Sunday, June 23, 2019

MLB creates more flaws for the All-Star Game

To borrow a line from Dennis Miller, I hate to go off on a rant here, but.....!

Major League Baseball, proving that anything that doesn't need fixing can be, badly, tweaked the format for selecting the All-Star teams this year. The first phase narrows the field to three finalists per position in each league, with the American League having one extra spot for the designated hitter. The secondary phase is Wednesday & Thursday, with pitchers & reserves to be announced next Sunday.

Here are the fortunate "finalists":

National League

First basemen
Second basemen
Third basemen
Shortstops
Catchers
  • Willson Contreras, Cubs
  • Brian McCann, Braves
  • Yasmani Grandal, Brewers
Outfielders

American League

First basemen
Second basemen
Third basemen
Shortstops
Catchers
  • Gary Sanchez, Yankees
  • James McCann, White Sox
  • Robinson Chirinos, Astros
Outfielders
Designated hitters
  • J.D. Martinez, Red Sox
  • Hunter Pence, Rangers
  • Nelson Cruz, Twins
A few nits to pick:

Yes, it's a popularity contest, and has been for nearly 50 years. Online ballot stuffing is encouraged during this round, but one vote only will be accepted on MLB platforms in round two. The Yankees have six players who have qualified for the secondary phase, including Aaron Judge, who only just came off the injured list on Friday. 

The funny thing about New York, though, is that the Mets were shut out, including Rookie of The Year candidate Pete Alonso, who has the misfortune of being in a position (first base) that is very, very deep, such that St. Louis' Paul Goldschmidt was also unable to make the cut. Mets fans will howl deep into the night if Alonso isn't picked as a reserve, especially with the numbers he's put up so far this season, tying the team record for homers by a rookie (Darryl Strawberry set the record more than 35 years ago), and has become every bit the gate attraction for the Mets that Judge has been for the Yankees.

The Mets will be represented in Cleveland. Even though pitching aces Noah Syndergaard and Jacob deGrom have been hampered by injuries (Syndergaard) & inconsistency (both), they do merit some consideration, as does second year utility man Jeff McNeil, who's among the NL leaders in batting, and whose performance on the field, be it in the outfield or infield, is as ridiculous as Alonso's power numbers.

Yes, the system is still flawed, and will remain so until they figure out a way to stop the ballot stuffing. One vote per person per day makes the most sense, but there will be the obsessive-compulsive fanatics who'll get around that, too.

The Mets took out the angst over the balloting on the Cubs, 10-2, on Saturday, with Alonso & McNeil among the key contributors. Take note, National League. The Mets are still contenders for the moment. If they're still players post-break, and can channel their energies with any consistency, you might've given them the motivation to make another miracle run. 50 years after their first title, that would be appropriate.

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