your 2008 All-Star votes

C: Mauer
1B: Youkilis
2B: Kinsler
3B: Rodriguez
SS: Young
OF: Hamilton
OF: Manny
OF: Quentin
DH: Ortiz (unless Bradley counts)

C: Soto
1B: Pujols
2B: Uggla
3B: Jones
SS: Furcal
OF: McLouth
OF: Berkman
OF: Ludwick

Not including Berkman is just silly.

If I need to put Berkman at 1B, then Holliday is my third OF.

First Base: Cabrera, M., DET
Second Base: Roberts, B., BAL
Third Base: Rodriguez, A., NYY
Shortstop: Jeter, D., NYY
Catcher: Martinez, V., CLE
Outfielder: Hamilton, J., TEX
Outfielder: Ramirez, M., BOS
Outfielder: Suzuki, I., SEA
Designated Hitter: Ortiz, D., BOS

First Base: Pujols, A., STL
Second Base: Utley, C., PHI
Third Base: Wright, D., NYM
Shortstop: Ramirez, H., FLA
Catcher: McCann, B., ATL
Outfielder: Beltran, C., NYM
Outfielder: Braun, R., MIL
Outfielder: Holliday, M., COL

Should probably have Ordonez instead of Ramirez there actually.

You gotta really ignore '08 to not see Berkman destroys Beltran

No, I just chose not to ignore that Berkman is now a first baseman.

He does, but he also hasn't played one game in OF this year though. Seems kind of crazy to write him in for a position he doesn't play anymore (like Rodriguez for SS or something.)

surprised at how weak the OF crop is in the AL! spot my allegiance pick

First Base: Youkilis, K., BOS
Second Base: Cano, R., NYY
Third Base: Rodriguez, A., NYY
Shortstop: Young, M., TEX
Catcher: Martinez, V., CLE
Outfielder: Granderson, C., DET
Outfielder: Hamilton, J., TEX
Outfielder: Suzuki, I., SEA
Designated Hitter: Ortiz, D., BOS

First Base: Berkman, L., HOU
Second Base: Utley, C., PHI
Third Base: Jones, C., ATL
Shortstop: Ramirez, H., FLA
Catcher: McCann, B., ATL
Outfielder: Braun, R., MIL
Outfielder: Fukudome, K., CHC
Outfielder: Holliday, M., COL

AL
First Base: K. Youkilis, BOS
Second Base: J. Lopez, SEA
Third Base: A. Rodriguez, NYY
Shortstop: M. Young, TEX
Catcher: J. Mauer, MIN
Outfielder: J. Hamilton, TEX
Outfielder: M. Ramirez, BOS
Outfielder: M. Ordóñez, DET
Designated Hitter: D. Ortiz, BOS

NL
First Base: A. Pujols, STL (would've voted for mike jacobs in a homer pick if he hadn't gotten hurt this past month or so)
Second Base: D. Uggla, FLA
Third Base: A. Ramirez, CHC (i REFUSE to vote for chipper jones)
Shortstop: H. Ramirez, FLA
Catcher: B. McCann, ATL
Outfielder: M. Holliday, COL (would've given this one to josh willingham had he not gotten hurt as well)
Outfielder: R. Ludwick, STL
Outfielder: R. Braun, MIL

if it's Berkman vs Pujols I will start complaining about the Minute Maid factor obv :/

Berkman as DH is my exit strategy

Morbs, did you ever have a fun or feel-good ballot? Say, before the ASG "this time it counts"?

Yeah do you ever just vote for all Giants? Just for a lark?

What is so great about Brian McCann?

.329/8/31 + weak competition

Uh .329/.390/.598's pretty nice line for a catcher. He was less good last year, but awesome the year before. Pretty good case that he's been the best catcher in baseball for the last three years.

All Soto has done as a Cub is hit and hit and hit, and he also has thrown out a lot of runners. McCann is a great choice, but Soto for my money has been a bit better. I get the idea of rewarding sustained excellence, but I don't like to vote that way.

Haha, forgot I was already lobbying for Geo in the All-Star voting on the Red Sox thread.

What a homer.

I weight about 3:1 toward last year

why? why is that half-season more important than the other? i'm guilty of the opposite, putting all the weight on this year, but that's cuz it's a pain in the ass to look at last year's all-star splits for every damn player. this is why it's gaytarded to have the all-star game in the middle of the year~

anyway, i went with:

AL
1st: Youk
2nd: Brian Roberts
3rd: Miguel Cabrera
SS: Michael Young
C: Varitek lolz
OF: Manny
OF: Josh Hamilton
OF: Milton Bradley
DH: Ortiz
Write-in (OF): Carlos Quentin

NL

1st: Pujols
2nd: Kelly Johnson (lol completely unjustified, but who gives a fukk)
3rd: Larry
SS: Furcal
C: McCann
OF: Ryan church, nate mclouth, and Berkman as a write-in

side-note: the AL online ballot allows you to just throw in a write-in, but the NL one forces you to assign the player a position, and then scratch off whoever is already occupying it on your ballot (hence berkman as 3rd OF)

What is so great about Brian McCann?

-- felicity, Friday, May 23, 2008 11:44 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Link

stfu bitch

mccann's out-VORPing soto in 08 btw

But Soto is out-Cubbing McCann.

I remember Morbs saying that he wants to be the sobering influence among All-Star voters and includes only players with sensibly superior numbers sustained over a long et cetera et cetera he hates fun.

Oh I'm sure that is true, cankles.

Maybe someone can post comparative VORP stats so I can understand how they compare?

Soto has been much better at throwing out runners, but McCann has been better in just about every other respect on defense.

That does sound better. I'm glad people are paying attention to all five tools of ignorance.

felicity, they're both in the top 20:

http://baseballprospectus.com/statistics/sortable/index.php?cid=204031

I remember Morbs saying that he wants to be the sobering influence among All-Star voters and includes only players with sensibly superior numbers sustained over a long et cetera et cetera he hates fun.

I get this, actually, and nothing but love for Morbs, but Wright? Really? What do you expect Larry to do, revert to his 1.029 '07 OPS? Yeah, he's a dumb asshole and I hate him too, but he hits.

Better question: AL 2B? Not wanting to be a total homer, I hemmed and hawed about voting Pedroia, but there ain't a ton of competition. Somebody convince me about Roberts/Kinsler, cuz it all seems like "UTICA'S OWN MARK LEMKE" territory ca. 1993 to an extent.

Better question: AL 2B? Not wanting to be a total homer, I hemmed and hawed about voting Pedroia, but there ain't a ton of competition. Somebody convince me about Roberts/Kinsler, cuz it all seems like "UTICA'S OWN MARK LEMKE" territory ca. 1993 to an extent.

One dude who is in the top 20 VORP list that cankles posted is Kinsler. One who isn't is Pedroia. Pedroia might be better but I think it's pretty close. Roberts is the vote for long-term performance, and not having a million guys from the same 2-3 teams represented.

