2008 MLB All-Star Game

[DDR]

Varitek must be the worst player to ever make an All-Star team... in any sport.

Varitek is great with the pitchers. He can call a great game. I understand that a great game is due to a pitcher throwing the right pitches, but the ones calling the pitches and studying the batters the most is the catcher. V-Tek's called 2 no-hitters and 1 1-hitter within the last calendar year. Not too shabby. Is that enough to be deemed an All-Star? Depends. It's almost like picking a defenseman with 1 goal and 4 assists for the All-Star team due to his defensive skill. He might not be worthy, but he's All-Star caliber in other fields.

It would be really difficult to justify Varitek's selection due to his defensive prowess or his ability to work with pitchers. Brian Schneider is also a good defensive catcher and works well with pitchers, but he is not considered to be an all-star caliber player in the baseball universe. He would be an all0star caliber player in the defensive field, but as a whole, he is not an all-star. Varitek's offensive game has been putrid this season. My BoSox fan friend calls him "Captain Rally Killer". His .215 BA is disgusting, his OBP isn't too hot, and his Slugging is gross. Offense is a huge element of baseball, and those stats don't cut it. On many teams he would be seeing less playing time.

Yes, I will give you that he calls a good game and is a good defender, but if that is what the American League needed on the bench, why not pick Pudge Rodriguez or Ramon Hernandez? Both of whom are having better seasons at the plate than Varitek. Even John Buck. It is an insult to the other catchers in the American League that Varitek is an all-star when there are more deserving players. (Ironic though that the players' vote is the reason why Tek is in).

Pierzynski f***s Varitek's couch.

[McCall]

Carlos Lee for the NL, Longoria for the AL.

Maybe Varitek will do the honorable thing and sit this one out clearing a spot for Longoria in the process.

LOL we could only hope. Varitek must be the worst player to ever make an All-Star team... in any sport.

Let's not get carried away here. Varitek is having an awful season but you need to keep one thing in mind. He is easily the greatest catcher in the history of baseball as well as being on the short list of greatest athletes ever. Not to mention the fact that he's the reason the sun comes up every day. I know this because the ESPN and FOX announcers have told me so.

Key statement right there. Argument closed. This is the 2008 All-Star Game, not the Career All-Star Game. He's having a bad 2008 season, which means he should not be an All-Star this year. That's the problem with the voting criteria. Those who aren't having great seasons, or even terrible seasons, are voted on just because of their names. It's one thing if they're the only representative from a last place team, but this is the Red Sox who had 7 players on the damn team. Varitek is not the best catcher in the AL this season so therefore should not be on the team.

[gingerbreadmann]

I think the one thing being missed here -- even though Rays said it -- is that Tek was voted in by his peers. Not bandwagon fans. Not that I agree with the decision, but that obviously says the other players respect him enough even if he is having a bad year. So go figure.

[FiddySicks]

Matt Holliday in to replace Fonso

[DDR]

I think the one thing being missed here -- even though Rays said it -- is that Tek was voted in by his peers. Not bandwagon fans. Not that I agree with the decision, but that obviously says the other players respect him enough even if he is having a bad year. So go figure.

It also says that everyone hates A.J.

[WJMorris3]

Dear Mitch Williams (since he said this after today's Phils game)

Ryan Howard should not be an All-Star this year, he strikes out too much.

[gingerbreadmann]

I think the one thing being missed here -- even though Rays said it -- is that Tek was voted in by his peers. Not bandwagon fans. Not that I agree with the decision, but that obviously says the other players respect him enough even if he is having a bad year. So go figure.

It also says that Dioner Navarro is much better than A.J.

Edited for accuracy.

[WJMorris3]

I think the one thing being missed here -- even though Rays said it -- is that Tek was voted in by his peers. Not bandwagon fans. Not that I agree with the decision, but that obviously says the other players respect him enough even if he is having a bad year. So go figure.

It also says that Dioner Navarro is much better than A.J.

Edited for accuracy.

Well, that and the Rays needed a rep.

[gingerbreadmann]

Well, that and the Rays needed a rep.

They do have Kazmir as well though.

Hell, even Pudge should go over AJ.

[Cujo]

Evan Longoria of Tampa Bay and Corey Hart of Milwaukee have won the Final Vote contest.

