01 July 2014

The Hardest All-Star Vote

Which All-Star voting method do you employ?

The Cesar Izturis Method -- Pick a player without bonafides based on 12 good weeks, regardless of the rest of his career arc. Izturis was an '05 honoree after hitting .345 through June 1. He batted .173 the rest of the way without power or speed and ended the season at little more than replacement level.

The Jason Giambi Method -- Just choose the best players regardless of their accomplishments so far that year. Giambi batted .237 with 12 homers in the first half of '03, then slammed 29 in the second half and finished the season with a .939 OPS, 48% above league average.

The Derek Jeter Method -- Exercise your franchise for the retiring hero whose production took a wrong turn at Aging Street and isn't going to find its way back, just because you want to see him start one more time. 

The Cespedes-Puig Method -- Go for the glitz, the glam! The All-Star Game is just entertainment!

The Braindrizzling Method -- Mix two cups of Giambi with one cup of Izturis and season with a soupcon of Puig. There is no one on my ballot struggling in the first half. There is no one on my ballot who hasn't done it before. Rookies have to wait their turn unless their turn has turned.

My AL ballot:
1B - Miguel Cabrera, Detroit
2B - Robinson Cano, Seattle
SS - Alexi Ramirez, White Sox
3B - Adrian Beltre, Texas
C - Sal Perez, KC
OF - Mike Trout, Anaheim
OF - Jose Bautista, Toronto
OF - Michael Brantley, Cleveland
DH - Victor Martinez, Detroit

Cabrera is the first baseman unless he steps on his glove and breaks his hand four games into the season and doesn't play again. Everyone else has done it before, to varying degrees. You could have gone Josh Donaldson of Oakland at third and someone else, say all-around Alex Gordon of KC, as the third outfielder. 

Others -- Nelson Cruz, Edwin Encarnacion, Jose Abreu, Jose Altuve, Melky Cabrera, to name a few -- deserve consideration, but not as starters. And of course Derek Jeter and Paul Konerko are retiring stars who should be selected in some other capacity because they clearly aren't contenders at their positions today.

My NL ballot:
1B - Paul Goldschmidt, Arizona
2B - Chase Utley, Philadelphia
SS - Troy Tulowitzki, Colorado
3B - Todd Frazier, Cincinnati
OF - Giancarlo Stanton, Miami 
OF - Andrew McCutchen, Pittsburgh
OF - Yasiel Puig, Los Angeles

Any ballot not including Tulo, Giancarlo and Cutch should be incinerated. Puig and Milwaukee's Gomez are both good third outfield choices; I don't trust Dee Gordon, but if he's for real, he's a fine choice at short with his defense and his 40 steals. And Anthony Rendon of Washington is a stud at...um...third? second? first? 

Third was a tough choice: Frazier is having the best half year and has hit well before. If David Wright's pedigree is more your cup of tea, have a swig of that.

But wait, I haven't selected an NL catcher. Well you try choosing just one from this group:

Evan Gattis, Atlanta -- .290 with 16 bombs and passable defense in his first full-time duty.
Jonathan Lucroy, Milwaukee -- .334 with 37 extra-base hits
Devin Mesoraco, Cincinnati -- .310 and 14 jacks in only 48 games
Yadier Molina, St. Louis -- .280 and his Yadierness behind the dish
Buster Posey, San Fran -- .293 with power and an MVP trophy sticking out of his pocket 

What an embarrassment of riches at backstop. I put Lucroy on my team; he's a budding star and will vindicate the choice. But the bigger question is which two don't make the squad at all? 

Catchers authored a dismal .687 OPS last year, worst by position except for shortstops and 13% below league mean, including pitchers. These five are averaging .872, 24% clear of league average. That's the difference between five guys who bat .230 with four home runs and this quintet, averaging .300 with 11 jacks. 

Something to savor at the halfway mark.

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