For what it's worth, Pedroia is also below Roberts on that list.

yeah, i don't know why i didn't go with Kinsler come to think of it - he's clearly been the superior player to Roberts, even going back since last year's ASB. interesting that morbz didnt notice this, with his unfailing dedication to truth and justice and sustained excellence~~~

i dont have a prob with wright over larry tho. i cant blame anyone for voting for the best player on their fav team (unless it's that wop faggot Soto) and they're not that far apart anyway.

Geovany has really struck a chord with you~~~~.

cankles, very simply: 2 months is not a "year." By Sept 30, most players riding unusually high now will be back down where they should be. It happens every year, haven't you noticed?

I have FUN voting for the best players.

As for NL 3B and Larry, sure he's a stupendous hitter (tho ain't hitting .400 all year), but a shit fielder, in direct competition with The Man I Love, and hey, I'M A METS FAN, I HATE HIM. Wright was the best player in the league last year; whether Larry will be this year is undetermined.

The headshot shown of Larry during one of the Braves commercials is great -- mouth open, sore on lip, brain-dead look.

It is a much larger version of this:

http://assets.espn.go.com/i/mlb/profiles/players/65x90/5164.jpg

hahaha, yes, AAARGHHH he's so gross looking in that commercial. At least in the 2nd photo he's blowing an enormous bubble that covers most of his face.

the face that snared a Hooters gal.

If Carlos Pena has another week or two of upswing, he will get my vote.

If only HE had the Herpes-addled dehydrated windburnt mouthbreather look.

I have FUN voting for the best players.

fair enuff! yeah, when i was looking at my NL ballot earlier, i reflected that i wished i'd voted for utley and hanram - a pujols/larry/utz/hanley infield would just be too cool to see.

As for NL 3B and Larry, sure he's a stupendous hitter (tho ain't hitting .400 all year), but a shit fielder

iirc his defense is a lot closer to league average than you would expect, and just watching him play u can tell he is a lot better this year.

yeah, I saw those numbers. I just am waiting to see more.

Aaron Rowand is also a defensible NL OF choice.

The only real jokes of those announced AL vote leaders are Pedroia and Varitek, and there have been worse jokes in the past.

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080526&content_id=2775189&vkey=allstar2008&fext=.jsp

JAY BRUCE

It was really hard to pick a full NL roster with reserves, including a player for every team. Here's my stab at it:

20 Hitters:

C: Soto
C: McCann
1B: Pujols
1B: D Lee
1B: A Gonzalez (potential Padres rep)
2B: Utley
2B: Uggla
3B: C Jones
3B: Wright
3B: A Ramirez
SS: Tejada
SS: H Ramirez
SS: C Guzman (Washington rep)
SS: Furcal
OF: Berkman
OF: Holliday
OF: McLouth
OF: Braun (potential Brewers rep)
OF: Ludwick
OF: Bay

11 Pitchers:

Webb (starter)
Volquez
Lincecum
Cook
Zambrano
Hudson
Santana
Hamels
Last guy: Peavy or Sheets (can't decide, potential Padres/Brewers rep)
Lidge
Wagner

Fan voting nominees:
Peavy/Sheets
Marmol
Harang
Atkins
Reyes or Escobar

remember, Berkman IS NOT AN OUTFIELDER (unless he wins the fan vote -- possible given the dearth of established OFs having good 'years').

Also, the list of plausible bench picks is bound to look a bit different 5 weeks from now.

Yeah, I moved Berkman to the outfield because Gonzalez and Lee seem like better picks to me than Carlos Lee or Hunter Pence or Pat Burrell or etc., but realistically I guess Lee or Gonzalez might not make the team.

But yes, things will change. But what if I'm not as bored then as I am now?

2 second basemen and 4 shortstops? is that normal?

oh wait nm i get it~

While it's certainly possible that a Krukkish fixation on W-L could give Webb the All-Star start, maybe people will notice that Zambrano, Volquez and others have pitched a lot better than he has. In fact, Webb is now 13th among NL pitchers in VORP.

B-b-but he pitched better last year than most of those guys!

I would be shocked if Rollins is not on the team.

Dr. Morbius is: The Man With Inconsistent Criteria.

I'm not saying Webb should be snubbed in favor of Jair Jurrjens.

and when did Shasta go from wakeboarder to ballbuster?

total VORP for 2007-8:

Peavy 94.0
Webb 82.8
Hudson 81.2
Santana 73.8
Zambrano 68.9
Hamels 68.4

also, pitchers are more variable in consecutive years than hitters (aren't they?), so I could see starting Volquez if he pitches superbly for another month.

When does the starter get decided? It's like the day before right?

or 2? Reg-season rotations have a lot to do with it.

God, I didn't even think about Rollins. Shortstop is so stacked.

OK, an NL OF led by Soriano-Griffey-Fuku is just a little sad.

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080528&content_id=2786521&vkey=allstar2008&fext=.jsp

Oh man, a lot of good dudes are going to miss out.

Rainout plz

jeeesus fucking christ i hate astros fans. their stink is everywhere.

Wow, look at all those Astros! WTF

Bonds got jobbed. Back me up, Shasta.

Second ballot: Dropped Ichiro for Sizemore, Beltran for Rowand.

hisjazziness (Pittsburgh): Joe, how real is Nate McLouth's start? I'm not crazy to think he should be an All-Star starter, am I? (I know he won't be one, but he deserves it).

Joe Sheehan: I didn't vote for him (those columns next week), but he was in the mix, and I never vote for guys having three good months. The NL outfield has gone from ten deep to nothing in two years.

Josh Hamilton among OF leaders:

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080602&content_id=2819212&vkey=allstar2008&fext=.jsp

my latest vote changes: Roberts, Ortiz, Hanley out; Kinsler, Matsui, Reyes in

Mauer's catching up to Varitek. lol Melky still 8th amomg OFs.

Wondering who the A's rep is going to be? Casilla would have the best case, but he's far from healthy right now. Cust would be funny.

I'd take Doosh over Casilla FWIW.

Duchscherer looks like he has good numbers xp

Cust seems most deserving (unless Harden or Duchscherererer stay good & healthy), but if Francona wants to stick it to TOR, Big Hurt!

Yeah I am sort of assuming that Casilla would have continued producing at the rate he was prior to his injury. I see both Harden and Duch have now passed him in VORP.

Yeah, Cust seems like a good DH pick if Ortiz can't play (and Hafner/Thome still stink).

Milton's DHed a lot and so has Matsui. I think they are probably better picks than Cust frankly (who I love.) Plus Cust hasn't DH'd much this year.

The problem with picking him as a LF though is that he's uh limited there to say the least.

If Ortiz is still disabled, Matsui and Thomas look like the DHs to me (unless Milton Bradley counts).

Even if Thomas doesn't play between now and the All Star Game?

oh is he on the DL? shows what I know!