[gingerbreadmann]

Evan Longoria of Tampa Bay has won the Final Vote contest.

Shame.

[MattF]

I think the one thing being missed here -- even though Rays said it -- is that Tek was voted in by his peers. Not bandwagon fans. Not that I agree with the decision, but that obviously says the other players respect him enough even if he is having a bad year. So go figure.

Yeah, the players don't actually know what they're doing. They're playing, so it's not like they can actually watch a lot of games. They probably don't keep track of stats(except their own), so they see Varitek on the ballot, and say "Ohhh, Jason Varitek, he's good!" And THAT'S how undeserving people get voted in.

[footballfiji]

Dear Mitch Williams (since he said this after today's Phils game)

Ryan Howard should not be an All-Star this year, he strikes out too much.

Yet he has 25 HRs (Tied for 1st)

and 57 Runs (#5)

and 80 RBI (#1)

I'm not sure about his errors, but offensively, he's damn good.

[NJTank]

The Statues of Liberty on Parade

Check out this nice side feature of the ASG in NYC

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/events/all_star/y20...atues/index.jsp

[Jigga]

Dear Mitch Williams (since he said this after today's Phils game)

Ryan Howard should not be an All-Star this year, he strikes out too much.

Yet he has 25 HRs (Tied for 1st)

and 57 Runs (#5)

and 80 RBI (#1)

I'm not sure about his errors, but offensively, he's damn good.

He has a .234 batting average. That's an offensive stat that you failed to mention...and it's not damn good.

Will, striking out has absolutely nothing to whether or not a player is worthy of all-star status. You need to stop talking about sports.

[pcgd]

The Statues of Liberty on Parade

Check out this nice side feature of the ASG in NYC

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/events/all_star/y20...atues/index.jsp

Wow...so they took a concept that was cool to start with when local artists were creating it (Chicago Cows), a concept that has been ruined time and time again by cities all around the country, but the intent was still there, and ruined it even further by making it corporate and not even letting local artists create the statues.

Pathetic.

[DDR]

Well, that and the Rays needed a rep.

They do have Kazmir as well though.

Hell, even Pudge should go over AJ.

Well, Navarro being "better than A.J." is neither here nor there. My comment was in reference to Varitek. You can't objectively say that Varitek is having a better year than Pierzynski. So, why would someone vote Varitek in over A.J.? Well, it's well documented that A.J. is one of the most hated players in baseball. Now, whether Rodriguez should go over both of them is another matter.

[gingerbreadmann]

Well, that and the Rays needed a rep.

They do have Kazmir as well though.

Hell, even Pudge should go over AJ.

Well, Navarro being "better than A.J." is neither here nor there. My comment was in reference to Varitek. You can't objectively say that Varitek is having a better year than Pierzynski. So, why would someone vote Varitek in over A.J.? Well, it's well documented that A.J. is one of the most hated players in baseball. Now, whether Rodriguez should go over both of them is another matter.

He's clearly not having a better offensive season, and I never said he is. I understand Pierzynski is not extremely well-liked or respected by his peers, but what I am saying is that it's moot because Pudge should/would go over AJ anyway, regardless of Varitek. So is Navarro, though when I said that I forgot he had indeed made the ASG.

[Viper]

Evan Longoria of Tampa Bay and Corey Hart of Milwaukee have won the Final Vote contest.

No doubt, because some voters thought they were actually voting for the Desperate Housewives actress and/or the washed-up '80s pop singer.

[WJMorris3]

Dear Mitch Williams (since he said this after today's Phils game)

Ryan Howard should not be an All-Star this year, he strikes out too much.

Yet he has 25 HRs (Tied for 1st)

and 57 Runs (#5)

and 80 RBI (#1)

I'm not sure about his errors, but offensively, he's damn good.

I'll be honest, there is no deserving Phillie for this year's All-Star team. There is NEVER a deserving Phillie for the All-Star team (and I'm a Phillies fan). Trust me, I'd rather see Dan Uggla in at 2nd. Perhaps they can bat Utley 9th and make a defensive sub, letting Uggla in at the bottom of the 1st?

(this is where I would note that had I been blessed with the talent to be a major league baseball player, I'd be ideally on a 20 year contract worth a total of $1M, with provisions that would prohibit selection for All-Star teams, as well as prohibition of accepting awards such as MVP and Cy Young, as they are pointless.)