It's never too early to cast your first 2007 ALL-STAR BALLOT

You know, Hanley Ramirez is getting to be an entirely reasonable NL SS vote based on '06-07. Defense vs Reyes?

Hanley ain't even in the top 5 of NL SS voting.

First Base: Morneau, J., MIN
Second Base: Upton, B., TB (just cause I want to see him and really there isn't any other great candidate)
Third Base: Rodriguez, A., NYY
Shortstop: Jeter, D., NYY
Catcher: Mauer, J., MIN
Outfielder: Guerrero, V., LAA
Outfielder: Sizemore, G., CLE
Outfielder: Suzuki, I., SEA

First Base: Pujols, A., STL
Second Base: Utley, C., PHI
Third Base: Cabrera, M., FLA
Shortstop: Reyes, J., NYM (hardest pick of the bunch)
Catcher: McCann, B., ATL (second hardest)
Outfielder: Bay, J., PIT
Outfielder: Beltran, C., NYM
Outfielder: Bonds, B., SF

Ramirez' defense is supposed to kind of shaky too.

btw, if cano gets in, i will be a bitter man.

btw, if cano gets in, i will be a bitter man.

Still leading Polanco by 8K. He currently has the seventh highest OPS for an AL 2B.

Well, there are no other perceived "star" AL 2Bs. Since Roberts plays in Balt, and Upton's too new.

First Base: ortiz or youk! or the SHEFF.
Second Base: roberts or upton, but prob roberts (proberts lmbo~)
Third Base: a-rod
Shortstop: uhh peralta? guillen?
Catcher: posada
Outfielder: vlady
Outfielder: ichiro
Outfielder: sizemore (is two center fielders kosher? ah who gives a fuck~)

First Base: prince fizzles
Second Base: chase BUTTley lollll
Third Base: miggy
Shortstop: hanley for the hellofit (tuff one tho, u can make a case for any of the starters in that division alone) (his defense didnt look so hot 2 me when i went to see the marlins last week but i am not an expert i guess!!!)
Catcher: THE FLYIN MOLINA
Outfielder: eric byrnes!!!
Outfielder: bondsy
Outfielder: soriano

Byrnes over Beltran, what a wack hata.

1. Polanco, P. Tigers 572,238
2. Cano, R. Yankees 520,506
3. Pedroia, D. Red Sox 321,324
4. Kinsler, I. Rangers 281,206
5. Upton, B.J. Devil Rays 273,431

That's the most fuckedup result so far in either league

dude byrnes has been amazing, not hating on beltran i promise. he was the only met i didnt hate last year. tbh if i was gonna change that lineup i'd put holliday instead of bonds or soriano.

shit, maybe even griff

Holliday! Don't contribute to having a Rockie take away a non-starting roster slot!

Are you all-star write-in material if you...

- have hit more triples by yourself than 18 teams?
- are on pace to hit 33 triples?
- have 11 more extra base hits than Vladimir Guerrero?
- have the third-highest OPS of AL outfielders?

Perhaps not, but it might be worth mentioning.

Well, given Leyland's managing the AL squad, I'm pretty sure Granderson could find his way on the squad. Maybe.

I've come back to the Joe Sheehan position: DHs are not 1Bs.

By Buster Olney

The Boston Red Sox have asked Major League Baseball to substitute hot-hitting Kevin Youkilis for David Ortiz as the team's first base entrant on the All-Star ballot distributed to other players, a gesture meant to help Youkilis' chances to help make the American League squad.

There are just 15 full days remaining in the fan balloting. In the most recent ballot results announced by MLB, Ortiz is by far the leading vote-getter among AL first basemen, with 1,055,260 votes, more than double the second-leading vote-getter, Minnesota's Justin Morneau.
Because it appears that Ortiz will be the starting first baseman for the AL, based on the fans' voting, the team asked Ortiz if he would be OK with it if Youkilis could be listed on the ballot sent to players.

"He was all for it," said one Major League Baseball source, "and excited about Youkilis' chances."

Major League Baseball does not require that the same players who are listed on the fans' ballot appear on the ballots given to players.