Tejada takes NL SS lead, and fuck Pujols and Wright both being THIRD at their positions. Cub ballot-stuffers...

http://mlb.mlb.com/content/printer_friendly/mlb/y2008/m06/d09/c2877494.jsp

Eh, big deal. In Chicago dead people vote all the time, and I'm sure that includes a lot of Cub fans. Not our problem the dearly departed fans of other teams can't be bothered.

"J. Edmonds, SD"

Since no one has mentioned Polanco...

Second half of '07
Polanco .348/.399/.488
Roberts .247/.341/.415
Kinsler .288/.379/.428
Cano .343/.396/.557
Pedroia .317/.362/.435

First half of '08
Polanco .305/.362/.398
Roberts .286/.365/.466
Kinsler .303/.356/.485
Cano .232/.278/.335
Pedroia .274/.322/.398

Polanco
No errors in '07
0-2 counts in '07: .366 AVG/.409 OBP
1-2 counts in '07: .352 AVG/.370 OBP
2-2 counts in '07: .348 AVG/.348 OBP
3-2 counts in '07: .333 AVG/.519 OBP
Runners in scoring position, two outs '08: (30 AB) .367/.441/.467

I'll take Kinsler's slugging, and at this point he's "electable" and Polanco's not. STOP PEDROIA.

Polanco's whole-season 2007 SLG was higher than Kinsler's, Dr. 3:1.

nice cherry-picking, but I'll take Kinsler over the last year and a half.

I'll take Kinsler's slugging

nice cherry-picking

Another random, meaningless Polanco figure: .381 with RISP since 2006, the best in MLB.

Polanco's a totally defensible choice and he did have a better year last year than either Pedroia or Kinsler and is having a perfectly respectable this year too.

That said I also agree that Pedroia must be STOPPED!

At least Varitek lost his lead.

With Webb's recent decline, case for Volquez, Sheets or Lincecum as NL starter looks solid.

Hanley passes Tejada at SS...

NL
c b. mccann
1b l. berkman
2b c. utley
ss h. ramirez
3b c. jones
of p. burrell
of m. holliday
of j. bay
dh a. pujols

AL
c j. mauer
1b k. youkilis
2b i. kinsler
ss m. young
3b a. rodriguez
of j. drew
of j. hamilton
of g. sizemore
dh m. bradley

^^^proud of only 2 total players from met$/yankee$/red $ox^^^

err... 3 total player$

Y U hate capitalism?

come back to havana, amigo.

Is that where you bought whatever you were smoking when you cast a NL DH vote that doesn't exist? or resulted in your failure to vote for a true NL CF (ie, Beltran)?

First Base: Morneau, J., MIN
Second Base: Kinsler, I., TEX
Third Base: Rodriguez, A., NYY
Shortstop: Young, M., TEX
Catcher: Mauer, J., MIN
Outfielder: Ramirez, M., BOS
Outfielder: Sizemore, G., CLE
Outfielder: Suzuki, I., SEA
Designated Hitter: Matsui, H., NYY

First Base: Pujols, A., STL
Second Base: Utley, C., PHI
Third Base: Wright, D., NYM
Shortstop: Ramirez, H., FLA
Catcher: McCann, B., ATL
Outfielder: Beltran, C., NYM
Outfielder: Braun, R., MIL
Outfielder: Holliday, M., COL

Is that where you bought whatever you were smoking when you cast a NL DH vote that doesn't exist?

oh weird, for a second i thought that the all star game was an actual game that is played during the all star break and this year would be played in an AL park in some backwater town where supposedly reasonably intelligent fans of the game reside... hmm, not sure where i got that idea.

or resulted in your failure to vote for a true NL CF (ie, Beltran)?

nah i'd rather give the opportunity for a deserving player rather than some sympathy vote.

If you really think Burrell is a better player than Beltran...

There is no NL DH spot on the ballot.

There are no pitcher spots on the ballot neither but GOD DAMN i see a lot of pitcher talk on this thread. What do you propose good doctor? A swift purge of all non-ballot related banter?

no, it's nice to see you bow reluctantly to Pujols anyway!

CONGRATULATIONS STARTING SECOND BASEMAN DUSTIN PEDROIA, RESERVE CATCHER JASON VARITEK, RESERVE MAKER OF ERRORS CARLOS GUILLEN, SEVERAL OTHERS.

I don't remember voting for a reserve maker of errors position. Perhaps it was the Player Reserve Maker of Errors vote (so-named "player vote" because it is voted by the players, coaches and managers).

There is still one more All-Star vote! What are your Monster 2008 All-Star Final votes?

Pat Burrell PHI OF 287 .279 21 53 0
Corey Hart MIL OF 334 .296 14 55 13
Carlos Lee HOU OF 335 .290 19 67 4
Aaron Rowand SF OF 307 .300 8 47 1
David Wright NYM 3B 339 .286 16 66 9

Jermaine Dye CWS OF 315 .308 19 52 3
Jason Giambi NYY 1B 243 .259 18 53 2
Jose Guillen KC OF 346 .272 13 64 1
Evan Longoria TB 3B 281 .281 16 52 6
Brian Roberts BAL 2B 339 .295 7 32 24

d wright
e longoria

this actually seems ridiculously easy to me no?

yo what's up with the hats?

vtek and guillen are crazy

i think i would vote burrell/dye

Wright/Roberts blow away the competition, by VORP certainly.

nice pathetic homer pick of Varitek, Tito.

how zackly can you pick Burrell over the best player (OK, 2d to Utley) in the NL, crunch?

varitek was actually a player pick - tito shitcanned lowell too so you cant put any blame on him for the AL makeup

what hats does gabbneb speak of?

idk i heart wright/hate burrell (mets fan) & even numbers-wise u are right dr.

guess im just being sentimental and wright will be a perennial starter for 10 yrs prob while burrell is never gonna have a 1st half this good again. i agree this is not prudent logic at all tho

wow re players & Vtek, I'm glad they've finally let a group dumber than the fans pick All-Star reserves.

i'm picking corey hart, cuz he's awesome imo

o you cant put any blame on him for the AL makeup

morbs has never let reality affect him before, i don't see him starting now.

Weep not, AJ, for your manager <3s you:

"A lot of people deserve to be on team from this ballclub," Guillen said. "I know how tough it is for the (all-star) manager. I think (Orlando) Cabrera, A.J. (Pierzynski), J.D. (Dye), (Scott) Linebrink, Bobby (Jenks) -- (the) guys (who) didn't make it -- congratulations anyway because to me they were all-stars in first half."

Aww.

Ozzie has never let reality affect him.

sorry kev, I completely forgot they let the coddled trees evaluate the forest.

this is related to how stat analysis is "no fun," right?

