The All-Star Game rosters are out, which for baseball fans means it's time to start arguing about who got in and who didn't. Here's my list of top snubs and runner-up snubs:
Catcher
Who got in: Russell Martin (NL), Brian McCann (NL), Victor Martinez (AL), Pudge Rodriguez (AL), Jorge Posada (AL)
Top Snub: Kenji Johjima, Mariners
Runner-up Snub: Joe Mauer, Twins
Johjima and Mauer have similar numbers at the plate (117 park-adjusted OPS+ for Johjima, 126 for Mauer; OPS+ is an index whereby 100 is the average) and throwing runners out. The difference is simply in games played -- injuries have limited Mauer to only 49 games while Johjima has played in 65. Both of them are probably better options than AL starter Rodriguez, who has thrown out only nine runners in 39 attempts and is well into his third straight season of boycotting anything resembling a base on balls.
First Base
Who got in: Prince Fielder (NL), Albert Pujols (NL), Derrek Lee (NL), Dmitri Young (NL), David Ortiz (AL), Justin Morneau (AL)
Top snub: Kevin Youkilis, Red Sox
Runner-up snub: Carlos Pena, Devil Rays
The NL has four first basemen but no room for reigning MVP Ryan Howard. Go figure. Todd Helton and his .438 OBP and Youk with his .918 OPS get to stay home, too. Pena has the highest slugging percentage (.596) of any non-All-Star at the position.
Second Base
Who got in: Chase Utley (NL), Orlando Hudson (NL), Freddy Sanchez (NL), Placido Polanco (AL), Brian Roberts (AL)
Top snub: Dustin Pedroia, Red Sox
Runner-up snub: Kelly Johnson, Braves
Who thought anybody would be waving the Pedroia for All-Star flag a few weeks ago? Pedroia and Johnson both have OBPs hovering around the magic .400 while playing adequate defense. Glove work is why I can't endorse either Dan Uggla or B.J. Upton despite their gaudy offensive numbers.
Third Base
Who got in: David Wright (NL), Miguel Cabrera (NL), Alex Rodriguez (AL), Mike Lowell (AL)
Top snub: Chipper Jones, Braves
Runner-up snub: Casey Blake, Indians
Jones has been nicked up but he's posted a 170 OPS+ in 250 plate appearances, so at least he's making it count when he does play. Blake has been the Indians' answer to the failed Andy Marte experiment and been nothing but a steady contributer. If not for missed time to injury Akinori Iwamura would be very deserving of a spot for his all-around brilliant play.
Shortstop
Who got in: Jose Reyes (NL), J.J. Hardy (NL), Derek Jeter (AL), Carlos Guillen (AL), Michael Young (AL)
Top snub: Orlando Cabrera, Angels
Runner-up snub: Hanley Ramirez, Marlins
Young does nothing for me on the AL roster. Sammy Sosa was more deserving to be the Rangers' lone representative. Cabrera is hitting .337 and playing his usual brand of outstanding defense (only four errors). Say, you think the Red Sox could use a guy like that? Edgar Renteria deserves mention as well, as does Jimmy Rollins, but none of them have as much of a case as Ramirez, who leads all shortstops in VORP.
Outfield
Who got in: Barry Bonds (NL), Ken Griffey Jr. (NL), Carlos Beltran (NL), Alfonso Soriano (NL), Carlos Lee (NL), Aaron Rowand (NL), Matt Holliday (NL), Vladimir Guerrero (AL), Magglio Ordonez (AL), Ichiro Suzuki (AL), Carl Crawford (AL), Torii Hunter (AL), Manny Ramirez (AL), Grady Sizemore (AL), Alex Rios (AL)
Top snub: Curtis Granderson, Tigers
Runners-up snub: Gary Sheffield, Tigers; Eric Byrnes, Diamondbacks; Adam Dunn, Reds
Sheffield posted a 1.061 OPS from April 28 through June 29. Granderson hit 19 home runs in 2006, his first full season in the big leagues, and already has 11 this season. His combination of power at the plate and speed in that vast Comerica Park outfield is a huge reason why the Tigers are the defending AL champs and in the race again. Byrnes leads the D'backs in home runs (13) and steals (15). As for Dunn, it's hard for people to look past the strikeouts and appreciate how many runs he creates with his patience (39 walks) and power (23 homers).
Pitchers
This is going to get messy if we list all the pitchers, so let's just address the ones who did not get named to the teams and are not on the vote-in lists (which consist completely of pitchers in both leagues).
Top snub: Chad Gaudin, Athletics
Runners-up snub: Ian Snell, Pirates; Jeremy Guthrie, Orioles; John Maine, Mets
Gaudin has the fourth-best ERA+ in the AL at 147 among qualifiers. Just ask the Yankees how much fun it is to hit against him. Guthrie is second only to Dan Haren in ERA+ at 178, but he has not been in the rotation all season. Maine (150 ERA+) has been the Mets' top starter all season, and Snell has been slightly better than teammate Tom Gorzelanny, who got a spot on the fan vote-in ballot..
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Comments (64) Add A Comment
I think Rollins got snubbed at SS
TheNest6827 Is Back
South, NJ
Total Comments (493)
what about sosa
Metfan4life is a…
East Elmhurst , NY
Total Comments (411)
casey kotchman of the angels was a deserving candidate at 1B
Halos/Birds6
Colchester , VT
Total Comments (27)
Alex Cora, of course!