Ortiz is primarily a designated hitter, of course, but because DHs are not listed on the ballot, Ortiz was placed among the first basemen. Youkilis, Boston's regular first baseman, is having a breakout season, hitting .335 with eight homers, 33 RBIs and a .421 on-base percentage.

yah mush

Martinez
Youkilis
Upton
Rodriguez
Guillen
Ordonez
Guerrero
Granderson

Martin
Fielder
Utley
Cabrera
Reyes
Holliday
Rowand
Bonds

another This Year Only vote for Rowand, Fielder, Youk, Holliday etc. The end of history has come to baseball.

Yes, it happened due to some random person who thought about if for two minutes, posted the choices on a random message board, and didn't actually vote.

If I were to vote, I'd probably go with second half of '06 plus '07 thus far -- and maybe no-go if you don't play for a Midwest team.

And by vote I meant ACTUALLY vote and have an hour free to stare at numbers.

this-year-only is fun and more accurately reflects the frivolity that is the all-star game

home run derby is the best part anyway

does the winner still get to host the ws omg

Morbs what's your beef with Youk? I thought all you SABRdudes are nuts for him.

another This Year Only vote for Rowand, Fielder, Youk, Holliday etc. The end of history has come to baseball

Holliday's been great for like two years now, and really good for a couple years before that. Or does a dude have to be great for a decade before earning Morb's precious all-star vote?

Sorry; I admit Holliday's case is a lot better than the last time I looked at his numbers -- might very well pick him over Bay if I get around to voting more.

This is Youkilis' first season playing at All-Star caliber; reserve pick is fine for that (but Teixeira is more deserving there, East Coast Biasers!). And as much as Morneau's MVP was undeserved, he's the best 1b since start of '06.

VORP 2006 + 2007

Morneau 52.0 + 18.8
Teixeira 37.4 + 25.0
Youk 19.6 + 27.8

Bay's better than Holliday IMO, but at least that ones' close.

"The end of history has come to baseball."

LOLLLLLL

god i hope it has

right here, right now

watching the world wake up from history

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-D0maLGdSxc

jhøshea also just realized Rose bet on baseball.

Leyland picks Gardenhire, Washington

Fielder over Pujols wd be a travesty.

My latest bunch of votes (taking into account that some guys are outta contention):

First Base: Morneau, J., MIN
Second Base: Upton, B., TB
Third Base: Rodriguez, A., NYY
Shortstop: Jeter, D., NYY
Catcher: Mauer, J., MIN
Outfielder: Guerrero, V., LAA
Outfielder: Sizemore, G., CLE
Outfielder: Suzuki, I., SEA


First Base: Pujols, A., STL
Second Base: Utley, C., PHI
Third Base: Cabrera, M., FLA
Shortstop: Reyes, J., NYM
Catcher: Martin, R., LAD
Outfielder: Beltran, C., NYM
Outfielder: Bonds, B., SF
Outfielder: Holliday, M., COL

Glad to see you come around to Holliday, Doc.

I am surprised, tho, that you're going w/ BJ over Brian Roberts - an 861 OPS w/ 24 SBs (in 28 attempts) ain't too shabby.

Roberts on the merits... and he's not in the top five 2Bs in the balloring.

ie STOP POLANCO

& CANO

First Base: papi
Second Base: roberts
Third Base: a-rod
Shortstop: orlando cabrera
Catcher: posada
LF: manny
CF: ichiro
RF: FAGGLIO!

First Base: prince
Second Base: utz
Third Base: miggy
Shortstop: reyes
Catcher: martin
LF: holliday
CF: rowand lol
RF: griff

so Fielder has unseated Pujols as the best hitter of the last 5 years? ohmyass

I know it's been said a hundred times already but I'll have to say it again: No One Is Voting For Who Is The Best Hitter Of The Last Five Years. Fan voting is flawed, but Albert Pujols has had a shitty year and his temper tantrums last year showed him to be a jerk; younger funner nicer-seeming Prince Fielder is hitting a lot of home runs and having a lot of fun for a first-place team. I have voted for Fielder as often as, hopefully, you have voted for Pujols.

"shitty year" = "shitty relative to his usual numbers, which as we know were all inflated by his being 38 years old and doing every single ped known to humankind"*

*"we" = "steve shasta"

You really think Prince is going to end up even having a better '07 than Pujols? Unlikely. Sorry, high expectations don't make .301/.399/.534 any kinda shitty.

By every relevant offensive metric Pujols is having a better year than such exploding stars as Russ Martin, Hardy, Adrian Gonzalez, etc.