Sheehan:

The players staked a claim to a piece of the selection process a few years ago, and continued to invite the question of why they bothered. It’s not clear what specialized knowledge they’re adding to the process; their selections are barely different from what you might get if you showed the leaders in the six triple crown categories to a reasonably savvy nine-year-old. Where they do differ doesn’t make an argument against the fourth grader....

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.

All Star appearances have never been that well correlated to player quality, even less so than MVP voting, so I can't bring myself to get worked up over any of this. AS selections are a measure of a player's reputation within the game, and the sooner people recognize it as that and nothing more, the better.

The game would be better with Pat Burrell and AJ Pierz and etc., and without Brian Wilson and Varitek and etc., but I find myself caring less and less about the snubs each year. I'm sure some of the biggest snubs will wind up on the team anyway.

One thing is for sure: the Padres are properly represented.

LOL at Shasta's wasted votes

LOL at your team's $$$/win for the past 12 months, dawg.

OH BURN

same ol' song, DAWG

Joe (Washington, DC): The players' All-Star votes are pretty good if you look at their 1st place votes, where they mostly agreed with the fans. The problem is that their runner-up votes are used when they agree with the fans and this allowed Varitek to get in with a plurality of the scattered non-Mauer votes. Some weighted voting option would likely cure the problem.

Rob Neyer: (12:58 PM ET ) Really? That's how it works? What an incredibly stupid system. I'm shocked, SHOCKED that MLB came up with something so dumb.

Yeah, criticism of the Mets is a pretty weak burn, coming from the Man Without A Team.

The Giants are pretty bad in terms of $$$/win.

but they are NOT his team (he just roots for FANTASY teams, like a hobbit)

Both of my fantasy teams are in first place DAWGS. Oh great, you root for a uniform. My team produces.

Both of my fantasy teams fell to second place. :/

Oh great, you root for pixels. Congratulations on your first place pixels. :)

...says the Clix-tress.

Aw, I'm saving Clix for the off season.

I enjoyed my fantasy bball experiments, but last time I had lined up a good fantasy predraft, the commissioner mysteriously and suddenly resigned amidst a cloud of scandal and mystery, so I'm back to the Cubs full time.

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i134/dgoobl/AllStarTix.jpg

for those who enjoy $1,600 surprises.

Oh great, you root for pixels. Congratulations on your first place pixels. :)

-- felicity

zactly: realize u r literally talking about rooting for FANTASY over REAL LIFE

very narcissistic way of looking at sports, takes away from the events as communal experiences + you are transferring the meaningfulness of the players actual results (helping their team win/lose) to yourself in a very silly way

wait did i post that to thewrong thread or something?

wrong thread and i think you are too simplistic.

if you can get over the silliness of cheering for a bunch of millionaires from the dominican/puerto rico/texas/b.c. playing for your "home team" against another likewise constructed team - then you can get over the silliness of fantasy baseball pretty quick.

It's more than just bragging rights. Rooting for your home team is not that silly when you consider the revenues a winning team can bring in the form of merchandise, concessions, ticket sales, tourism, jobs and local business. It means a lot to an economically depressed city like Detroit to win a major championship.

Every playoff game means a lot of $$ for everyone involved. Isn't that what we learned from the NBA?

That's fair, but please explain why 2/3rds of GMs in baseball are complete idiots then and sete their teams up for mediocrity year after freakin year.

Because complete idiots are in charge of almost everything in existence?

which is my exact point: why invest the time, energy, emotion and money in an organization that is run by complete imbeciles?

at least in fantasy you can say: "my god, i traded AJ Piercynski for Joe Nathan?"

why invest the time, energy, emotion and money in an organization that is run by complete imbeciles?

POPULISM

Seriously, common rooting for a pro team is about the only time I bond with Joe Blow.

i don't think too many people root for the home team to pump up the local economy, but many root for the home team to pump up the local well-being, which is related. and this matters less to those of us who live in cities that have a lot of other things going for them, or at least in the populations that do. even the elitist Dr Morbius with his fancy professional degree regards rooting for the home team as justified in part by class solidarity (or simply social equality).

Why Pedroia is the top AL 2B -- or better than Kinsler -- according to Baseball Tonight analyst Chris Singleton

- body language
- he is a grinder (gets uniform dirty [see?])
- better fielding percentage

Like Hibbert, like son.

At least Peddi had a little stat-growth spurt to make his stats look more respectable.

yeah, I got cable in my new place just in time to see that Singleton shit.

If Hurdle doesn't name Wright as an injury replacement, I hope the NL gets pounded again. Corey Hart, fuck that.

clearly he got in on name recognition.

Him & 3 Doors Down doing "Never Surrender" = must-see TV

I'm nearly tempted to go to the Fan Fest on Sunday to have Earl sign my copy of Weaver on Strategy. (or to ask him what Terry Crowley knows.)

TS: Weaver on Crowley vs Lasorda on Bevacqua

or Kingman's performance!

Wright named to Soriano's roster spot.

Hey, if you voted in the All-Star game, you can get a free 1-week trial of MLB.tv. Enjoying the Cubs game on a Saturday afternoon for a change.

it's Sheets vs Lee.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/allstar08/news/story?id=3486200

Last year LaRussa couldn't find a way to get Albert Pujols an at-bat; this year he's batting cleanup.

Chipper has almost 2x the VORP of Wright.

how's his Range Factor?

Chipper Jones #13 in MLB: 2.65
David Wright #20 in MLB: 2.44

Read it and weap, Dr. Moldius:
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/stats/fielding?groupId=9&season=2008&seasonType=2&split=81&sortOrder=true&sortColumn=rangeFactor

RZR's are almost identical, but Chipper makes more plays out of his zone than Wright Shadow:

http://www.hardballtimes.com/thtstats/main/index.php?view=fielding&linesToDisplay=50&orderBy=zone_rating&direction=DESC&qual_filter=1&season_filter%5B%5D=2008&league_filter%5B%5D=2&pos_filter%5B%5D=5&Submit=Submit

so, yr point? at the end of 2009, who will have had the best 2007-'09?

Oh weird, I didn't realize this was the 2007-2009 rolling defensive stat aggregate thread... i'll get me coat.

Morbs you aren't seriously arguing that Jones is a better choice for this years AS game than David Wright (who is not having one of his best years offensively or defensively) or practically anyone else, are you?

is=isn't, ahem

love is blindness

how's his Range Factor?

-- Dr Morbius, Monday, July 14, 2008 5:09 PM (1 hour ago) Bookmark Link

Chipper Jones #13 in MLB: 2.65
David Wright #20 in MLB: 2.44

Read it and weap, Dr. Moldius:
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/stats/fielding?groupId=9&season=2008&seasonType=2&split=81&sortOrder=true&sortColumn=rangeFactor

-- Steve Shasta, Monday, July 14, 2008 5:37 PM (1 hour ago) Bookmark Link

lol SONNED

no, I realize Larry is having far and away having the better year.

