3 years, with the Phils thereby sending a message to Brett Myers that he'll either reform as a starter or find himself pitching in Kansas City) deserved to make the team.
7. I'm glad for both A-Rod and Derek Jeter, especially for Jeter, who deserves to be an All-Star in Yankee Stadium.
8. Somehow, it's hard to see an NL All-Star team without David Wright, one of the best players in the National League.
9. It does show the Phils' depth that the two most recent NL MVP's don't make the All-Star team (Ryan Howard and Rollins), but that they have two players on it (Chase Utley, the leading vote getter among all players and Lidge), one who's in the voting for the last player (Burrell) and one who definitely should be on it, a stopper if there ever was one (Hamels).

Okay, I've said my peace. What's your view?

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Agree on (pretty much) all points. But speaking of charades, what the hell is up with the Home Run Derby this year? Those who should be there either don't get an invite (hey, Ryan Howard) or turn it down (A-Rod, I'm looking at you.) I absolutely think Howard should've gotten one - despite striking out like crazy, he's been putting the rest of the league to shame with his number of homers. And he clearly has massive raw power - just look at him go head-to-head with defending champ Vlad Guerrero.

What a machine that man is.