Wright Backs In (Update at 2:25 PM): So David Wright made the All-Star Game afterall, sneaking in the back door. The AP is reporting that NL manager Clint Hurdle has selected Wright to replace the injured Alfonso Soriano. Click Here for the Full Story.
Wright's last-second fortune only highlights the flawed selection process. Had a roster spot not been vacated, Wright and his 70 RBI would have been forced to stay home.
Wright's last-second fortune only highlights the flawed selection process. Had a roster spot not been vacated, Wright and his 70 RBI would have been forced to stay home.
Fans Prefer Shaved: The "Support the Stache" campaign produced the same results as Walter Mondale's 1984 presidential bid. So, no, Jason Giambi did not make the All-Star Game. At least Giambi is one step ahead of where Al Gore was when he incurred electoral defeat in 2000; it took months for Gore to grow that fine post-election facial hair arrangement. ... With the minor league "Support the Stache" marketing ploys and water cooler showers, The Bronx Zoo is considering a new location at 161st Street.
David Wright won't complain. If he does, it would be the first time during his five-year major league career.
Whether he admits it or not, Wright has every right to groan after falling victim to Major League Baseball's latest gimmick -- The All-Star Game. With a player selection process that is about as efficient and fair as an Iranian election, the All-Star Game no longer showcases the league's top performers, and, therefore, strays from its underlying purpose.
One of five NL finalists in the All-Star Final Fan Vote (another selection gimmick that allows fans to fill the last of the team's 32 roster spots), Wright ran second to Milwaukee outfielder Corey Hart.
So Hart must be the one with the NL's third-highest RBI total (70) and a .386 on-base percentage?
No, those are Wright's numbers. Hart, you ask?
Whether he admits it or not, Wright has every right to groan after falling victim to Major League Baseball's latest gimmick -- The All-Star Game. With a player selection process that is about as efficient and fair as an Iranian election, the All-Star Game no longer showcases the league's top performers, and, therefore, strays from its underlying purpose.
One of five NL finalists in the All-Star Final Fan Vote (another selection gimmick that allows fans to fill the last of the team's 32 roster spots), Wright ran second to Milwaukee outfielder Corey Hart.
So Hart must be the one with the NL's third-highest RBI total (70) and a .386 on-base percentage?
No, those are Wright's numbers. Hart, you ask?
Well, Hart has 57 RBI and a stellar .332 OBP.
Can't argue that selection. It gets better.
Wright shouldn't have even been a part of the Final Vote gimmick in the first place since he should have been selected earlier as the second team third baseman behind only the ageless Chipper Jones (at least he got in, I mean he is only batting .375). Instead, the NL took Aramis Ramirez.
Now, Wright has taken criticism from this site in the past for his periodically shoddy play at third and his sometimes streakiness at the plate. We also know that Ramirez is a fine player. I've seen first-hand how powerful his bat is, witnessing him blast a Tommie Agee-like home run down left-field line at Shea last season, but the numbers this season don't lie.
Wright: .288, 17 homers, 70 RBI
Ramirez: .288, 16 homers, 63 RBI
Maybe baseball somehow benefits from the selection of a less-deserving player. Maybe that player doesn't drive in as many runs as his counterpart, but his presence will drive in more revenue due to the indvidual's marketability. Although I reject that line of thinking as it diminishes the purity of the Mid-summer Classic, I can understand it.
But Hart? Talk about not making sense, or cents for that matter.
Wright is a pop culture icon in the very same city where the All-Star Game will be played this year. His GQ image and heart-throb reputation make him one of the more marketable players in the entire league.
Baseball could have ensured that Wright was on the team because of those marketable, revenue-generating attributes, and admirably they didn't. I still can't say they did the Wright thing though.
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Tampa Bay is a nice surprise story and Evan Longoria (16 HR, .281 average)is one of the reasons for its success, but the "Final Voters" didn't look very closely at the AL numbers either. The White Sox are also somehow a first-place team as we approach the break and have undoubtedly been helped by the contributions of Jermaine Dye (20 HR, .301 average).
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1 comment:
I agree with Salvatore. Jermaine Dye should be in. I hate the all-star game now because it has become a case of who has the most loyal fans. Much like the throngs of mindless Obama supporters, Red Sox nation and Cubs nation are blinded by their team and flood the ballot box. Who wants to see 2/3 of the starting lineup with players of two teams? Base it on performance. I can't argue that much about Ramirez over Wright. What I can argue though is that the Mets are repped by Billy Wagner. Here is a guy who is anything but an all-star. I know positions must be filled and each team having a rep makes it difficult. But are there any baseball fans who think Wagner is more of an all-star for the Mets than David Wright?
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