I just don't vote for that cunt. (and I bet he doesn't hit .350)

DW easily #2 at third, not Aramis, tho.

Not worth creating a new thread for the HR Derby, so I'll ask here: does anyone else worry that one of those kids in the outfield is going to get his or her face caved in?

you mean by milton bradley?

hahaha, uh no, I was just thinking about the way some of those little kids lunge at those mile-high popups.

I'm too busy wishing Berman and Morgan would spontaneously combust to worry too much about the kids. HEY BERMAN, YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO YOUR HOME RUN CALL, NOBODY'S GOING TO ACTUALLY SCORE.

i hope everyones watching hamilton because he is putting on a show

i mean god damn

volquez just came out & gave him some kind of pulp fiction briefcase or something, this is incredible

wau

this is getting ridiculous

71 yr old coach throwing to him is awz

lol "this is a new way to get high"

"This is a new way to get high"??

If he just hits Reilly right in the fucking dome, nobody's going to complain.

Man if Counsil hadn't started jamming him he coulda hit 50.

holy shit

no shit but i srsly think hamilton was just like wtf this has gotta stop sometime

avg distance 445' jesus christ xp

im talking bout out #9 btw, i sincerely think that was intentional

That was pretty o_O

i have a feeling the volquez/hamilton briefcase drop is gonna go down as one of the greatest pop mysteries of all time

"Be cool, Honeybunny."
"I gotta pee."

morneaus peak - 453
hamiltons avg - 445

craziest shit i ever seen

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080714063522AA37AVq

Why do people expect you to root for Josh Hamilton just because he used to be a crackhead?
Guess what. I don't care. What about all the ballplayers that were never junkies?

* 12 hours ago
* - 3 days left to answer

Ben H
its really stupid because that stuff probably juiced him up
* 11 hours ago

hamilton doesnt even need to hit at all in the 2nd round lol

crack WORKS people

lolling here

bradley + hamilton are the greatest things about this all star game

do it josh

they are playing the rocky theme right now

I'm too busy wishing Berman and Morgan would spontaneously combust to worry too much about the kids. HEY BERMAN, YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO YOUR HOME RUN CALL, NOBODY'S GOING TO ACTUALLY SCORE.

he did that shit last year. in the middle of discussing some completely unrelated b.s. he notices one going over the fence and breaks into his backbackback shtick. Horrible.

awesome (hamilton, not espn)

Congratulations, Jason Monroe.

Shrill Rick Reilly: "It's a lousy night to be an atheist." (Results 1 - 10 of about 144 for "lousy night to be an atheist")

WHAT A SHOW, though. It looked like a cop/security guard had his hands around the neck of someone who had jumped onto the center field tarp to chase one of Hamilton's flies.

Also:

Berman makes lighthearted remark about Hamilton's BP coach throwing a lot of pitches, how some pros get yanked in games after throwing that many.

Joe Morgan, never missing a beat, interjects with something like "Well, he's not really putting a full effort into his pitches."

Chris Berman: "BUT HE'S 71."

i'm gonna stop watching sports if rick reilly does more of this live summary interjection stuff

Shrill Rick Reilly: "It's a lousy night to be an atheist."

Coming in late, I wondered who the voice I didn't recognize in the All-Idiot Chorus was. LOL, I guess Morneau ain't an atheist either!

It looked like a cop/security guard had his hands around the neck of someone

And how swiftly ESPN cut away! Don't they recognize a signature Yankee Stadium moment when they see it?

http://bestmessageboardever.com/uploads/monthly_07_2008/post-2371-1216128438.jpg

dang!

shouldnt hamilton win for having like nine times more homers than everyone else combined? who gives a fuck about the second round! what the fuck!!! what a sham~

he should win the actual all star game too, and they should just give him a world series ring

xp: yes, for BATTING PRACTICE.

he should win the actual all star game too, and they should just give him a world series ring

-- max, Tuesday, July 15, 2008 2:51 PM (9 minutes ago) Bookmark Link

hell yeah dude!!!! that's what i'm sayin

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBtkQoeaNCE

(btw, the AL MVP so far is ... Ian Kinsler, who is a big reason Josh has all them ribbies)

No, it's Milton Bradley.

Oh, wait, no -- nevermind. I was thinking Bradley had been hitting ahead of Hamilton, not behind him. Must look more.

wtf is with the flags? its not like Morneau was hitting dongs for CANADA

even morneau pretty much said he had no business winning that, he knows the score

Like the winner of the Home Run Derby matters. Are they using it as MVP tiebreaker now or something?

to listen to the Krukshitters you'd say so.

Josh Hamilton hitting homers = X-TIAN GOD IS REAL! TAKE THAT YOU UNBELIEVERS AND TOWELHEADS!

If god was real he'd make all of Josh's tattoos disappear. BUT THERE HE STANDS, ALL INKED UP FOR THE WORLD.

they kept pointing out how he's tried to get rid of them like HE IS NO LONGER EVIL PEOPLE IGNORE THOSE THINGS

anyway i dont care if it was 'pointless' or 'batting practice' that was the coolest thing ive seen in baseball this year

I headed off to my night class thinking "It's the home run derby, and it's a bunch of rookies and second basemen. What could I possibly miss?" Oops.

"anyway i dont care if it was 'pointless' or 'batting practice' that was the coolest thing ive seen in baseball this year"

I'm not saying it wasn't cool, just that "winning" is kind of beside the point.

i was watching in a bar so i didn't have any commentary from the tv, instead i played a bunch of x-ray spex and t. rex on the jukebox.

i kinda want to go back and see if anyone wants to play pass the cup. i did that last year at a different place and had a blast (and won $20).

I'm not saying it wasn't cool, but him getting "A superstar is born tonight" recognition out of it is a headscratcher.

(except, of course, Ravech loves the longball)

i didnt see it-- and im sure the press writing it have skewed views cuz they were there but morbius is otm

and obviously if this had happened during an all star game in seattle or cincinnati it wouldve been different

A MAJESTIC DISPLAY OF OUR LORD'S POWER AND MAGNIFICENCE LAST NIGHT YES but what about the cyclonic Spike Lee circling the bases during the celebrity softball game???

Where is the love for Woopie Goldberg's 100% accurate Carlos Gomez impersonation at the plate?

xp: also Reggie Jackson on the "best of the best" in hallowed Yankee Stadium SHUDDUP

I'm not saying it wasn't cool, but him getting "A superstar is born tonight" recognition out of it is a headscratcher.

I think a lot of people really hadn't seen him play much.

Well they didn't really see him play last night either.

and given Texas' regular postseason appearances...

Ichiro is the greatest:

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=jp-ichirospeech071508&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

"Which leaves the NL hoping for some kind of a miracle. Ichiro was asked how much he believes the speech has contributed to the AL dominance that has stretched more than a decade now.

“I’ve got to say over 90 percent,” he said."

HAHAHAHA

“I hope Fukudome does it this year,” Tejada said.