Coletrain
Total Comments (10830)
of course Barry got in, how convenient that happened....does anyone else smell the stench from that, how does he somehow make up that deficit and then win by over 100K....did he use steroids on the voting process as well....the all star game has now been officially disgraced.....
Maddux
Chicago , IL
Total Comments (174)
john maine is a def. snub.
hardy does not belong. 1 good month and i gauruntee he fades very quicklky 2nd half. coulnt have gone wrong with any of the other 3 deserving shortstops, but hardy will be a head scratcher when at the end of the season.
hotcorner42002
North Brunswick , NJ
Total Comments (29)
John Maine has got to be one of the biggest snubs this year. He's 9-4 with a 2.74 ERA (good for 4th in the NL), a .215 BAA (5th in NL) and a top ten in WHIP at 1.15. All of these stats beat Cole Hamels, who was selected, by a significant margin (never mind that he just beat Hamels 5-2 as well). Who would you take: The pitcher who has given up 10 home runs (Maine) or 19 (Hamels)?
Further, in his 16 starts this year, he's only given up more than 3 runs twice, and more than two runs 4 times.
Not to mention that as the All-Star game drew closer, he only got hotter. In his last three starts he's gone a combined 22.1 innings and allowed only 4 runs. He averages 7.4 Ks/ 9 innings, and since his advent with the Mets last year the 26-year-old has only gotten better.
That Maine wasn't selected is mind-boggling.
Act
Scotch Plains , NJ
Total Comments (2)
Ryan Howard should have gotten in. Slow start, but now he is getting it together. Pull Dmitri Young off there and replace him with Cordero so the Nats have a player on the team. I agree with the OF snub choices. Either Dunn or Byrnes would have been better than Beltran (.277-14-49). NL Shortstop is so deep, it makes for some tough choices.
Sundevil
Gainesville , FL
Total Comments (78)
Ryan Howard's having a great year and so is Hanley Ramirez. Both deserve reserve roles at least if not starting roles.
JackR
Los Angeles , CA
Total Comments (34)
Maddux, you are a moron. The commish, in charge of all-star process, hates Bonds. He would give up his left nut to keep Bonds out of the game if he could. To even suggest that MLB would cheat to get Bonds in the all-star game just demonstrates how stupid you are. Maybe you should try steroid for your brain. Idiot....
pdxgiant
Total Comments (3)
National league park....No DH....American League Park...Youkalis in
Hockyref
Springfield , MA
Total Comments (1)
Maddux, you are a moron. The commish, in charge of all-star process, hates Bonds. He would give up his left nut to keep Bonds out of the game if he could. To even suggest that MLB would cheat to get Bonds in the all-star game just demonstrates how stupid you are. Maybe you should try steroid for your brain. Idiot....
pdxgiant
Total Comments (3)
let it be known that barry bonds is FAR more deserving to represent than sammy sosa. look at the numbers...how can anybody consider sosa? cause he has a ton of rbi's? forget that, he's terrible and he only plays for himself. that's why he has more strikeouts in his career than home runs and rbi combined!
FormerEnronCEO
Ann Arbor , MI
Total Comments (1)
I know Chris Young of SD is on the final vote ballot, but isn't it ridiculous that a guy with a 2.14 ERA with a 8-3 record can't earn an All Star birth straight up? Almost all the closers have a higher ERA than that, let alone starters..
bcampy
Temecula , CA
Total Comments (1)
Hanley Ramirez definitely got snubbed. He's just as good as Reyes.
LatinFlavorDj
Miami/Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Total Comments (4)
> look at the numbers...how can anybody consider sosa?
> cause he has a ton of rbi's? forget that,
... yea you tell em... Scoring runs in baseball is so overrated.
ZachFSW
Las Vegas , NV
Total Comments (2)
First of all...you can't really complain about people who should be in over starters, because we all know a quarter of all starters in a given year probably don't deserve it. So stop it with Ramirez over Reyes (which is wrong anyway...it should be Ramirez AND Rollins over Hardy), and anyone over Beltran. They're in because "we" wanted them there (I use the quotes to refer to all fans, of course). The only real snubs I can see are Chris Young (how do you keep a 2.14 ERA off, even if it's a half-run lower because he throws in Petco?), Youklis (who really should be the AL 1st baseman, since Papi has played all of SEVEN games there) and Johjima, just for the comedy of seeing him try to communicate with Bobby Jenks.
The Commish
Aston , PA
Total Comments (252)
I do agree that Snell has been slightly better than Gorzelanny, but Gorzo has been extremely consistent this season and I think it's fantastic that he made the Final Vote ballot! Hopefully the Pittsburgh fans will step up & vote him in!
Also, big congratulations to Freddy Sanchez for being named to the roster. He's a great offensive and defensive player and i'm sure he'll be a huge asset to the NL team!!!
AmyGirl
Pittsburgh , PA
Total Comments (1)
The All-Star Game ought to have the DH regardless of whether it's played in an AL or NL park.
Arky Vaughan
Total Comments (22)
I agree with most of your choices, except at 2B, you didn't even mention Brandon Phillips, he's better than Hudson and Sanchez, and better then both that you say got snubbed, you can't endorse Uggla because of glove work, what about Phillips?
Rob Moran
Cincinnati , OH
Total Comments (1)
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