Hey Now, You're an All Star!-but you're not playing..

by bigappleburgh on Jul 16, 2009 5:43 PM EDT

Zach Duke and Freddy Sanchez-

Congrats guys, you two are a fraction of Baseball's best this year. You have the stats, you have the character, and you aren't pumping roids (knock on Louiseville Slugger wood). Therefore, we'll be inviting you to participate in the MLB All-Star game, to represent your team, the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Oh, but you might not leave the dugout, bullpen, etc

You see, the coach could be drastically concerned about winning a fairly meaningless game, and therefore decide to sit you out in case you're desperately needed in a non-guaranteed extra-innings situation.

And extra innings is a female orgasm; it just doesn't happen unless the sluggers bring their big bats.

So, while the other guys (that didn't get it done) are getting 3 at bats, or giving up earned runs like it's Hanukkah, you two can sit on the bench and sip your all-star gatorade. just keep it away from Carlos Zambrano.

Sorry Buccos, your team doesn't exist according to the MLB.

Honestly, i've never been a fan of the all-star game. I like the home-run derby, I like the recognition of great play-but the meaningless competition really puts a cork in the bat.

But if you're going to have this game, to have the cream of the crop compete against each other, then at least make sure the guys get to play. If the recognition and representation is what the game is all about, then that should be the priority of the game-not a win. And let's not pretend that the game is do-or die.

There is also the argument that these guys need to be saved for extra innings, or it will end up hurting the team in the long run (throwing out arms, tirings guys, etc.) Maybe we need to restructure the All Star Game, maybe have different rules for extra innings. Because it's much more important for these guys to play and represent their team and season, than to pretend that a win is the number one priority.

Although the Pirates arent' the pride of the league right now, it's still important that great players get recognition. shouldn't baseball at least pretend that each team has a chance in the league?

So yes Duke and Sanchez-you're all stars.

but keep sipping that gatorade, keep sporting that Pirate P. although we can barely see it outside of the dugout.

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Comments

Easier solution:

Get rid of the stupid rule requiring each team to have one representative. There are teams who do not deserve to have representatives because they don’t have any great players.

@bs_uf15bosox9be:OverTheMonster-ALLERGEN WARNING:May contain PB.

by bdalebs on Jul 16, 2009 9:23 PM EDT reply actions

If they do this then they must get rid of Fan voting...

What you fail to understand in your joyless myopia is that baseball is the key to life-- the Rosetta Stone, if you will. If you just understood baseball better all your other questions your, your... the, uh... the aliens, the conspiracies they would all, in their way be answered by the baseball gods.

by winchester5 on Jul 16, 2009 10:25 PM EDT up reply actions

or the part

where you can vote 20 times

I Have Spoken.

by The_Fan on Jul 17, 2009 10:16 AM EDT up reply actions

Thought it was 25.

I wouldn’t mind it being independent of fan voting, since the results tend to be big names anyways.

@bs_uf15bosox9be:OverTheMonster-ALLERGEN WARNING:May contain PB.

by bdalebs on Jul 17, 2009 6:46 PM EDT up reply actions

Maybe just have the Red Sox and the Yankees sit out a year.

I am happy to introduce All Star Third Baseman, Chone Figgins.

by 44FAN on Jul 17, 2009 2:23 AM EDT up reply actions

haha

the rosters would be empty

I Have Spoken.

by The_Fan on Jul 17, 2009 10:15 AM EDT up reply actions

Wouldn't mind the Sox sitting out.

Give them their bonuses, but I’d rather give them a nice break and use the time to fix issues like Paps.

@bs_uf15bosox9be:OverTheMonster-ALLERGEN WARNING:May contain PB.

by bdalebs on Jul 17, 2009 6:47 PM EDT up reply actions

The Bucs weren't the only ones to have their players not play.

Check out these games:

Multiplayer Baseball: http://www.mmobaseball.com/createaccount.aspx?ref=9687

Multiplayer Football: http://goallineblitz.com/game/signup.pl?ref=16986650

by matthiasstephan on Jul 17, 2009 6:26 AM EDT reply actions

very true. Andrew Bailey on Oak didn't get in either. And there is probably more but that is the one I noticed from my team...

by winchester5 on Jul 18, 2009 1:24 PM EDT up reply actions

The Angels did not have any players get in the game either.

by IceStormV1 on Jul 19, 2009 1:54 PM EDT up reply actions

yup, good point.

by winchester5 on Jul 19, 2009 10:08 PM EDT up reply actions

It's not exactly like they deserved that much playing time or anything.

"I dunno. I never smoked any Astroturf"
-Tug McGraw

by squid92 on Jul 19, 2009 1:09 PM EDT reply actions

Oakland, Northside Chicago, Anaheim, and PIttsburgh

all got crapped on by their respective league managers.

What makes no sense to me is why the Angels former behind-the-scenes coach for 3 decades, Joe Maddon, wouldn’t play either the MLB saves leader — Fuentes — or one of the best spark-plug offensive players in the league — Figgins.

Figgins may not have deserved to play, given he was the last addition to the ASG and he flew to StL that day to join the festivities, but Fuentes’ omission was an absolute atrocity.

I can understand the methodology behind Maddon’s decision to exclude the two, as he played most of the starters for 3 AB, replacing subs as needed for 1 or 2 AB, saving players for expected long-innings of relief if the game went to extras, but it’s such a slap in the face to those fanbases it’s almost unforgivable. If the ASG weren’t in Anaheim next year, I’d boycott the game and recommend anyone affronted by the lack of fan outreach by the MLB and the managers to do the same.

Though I couldn’t condone Charlie Manuel’s decision to sit the two Bucs or the lone Cub’s pitcher to make the roster, it’s more understandable. Given Lilly’s penchant for injuring himself — and ending up as such just this week — he was kept out for fear of just this.

In any case as a fan, I’m less than pleased.

by shiftyeyedgoat on Jul 26, 2009 1:55 AM EDT reply actions

Here's a thought(/rumor I'm going to start):

Maybe Maddon was doing the Angels a personal favor by keeping their players out? I was in favor of my team, the Red Sox, trying to keep their players out, so that they could rest.

@bs_uf15bosox9be:OverTheMonster-ALLERGEN WARNING:May contain PB.

by bdalebs on Jul 26, 2009 3:11 AM EDT up reply actions

Fuentes, I will concede this seems plausible, if not downright likely,

but Figgy? The little guy was so happy just to be there; what was a defensive replacement in the 9th just to give him a taste of the glory? He said he would do a backflip if he got to play in the ASG.

Even though Figgins can forgive Maddon, I sure as heck can’t…

by shiftyeyedgoat on Jul 26, 2009 4:07 AM EDT up reply actions