ALSO CLASSIC.

hahahaha

BOLD PREDICTION:

Due to lack of Mets, the NL will take the ASG in 2008.

Pujols has an at bat, bats 4th, world does not end.

Less Bold:

Casiotony for the painfully Larussa learns nothing.

yeah that was criminal last year

Lincecum wakes up with flulike symptoms on day of All-Star Game

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/allstar08/news/story?id=3490866

:(

Aw that sucks. He's fun to watch.

Another star could have been "born."

I wonder if Lincecum is an atheist.

well lets be real here, thats the only possible explanation

may god bless him all the same

who cares about the flu? he pitched 8 innings <48 hours ago.

And hit a triple, IIRC.

essentially were talking about a throw day, not to mention a first time appearance - i think the flu thing is probably legit, unlikely as it sounds

Footage of Hamilton's 1st round on ESPN Deportes

(aka NO NO NO NO NO featuring Carlos Zambrano!)

and yet a throw day is #3 with a 5 man rotation.

But he missed the parade.

THANK YOU DAVID R

Ain't no thang, nutz.

Here's Part 2 of the round, tho it really doesn't get any better than the first 3 minutes of the first part (apart from the homer into the black).

Translations of the Deportes home run call are U&K, btw.

In a galaxy far away, in a borough they call the Bronx...

Boo? Fuck you!

Rick Sutcliffe on MLB International just compared Derek Jeter to William Wallace.

Whitey Ford!

AND HERE COME THE PRETZELS

lol is that guy's name lee mcFAIL?

Kevin Goldstein (5:35:15 PM PT): Can we play 'Guess My Weight' with Tony Gwynn? I'm going with 327.

Ouch!

asshole alert

this is fun stuff, you guys are the same people who hated on josh hamilton's derby performance last night because it wasnt 'real'! come on!

Man I hope Earl Weaver just immediately starts jawing with the umps and gets thrown out before the first pitch.

Whoa, Steinbrenner in some serious "Weekend at Bernie's" shit.

Accidental self-awareness from Joe Buck, talking to Yogi Berra: "Have you ever not had fun? Excepting this moment right now?"

mccarver nugget: "it's a fallacy to think pitchers throw it right where they want it every time"

I enjoyed McCarver's angry disbelief at Milton Bradley's pickoff.

Yogi: When there's guys on base, that's a good time to get a hit.

Pujols was safe

i thot we were getting take me out to the ballgame rather than more irving berlin butchery

great catchers in this game

ty to yankee fans for reminding me I hate someone more then the bosox :P

god only knows why brian wilson is coming in

Wagner warming up!

*horns.aiff*

Ah Wags

Wagner meltdown there = the most predictable thing ever.

I LOVE THIS GAME

fucking Mets. why not leave the SF guy in there?

good job

this is gonna be another ASG disaster

lolll SS what is yr problem with the mets exactly??

maybe because we're 3000 miles away from SF

"enter sandman" should be banned. that is all.

Dempster strikkkes out the side!

BOLD PREDICTION:

Due to lack of Mets, the NL will take the ASG in 2008.

-- Steve Shasta, Tuesday, July 15, 2008 10:25 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Link

lolz

Ugglol

ugglol

lol xpost

^^no fckn way that just happened

lol wtf announcers 'HIS FATHERS DYING WISH WAS TO SEE HIM WIN THE ALL STAR GAME IN YANKEE STADIUM AND INSTEAD HE FUCKED UP PROBABLY HIS DAD IS TRYING TO KILL HIMSELF RIGHT NOW OVER THE SHAME'

yeah that was kinda unnecessary

u gotta b fuckin kidding me

http://www.herousa.com/pictures/%7B3927D199-EAF0-4E1F-99AB-8B4CDFE80294%7D_preserves_lg.jpg

gr8 play but:

this is gonna be another ASG disaster

-- deeznuts

WOW. We got ourselves a game now that the A-list all-stars are all outta there.

I say they grab Lincecum from the E.R. and get his ass out there....

Has any position player actually had to pitch in the ASG?

You just just peep that commercial for the MLB Network? THERE IS A GOD AFTERALL, IT SEEMS......

j.d. drew is gonna end this game. i missed the first 10 or so innings.

LUIS ALIECA????? former bosox.

no tag.

also, hammered over here.

shows what i know.

argh

omg

the umps may not have called these plays as the slo-mo wd show them but the throws have beat the runners at all of them & it kinda takes balls to call dudes out when all of their owners just want the game over with

^^ that. i thinks that's why the 3rd base coach sent the pokey runner too.

i thinks?

hey, jd drew already hit a home run in this game! the feeling was right, the timing was wrong. sounds like my prom night.

ooh winning run Ludwick would be nice.

omguggula

awesome. bases loaded and the guy is working the upper half of the strike zone.

kazmir last pitched when again?

Soria w/the lollipop!

Man if this thing drags out and I keep drinking it's gonna turn into "Flowers for Algernon" over here.

answer: 7/13, meaning kaz is good for 2 innings tops, so we've got 4 more innings to go at most before selig calls this a tie

holy balls, someone take selig's shoelaces away from him.

CHARL ┤

squeeze this bitch in

bud selig is preparing for ritualistic suicide right now, i'm sure of it.

guh

oh christ, torqued up old guys singing songs of how viagra is gonna help them fuck their middle aged paramours.

these viva viagra ads basically make sick

lolol

ahahaha did you see the shot of him there kev xps

wow there are a lot of ads for old dudes in this game

just for men touch of grey is probably worse than viva viagra

wright just got pwned like a motherfucker & yet he may end this game

the only thing i'm surprised at is that jimmy leydon isn't smoking like six cigarettes at once right now.

Leyland naturally coughs up 2nd hand smoke now -- lighting up is superfluous.

why did i type leydon?

he just gnaws on his jersey and it's like a pouch of skoal i'd imagine.

marmol? GAME OVER.

this is gonna be another ASG disaster

-- deeznuts

-- deeznuts

these motherfuckers wont touch marmol

he has been TERRIBLE for a month. trust me, i've seen him enough. too much.

THANK YOU DAN UGGLA.

uggla wtf

whoa, 3rd error????

score on 3 consecutive wild pitches plz

BECAUSE IT COUNTS

i have too kev, & my point stands

oh fuck dude, sorry for being snake-bitten in the all star game. don't go all atlee hammaker on us.

er, xposts.

i kinda knew that was gonna happen. have they sedated bud yet?

you can tell this game MATTERS b/c it has gone past 11 innings.

unngh

lol. THERE'S NO EASY WAY OUT BUD SELIG!!!!

nate mclouth hitting a go-ahead home run off of george sherill surely would've been the least remembered all-star "moment" of all time

ilxors continuing to prove they have no sense of humor or fun whatsoever

this game is gonna end with varitek on the mound, isn't it.

poor uggla. he's gonna throw a party when they knock that yard down at the end of the year.....

deeznuts, this game is providing me with the most humor and/or fun than any one i can remember!!

except for chicago kevin that is because if selig hangs himself tonight ill be lolling till monday xp (!)

loool at mccarver mocking fox's motto

ha -- Timmy with the THIS TIME IT COUNTS droll zinger!

xpost

Tito's trying to burn out Sherrill (sp?) to screw the O's in the 2nd half, isn't he?

i want the nl to win because the al are the most disgusting savages in the world imo but it would beautiful if this kept going

they should have kyle farnsworth pitch for both teams

sherill's done, its kazmir for 2 from here on out then the earth dies

i refuse to recognize mccarver doing anything halfway intelligent and/or funny.

xpost, if tito wanted to screw someone, he would have had kazmir go for 6 innings.

