But Varitek adds leadership to the team. He also adds defense and a bit of offense.Originally Posted by HoustonGM
Song of Solomon 5:4
But Varitek adds leadership to the team. He also adds defense and a bit of offense.
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I don't really think "leadership" amounts to much for a single game of the game's best. Defense, I guess, offense...no.
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So what would make you guys happy? Should All-Stars be based on VORP? Pick the highest rated player at each position. That's your All-Star?
Should there be an electoral college like the presidency so that players in big markets can't overwhelm the voting?
Vtek is one of the most important players on one of the best teams this season. I'd say he's an asset to any team that he's on.
Song of Solomon 5:4
IMO,the players who can grow the longest mustaches should be All-Stars.
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I really don't think that's fair for Clayton Kershaw...he's only 20 he doesn't have a chance against the over-testosteroned Giambi's of the world.
In a strange twist ,IMO,the players who can grow the longest mustaches should be All-Stars.
the early 70's Oakland A's showed up to play the national league all stars....
o
There's many different opinions on what consitutes an All-Star. Personally, I prefer that the All Star Game be for the best players in the first half of the season. Jason Varitek is nowhere near the top 3 catchers in the AL this year, by any metric. Some people, like Joe Sheehan of Baseball Prospectus, think the All Star Game is for the game's BEST players, and first-half performance shouldn't have as much weight as is normally given. He doesn't think "first half wonders" like Ryan Ludwick should make the All Star Team unless they have some track record to back it up. I don't agree with that, I'm just describing some of the other "views."
Whether or not he's one of the most important is irrelevent to me when it comes to picking All Stars. To me, it's about who is BEST, and importance does not factor into who is best.Vtek is one of the most important players on one of the best teams this season. I'd say he's an asset to any team that he's on.
I'd probably go with just 2 catchers on the team (Mauer and Navarro) but if I had to pick a third, I'd go with A.J. Pierzynski this year.
In related news, this guy lists his picks for the 10 worst All Star selections of the last 10 years. Varitek is #1 on his list.
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I agree with houston about how varitek has not performed well, but really, baseball is not all #'s. Houston, don't you have any love for the game other than numbers and stats? I think we just need to except that the all-star game is a popularity show, and that VTek is popular. And he was voted by teh players, so they must think he is deserving, and they must want him on the team. The players aren't just toys, they are people too. Leadership is very important, and could make the difference in the game
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Fililok, I could go into detailed statistical detail as to why Tek shouldn't be an all star, but I figured the fact that a .219 average is so ridiculously low for what is supposedly the third best catcher in the AL that I didn't have to go into greater detail, but I will.
Tek is currently hitting a robust .218/.300/.358 7HR with a 73 OPS+.
Here is a comparison to AL catchers: [in AVG/OBP/SLG HR OPS+ form in order of OPS+]
Gerald Laird: .306/.360/.437 4HR 114 OPS+
Jorge Posada: .280/.358/.441 3HR 114 OPS+
AJ Pierzynski: .296/.333/.442 7HR 104 OPS+
Greg Zaun: .252/.349/.387 5HR 99 OPS +
Ivan Rodriguez: .290/.331/.405 3HR 97 OPS+
Kurt Suzuki: .278/.339/.361 3HR 95 OPS+
John Buck: .244/.320/.361 3HR 82 OPS+
Ramon Hernandez: .246/.288/.385 7HR 79 OPS+
Victor Martinez: .278/.332/.333 0HR 78 OPS+
Jeff Mathis: .220/.298/.355 5HR 75 OPS+
Kenji Johjima: .220/.260/.304 3HR 55 OPS+
I put in bold the only people I would Tek in over (with Hernandez and Martinez a close call).
That's 9 (or possibly 7) catchers who are having better years and who should be chosen before Tek. Tek got in cause he is a likable guy and because of a reputation.
If this was a meaningless game, or the all "Good Guy" team, then sure, put him in.
Since it isn't, it's a disgrace that he made the team. Period.
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Ken Harvey was not terrible, so I don't see why he is on the list. They have been plenty worse. As for AJ Perzynski, I doubt he would get voted by the players, because he is not well liked
Economic Left/Right: -7.75
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Matt Wieters says:"My morning routine goes: wake up, bang 10 hot women, eat Lucky Charms, destroy a few countries, and then read YeahThisIsMyBlog.blogspot.com."
Mogul No No's and Perfect Games:
2008 Royals-Gil Meche No hitter in 10 innings 1-0 final score
2038 Padres-Matthew Graham Perfect Game 1-0 victory!
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Victor Martinez has not played enough this year to show if he should be in
Economic Left/Right: -7.75
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -8.72
Matt Wieters says:"My morning routine goes: wake up, bang 10 hot women, eat Lucky Charms, destroy a few countries, and then read YeahThisIsMyBlog.blogspot.com."
Mogul No No's and Perfect Games:
2008 Royals-Gil Meche No hitter in 10 innings 1-0 final score
2038 Padres-Matthew Graham Perfect Game 1-0 victory!
o
Yes.
I'd agree with this if the All Star Game wasn't used so heavily in Hall of Fame cases AND if it didn't have meaning. As it stands, it's more than just an exhibition game. It's a game with meaning that is treated like a popularity contest. If it's going to be a popularity contest, get rid of the meaning of it and go back to when it was solely an exhibition game.I think we just need to except that the all-star game is a popularity show, and that VTek is popular.
This article goes into great detail about the issues with the All Star selection process, but it's subscriber-only, but here's a snippet:And he was voted by teh players, so they must think he is deserving, and they must want him on the team.
The skills required to be one of the very best baseball players in the world have very little to do with the skills required to evaluate the performance and the value of baseball players. I might even argue that the ability to do the former makes you less likely to be able to do the latter. Regardless of how much playing experience is valued by people hiring within the game, by the media that covers the game, and by a lot of fans, all of the evidence we have at our disposal indicates that players by and large do not understand what drives run scoring and run prevention, and are therefore ill-suited to grading the work of their peers.
This should not be a controversial statement. Baseball players are not selected for their ability to understand the game at a macro level, but their ability to play it on a micro level. Nate Silver can’t do what Derek Jeter can do, and Jeter’s skills are more valuable and more easily identified, but Jeter can’t do what Silver can do, and Silver’s skills are valuable, tangible and important to the understanding of baseball and the effective evaluation of baseball players. Jeter is better at being an All-Star; Silver is better at choosing the players who should join him. All it takes is one look at the NL All-Star roster to get that. Albert Pujols, who is no worse than the third-best player in baseball, has needed managers’ selections to make the team in each of the past two seasons. Johan Santana, a top-five starter in the NL this season and by any standard one of the three or four best in the game, isn’t on the team this year. The players are screwing up the process, just as they screwed up the Veterans Committee process.
o
I know, which is the joke of it. If it's going to be a game for the fans to see their favorite players and the players to vote for the guys they like, than it shouldn't be given all the meaning that it is given.
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I am with you in that players who perform well should be selected to play. But as long as teh vote exists, nothing will change. At least Joe Morgan does not decide the rosters with Dusty baker managing them,.
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Matt Wieters says:"My morning routine goes: wake up, bang 10 hot women, eat Lucky Charms, destroy a few countries, and then read YeahThisIsMyBlog.blogspot.com."
Mogul No No's and Perfect Games:
2008 Royals-Gil Meche No hitter in 10 innings 1-0 final score
2038 Padres-Matthew Graham Perfect Game 1-0 victory!
Banned
The game is all-star game, not best-player game. Jeeze.
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