"Being a jerk"... jeezus, so that's why Bonds is 4th, not BALCO?

Pujols also wipes the floor with virtually every other 1B on defense.

Oh Morbs, your reading comprehension isn't that bad. It couldn't be. Also, please not to bring Martin/Hardy/Gonzalez into it. (And if he's so overrated, why did you vote for Russell Martin? Shouldn't we just vote in whoever else won last year?) Furthermore, please address your concerns to the geniuses who thought up the whole "fans vote for All-Star Game starters," not me. I have always been against it.

But yeah, the dip in Pujols' slugging percentage, BA, RBIs, and general fearsomeness is definitely a factor in this. I actually didn't vote until I realized that Prince had a shot at it. Then I had to stuff the box just like every other jerkoff.

And if he's so overrated, why did you vote for Russell Martin?

Reading comprehension: the answer is above.

I would think that an honorable man such as yourself would have just left your ballot blank rather than vote for an "exploding star."

I think that a lot of people hate Bonds because of BALCO, but they were predisposed to hate him because he is an asshole. I also think that he would have made at least 3rd if he hadn't had a really crappy month where he couldn't hit anything and looked like a pathetic old man at the plate.

you're def the Voice of the People.

Haha I love how that would be a compliment from anyone else but from you it's actually kind of a blistering insult. Luckily I am immune.

Honestly, though, I'm shocked by the 1B thing. If it keeps up it'll be a miracle, esp since Milwaukee is such a tiny market. Maybe he's just such an adorable teddybear etc.

Home Runs
1. P. Fielder MIL 26
2. K. Griffey Jr. CIN 21
3. A. Dunn CIN 20

RBIs
1. P. Fielder MIL 61
2. C. Lee HOU 59
3. M. Holliday COL 59

Also, the sympathy vote.

Seriously Dr. Kittens Give Morbo Gas, leave rigor out of the All-Star Game This Time It Counts, which is as much a reward for fans as it is for the playas. So if fans want to see Prince over Pooholes because the former is having a more exciting (note usage of the ultimately unquantifiable word "exciting") year, you can't really argue against that. If you want to reward prolonged and sustained success at high levels, vote them into the Hall of wait you don't have a HOF vote.

Counting stats, Thinwall.

So, Andy?

Yeah, "the people" are stupid, right? So counting stats are all they can understand.

Wait, whose side am I on here? DAMMIT.

the game itself is sooooo boring now.

Agreed, except for the "now" part.

[Sarcasm above]

There is only one player with a greater OPS than Fielder in the NL, and it ain't Pujols (#9, #4 of all NL 1Bs).

Oh and OPS is the final arbiter of talent now.

I go for Runs Above Position myself

One thing I noticed about Pujols this year is his K rate has jumped up. he's on-pace to strike out the most times since 2001 (72 times).

Also his IsoP is a career low .233, #24 in MLB. Fielder is #2, behind A-Rod (.374).

I get that OPS isn't as calculator-robust as your favorite stats but it is easy to calc on the fly and usually tells the story...

But okay, fine you SABRdouches:

RC27
Fielder: 8.11
Pujols: 7.15

SecA
Fielder: .462
Pujols: .380

Howzabout some other ones:

EQA:
Fielder .322
Pujols .320

So basically equal.

WARP1:
Fielder 3.6
Pujols 5.1

FRAA:
Fielder -6
Pujols 10

Zone Rating:
Fielder .692
Pujols .853

Also where did you get that RC data? Hardball Times has far different #s.

RC
Fielder 58
Pujols 54

RC/G
Fielder 7.8
Pujols 7.8

no Shasta comments about AP's "age" yet? ;-)

bnw, I think he's saving that zinger for later....

Ya - well what about this:

BHORP
Fielder - .449
Pujols - .397

GAZORP
Fielder - .839
Pujols - .747

YJXMMHAF
Fielder - 22/76
Pujols - 12/59

FLIZAFLAM
Fielder - 6.0
Pujols - 4.2

xpost

Listen you A-jols (and when I say A-jols, I mean most of you jive turkeys), if you don't think that a Dominican baseball player has possibly been dishonest about his age, you are a little naive. There is a long history of age-masking in DR baseball prospects that may or may not extend to Pujols.