I vote for Billy Crystal to come in and throw underhand.

if farnsworth pitched for both teams the earth would've died like 2 hours ago & we'd all be better off for it

ha u guyz calling him tito is giving me political thread flashbacks

tito was his dad's name though!

ooh

his dad is still dead, btw.

j0rdan S: former yugoslavian internet rebel

maybe his dad can pitch the 15th

derek lowe just threw a beer can through his girlfriend's tv.

THIS IS THE BEST GAME EVER.

So did Trinka.

?

fwiw, the AL has no position players left, so if kazmir came in and then had to be pulled for some reason he'd have to play the field

Jeff Weaver just ate a taco and took a huge bong rip.

david, it was a sad attempt at humor based on webb having "the best sinker in the game" or whatever mccarver said.

once kazmir eats up his innings the game is over period

this is great btw & also i am jeff weaver

my goodness uggla is so far behind the ball >_<

i solemnly hope sportscenter plays "yakety sax" over the highlights of this game.

well all the same, if you don't want kazmir to pitch, DON'T SEND HIM TO THE GAME.

i mean, why put the onus on some other team's manager?

this might be his last batter

i don't think kazmir comes back out

he's got one more inning imo

Weaver just busted out the vaporizer...could be a long night....

guys should i get on the train right now in case they need me to pitch the 17th?

ayo lol at ryan ludwick

they should do this like field hockey and take one player off the field for each of the next successive innings

lol u know the rules of field hockey

i think they should have yankees and mets pitchers pitch respectively

j.d. drew is gonna end this game. i missed the first 10 or so innings.

-- chicago kevin, Tuesday, July 15, 2008 11:17 PM (Tuesday, July 15, 2008 11:17 PM) Bookmark Link

dudes srsly how awesome would it be if they took volunteer pitchers

fuck buck & mccarver you can tell how bad they want this over fuck them

i think they are bringing the lols personally

will yankee stadium cheer drew if he hits this in the gap

all america will cheer.

one deep fly ball, PLEASE.

lol plz be a double play

o boy

SEND HIM.

YAY!!!!

awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww fuck

well

ok looool at michael young pimping like that like he just hit a grand slam

NO WAY

there is nobody happier in this park than BUD SELIG

Dude was out.

no

selig just poured himself a 32 oz scotch.

he was totally safe, umps did this one right & they deserve credit for it

buck & mccarver being all fuck this i wanna go home was hilarious tho

Def. would have been an NL victory if no Mets were involved.

anyway the solution to this shit is really simple. each manager should have to choose a starting pitcher who would be available on the all star game to pitch 6+ innings and that pitcher cannot pitch until extra innings or until all other pitchers were used. something like that.

Def. would have been an NL victory if no Mets were involved.

-- Steve Shasta, Wednesday, July 16, 2008 12:42 AM (Wednesday, July 16, 2008 12:42 AM) Bookmark Link

[/morbs bait]

How many innings do you think Morbsies lasted? I say 7 and 1/3. Thank god he didn't waste any votes.

I was all set for an early exit and bed if it hadn't lasted FIFTEEN INNINGS. Couldn't someone have thrown it in the ninth and saved me?

Ichiro is the greatest:

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=jp-ichirospeech071508&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

I just have to say that this Ichiro story might be the best baseball anecdote of all time.

There are just so many flavours of awesome in there that I'm not sure I'll be able to stop laughing for the rest of day.

Was really hoping he'd pitch.

Which, you know, would not have been possible since Drew replaced him, but still...

Jesus, I fell asleep in the 8th after Grady scored the tying run on the Longoria RBI. HOW DID I MISS THIS NAILBITER?

longoria & drew said they were ready to pitch if needed!

yeah i called it a night after the uggla fiasco/aaron cook escape act in the 10th(?)

to me it looked like uggla tried to throw the game and end it

3 times

Ggoatla

Def. would have been an NL victory if no Mets were involved.

i agree; pujols would have been called safe

LVP

I picked a bad night to come down with the flu and go to bed early.

"Flu-like symptoms"

Corey fucking Hart caught that sacfly totally off-balance. THANX, MILWAUKEE 'FINAL VOTE' FANS! Was rooting SO hard for tie #2...

lolz at Satanbrenner crying like a grandma. (also at NY columnists today griping that it didn't come off like the Ted Williams Moment)

This was my 38th Star-watching experience, so of course I saw all the good stuff cuz I slept through the middle-innings crap (ie Wagner & Papelbon).

bravura Russ Martin block of home.

UGG-LY.

Shasta, are you really coming to that party in Brooklyn at month's end? You'd better have your track shoes on, trollerator.

Joe Sheehan (10:50:21 PM PT): Any kind of decent throw gets Morneau, who was barely safe even with that Damonesque effort by Hart, who has a good arm.

Bud Selig is such a luckbox.

Joe Sheehan (10:25:45 PM PT): Not sure if it's coming through at home, but the Creatures are busting out a "Hit The Ball To Uggla" chant.

"Flu-like symptoms"

-- mattbot, Wednesday, July 16, 2008 8:31 AM (Wednesday, July 16, 2008 8:31 AM) Bookmark Link

i seem to wind up with those mysterious "flu-like symptoms" whenever i got to new york too. must be something in the water.

like scotch.

from John Perrotto in BP:

Drew wasn’t completely satisfied to walk away as the MVP in his first All-Star Game appearance, however, and had actually hoped that the game could have stretched a little longer into the wee hours of the morning instead of ending at 1:37 a.m., when Twins first baseman Justin Morneau slid home safely ahead of the throw from Brewers right fielder Corey Hart on Young’s fly ball. That's because with the AL down to its last pitcher (Rays left-hander Scott Kazmir), Drew would have had the chance to take the mound had it come to the point where manager Terry Francona of the Red Sox was forced to use a position player.

yeah, there's no way tito would put another team's position player on the mound and risk a jose canseco like injury.

"You never know what Terry will do," said Drew, with his crystal MVP trophy by his side. "If he had told me to do it, I would have done it. Just throw some stuff up there. I got some sneaky stuff here and there. I don't know if I would have got anybody out."

