Could Jesse Crain make the All-Star Team?

[Fishercat]

Agreed, and I don't like fan voting when the game counts.

However, the players have shown themselves to be ignorant of their surroundings as well (I still love the survey from earlier in the decade where players said that Babe Ruth is the 9th best living player, not to mention certain ASG selections. Like Hillenbrand over Hafner, or Oswalt not on the roster), and if they got to choose it all, I'm not buying their rosters would be any better. That leaves it to the managers who have a bias. Terry said that it was between Colon and Clement, which are two good choices, but where's Freddy Garcia? Not a major miss, but still one.

We can't let stats decide it either since the idiots who run this thing would choose bad stats and there is no perfect stat to choose the best ASG players. Is a guy with a 3 ERA in Coors Field less deserving than a guy with a 2.75 ERA in the Nats park?

I do agree, they need to somehow lessen the power of ballot stuffers. Whether limiting entries or making it a multiple selection system. Give a media committee x %, fans y %, players z %, coaches k %, whatever.

[Lynch]

Considering that they now decide who get's homefield advantage in the WS by which league wins the AS game, I'd say that this game actually DOES count. It's a joke, but it counts.


I still believe that players and coaches should have the heaviest weight in the ballots, with the fans and media carrying some, but a minor % of the weight.

[Hammer]

We can all talk about how bad of a job the fans do and how they stuff the ballots for Yankees... which they have done alot... but look at the starters in both leagues. Carlos Beltran, Scott Rolen and Mike Piazza are the 3 worst choices... all 3 in the NL, 2 of which are Mets... not Yankees. The one Yankee who deserved to start, is starting... and admittedly I personally did vote for Matsui in one of the outfield spots... and every other spot in the AL is filled by deserving guys. Seriously, is there one guy starting in the AL, you would take out or decide that the fans need to have their voting privileges taken away?

Infact, the fans get even more credit from me this year (seeing as I voted once, I do not group myself in) for their work in the last couple weeks. We could've very easily had Tino Martinez, Cesar Izturis and Albert Pujols starting this year... but the fans voted the correct guys in their spots... admittedly though, Felipe Lopez should've been in over David Eckstein, but Eckstein deserves the spot too, in my opinion... and I wouldn't have been too broken up had Pujols started over Lee.


All of that said... the only part of all star weekend I watch is the Young Stars game and the Home Run Derby... so I honestly don't care whether the fans vote, the coaches choose, or the players choose.

[Lynch]

I honestly don't want to go through say, the last 10 years and show you how many people haven't deserved to be there. It happens every year (in every sport that the fans vote). Fans (as a whole) are morons. I've said it for years, and I'll stick by those words probably for life.

[Hammer]

Oh of course... but this year, the fans did a good job. Or, a serviceable job, because there's no way Beltran and Rolen should be out there.

[Steak]

Lynch: I will never ever vote for a guy for x amount of times online at all. You can bet on that. It ruines the All-Star process. I agree with everything you said. Once you voted once, you don't vote again.

[Steak]

All of that said... the only part of all star weekend I watch is the Young Stars game and the Home Run Derby... so I honestly don't care whether the fans vote, the coaches choose, or the players choose.

I am watching the Futures game this year. Watch Francisco Liriano pitch. That guy is going to be in the rotation next year. I am really excited to see him out there along with Travis Bowyer.

[mntwinsfan]

I am looking forward to Baker's start this week.