Really good game for the most part after the B-listers were put in. So many plays at the plate. Russell Martin had a terrific showing.

Chris (NJ): Hi Keith, How great was the Allstar game. What was your Fav part of the Allstar game?

Keith Law: (1:27 PM ET ) The part where they decided that in extra innings, tagging the runner is optional. That was awesome.

haha!

Shasta, are you really coming to that party in Brooklyn at month's end? You'd better have your track shoes on, trollerator.

-- Dr Morbius, Wednesday, July 16, 2008 6:35 AM

bring it Dr. Metamucil.

apparently Wright would've been the NL pitcher in the 17th.

graet bit from that BP ASG chat:

Best non-AllStar careers, position players

NAME VORP
-------------------- ------
Richie Hebner 349.1
Tim Salmon 333.8
Kirk Gibson 319.0
Tony Phillips 292.0
Bill Doran 266.2
Kevin McReynolds 256.1
Bob Bailey 249.1
Delino DeShields 247.0

Top pitchers with no All-star games:

NAME VORP
-------------------- ------
Danny Darwin 402.3
Tim Wakefield 399.8
Tom Candiotti 378.9
Alex Fernandez 357.8
John Tudor 336.9
Kevin Tapani 322.0
Charlie Leibrandt 310.5
Jarrod Washburn 305.6
Dennis Leonard 300.6
Tim Belcher 295.3

wow, tudor never made an all-star team? i know he wasn't great but he had some decent years. maybe he was a slow starter.

apparently Wright would've been the NL pitcher in the 17th.

-- Dr Morbius, Thursday, July 17, 2008 6:18 AM (7 hours ago)

he *might* have registered a lower ERA than Wagner's 27.00.

Tudor had problems staying healthy (and he was very much a Busch creation.)

Lots of knucklers on that pitcher's list.

Best player on the hitter's list: Kirk Gibson or Tim Salmon (serious question)?

i would say kirk. i thought about saying tony phillips because he was such a beast from '92-'97, like rickey henderson with far less speed, but it wouldn't be the right answer.

crazy to think that wakefield has *only* made ~$47M in his 16 year career (avg. $2.9M/yr.) for a modern day HOF-worthy pitcher.

cf: zito

Uh Wakefield is not a HOF-worthy pitcher. Still cheap, no doubt.

Favorite part of the BP Chat was Joe Sheehan being a Yankee Fan Tool:

William Burke (8:45:05 PM PT): Sick-and-Tired category: tops is Josh Hamilton and his story, but only slightly less annoying is this... the absolute pander to the Yankees fans and players tonight.

Joe Sheehan (8:55:15 PM PT): Mr. Burke,

Seriously, that was a really stupid thing to say. It was. I get that ESPN and Fox overplay the Yankees, and you might not like that, but tonight is special. It's special because of this place, and the timing, and the history, and if you don't get that, it is your loss in a way I cannot quantify for you or explain to you.

That was a stupid thing to say.

(xp)just you wait...

Joe Sheehan is on ESPN.com sometimes isn't he? Is he as shrill on TV (or IRL) as he is in written form?

http://youtube.com/watch?v=s_05s8VPrso

So basically, yes.

Matt Meyers' great plan for 2009:

As long as the selection of starters falls in the hands of the fans, we have the power to strong-arm the league into making the proper adjustments to the game. This can be done by sabotaging the starting lineup for the American League in next July's game in St. Louis. Why the American League? Because the NL needs all the help it can get after a 12-game All-Star Game winless streak (and because I'm a fan of the NL). I know this seems like blasphemy in light of Tuesday’s game, but in its current format, the All-Star Game will never be as good as it was this year, so now is the ideal time to make a change. While I realize it’s a bit early to discuss next year’s game, now seems like an appropriate time to raise awareness for the '09 sabotage campaign while the recent All-Star Game is fresh in all of our minds.

This is what’s going to happen. Once the All-Star ballot for 2009 is released next spring, I will select a team of the eight worst AL players on the ballot at each position, and this group will be featured on the website that I have created for this project. Once I pick these eight stiffs (pitchers are selected by the coaches), we will stuff the ballot boxes with votes for them. In a perfect world I would be able to set up a vote to select the anti-All-Star ballot, but that's not really the point. The point is choosing an embarrassing group of AL starters, and I'm confident I can compile a pretty lackluster group that could give the HACKING MASS All-Stars a run for their money. Please keep in mind that not all HACKING MASS All-Stars are on the real All-Star ballot, so this year's non-star squad would have looked something like this, since these eight gentlemen were all on the ballot:

C: Kenji Johjima (.213/.257/.292)
1B: Ross Gload (.277/.327/.336)
2B: Asdrubal Cabrera (.184/.282/.247)
SS: Tony Pena, Jr. (.155/.176/.204)
3B: Willy Aybar (.240/.329/.372)
OF: Emil Brown (.255/.292/.383)
OF: Franklin Gutierrez (.216/.264/.315)
OF: Chris Denorfia (.260/.339/.300)

As George Costanza said, after hypothetically trading Jim Leyritz and Bernie Williams for Barry Bonds while lobbying for the Yankees' assistant GM gig on Seinfeld, "Now you gotta team!" Can you imagine the look on Selig's face if this were the team that was selected to represent the AL? We’d even have had the added bonus of having to summon Cabrera from Triple-A! Do you think they would let him wear his Buffalo Bisons jersey in the game?

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=7816

oh the laffs @ sabatoging what you depend on for your livelihood

The All-Star Game isn't "baseball" by any stretch of the imagination.

</Morbs>

sheehan = http://www.ibdeditorials.com/IMAGES/CARTOONS/toon071108.gif

BP zings get more and more Custosian

Chipper has almost 2x the VORP of Wright.

-- Steve Shasta, Monday, July 14, 2008 5:08 PM (1 month ago) Bookmark Link

today:

Larry 58.8
D-Wright 44.9

Much doubt that DW finishes within 5 pts of the Chip, or even passes him?

yeah, well, a difference of 150+ PA's could do that for one's VORP (a glorified counting stat). larry's rate stats are all significantly higher than wright's, and his VORPr is second only to pujols (CJ = .602 to wright's .334 btw)

lol, Larry-to-Mets next year rumors.

jhahaha WHAT, where'd you hear that mess

On the Mets' cable outlet...

and yeah, I'm well aware of Chippie's gargantuan rate stats. I just like All-Stars to be guys who stay on the field.

Ragging on Larry's inability to stay on the field when he does all he can to play through pain is a bit disingenuous.

Also, Chipper's injury jamboree didn't start until he hit 32. Dude played 150+ between 1996 and 2003 -- might want to hold your tongue regarding our boy Wright outlasting someone 11+ years his elder until he walks a mile in his jock strap.

wow, did i ever just shudder.

see thread title: 2008

see 2008 stats:

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/statistics/sortable/index.php?cid=204031