I did not make Pujols age controversy up, I read it in three separate journalist articles and all you journalists should know that journalists only report the truth! Especially the free weekly ones!

Also 5ive,

Could you kindly step off my dick?

Thanks,

Steve Shasta
Free of Douchebags with Internet Hard-ons for him since 2005

Bonds said that it meant a lot to him when Albert Pujols recently came out in publicly support of him.

"I love him for it," Bonds said. "I love Albert Pujols."
--
Shasta brain meltdown imminent!

guys guys guys,

i'm not a member of your 30-something pro-wrestling comic book reading heroes vs. villain culture!!!

i like bonds, i like pujols! no problems.

is pujols better than bonds? no.

does everyone and their mother hate barry bonds? yes!

is albert pujols the new clean face of baseball according to sports illustrated? tune in next week to find out.

who is the best 1b in the NL? You are a Short-term Memory Ravech if you say Fielder.

Fuckin'-A, jokes (even harmless ones that did not mean to upset anyone but just to riff on already-demonstrated tendencies) are illegal on ILBB now. This place is getting about as fun as I Love Hoops, which means about as fun as Joe Torre with tits.

Did not mean to be an asshole, just trying to have some fun. Sorry to give offense. Goodbye everybody, have a great rest of the season!

Ya - well what about this:

BHORP
Fielder - .449
Pujols - .397

GAZORP
Fielder - .839
Pujols - .747

YJXMMHAF
Fielder - 22/76
Pujols - 12/59

FLIZAFLAM
Fielder - 6.0
Pujols - 4.2

I'm as much of a stathead as anyone (I think) but goddamn do my sides ever hurt.

shasta knows I'm just playing. I am a total homer and my team sucks :(

All is forgiven 5ive, please come back to ILB where no pariah is left behind.

Wait a GD second though, am I remembering this wrong or did the Pujols age controversy actually start from that tabloid BASEBALLPROSPECTUS.COM?

Only Morbs will know probably.

will you dicks stop chasing haikunym away!!

so Fielder has unseated Pujols as the best hitter of the last 5 years? ohmyass

-- Dr Morbius, Monday, June 25, 2007 5:51 PM (3 hours ago) Bookmark Link

serious question - is this your main voting criteria? the idea of, say, the pro-bowl is to reward the best players of that particular season (tho ironically i bet more players coast in on rep than they do with the all-star game), and i thought it was pretty much the same for MLB. there's nothing wrong with voting for pujols and i wouldnt shocked if he ended up having the better season, but prince fielder has performed better than any other 1B in the NL this year and i assume that's what most fans are recognizing when they vote for him.

The problem with that rationale though is that it basically means that everyone is voting for a player's first two-three months which can be somewhat fluke-y and NEVER voting on what they did the previous year(s). Since the last All Star game Albert Pujols has been an undisputedly better player than Prince Fielder in every facet of the game. Actually with the exception of HRs he's been a better player than Prince Fielder this year. Sure five years is extreme, but I'd rather people put more weight on the previous year than on the first third of this one.

Zackly; cankles, you are familiar with 70 games being a notoriously unreliable yardstick for 'this season'? That's why McCann didn't make it last year.

cmon D5, I know you're just having fun.

btw, did we know Cecil & Prince are estranged? Hell, if Dad ain't voting for him why should I?

dudes don't get all butthurt, it's the all-star game. if you even bother watching it, you turn it off by the 5th inning amirite?

Or you'll watch til the 11th when it gets suspended because they ran out of pitchers.

The permeability of marginal/fluky players getting voted in gets in should be a hallmark characteristic of the ASG.

they should have the game AFTER the season then, like they do in futbol!

mccann made it as a reserve last year iirc

(lol i've never even watched more than an inning or two of an ASG)

btw, did we know Cecil & Prince are estranged?

Do we know why Prince might not think of Cecil as the best father of all-time?

word, leee! one-year wonders are awesome and they deserve a little bit of the spotlight too imo

Morbs, can you confirm/deny that BP were the main source of the Pujols age-controversy research? Or am I making that up.

According to his MySpace he is 69 lol.

LEEE OTM!
When I've bothered to vote for the ASG it's been based on who's done the best so far that season. who wants to se the same boring old predictable players year in and year out?
I'm writting in for Jack Cust.

FWIW these are my picks (may change depending on who hits well over the next 3 days):

AL:
1B | Pappy
2B | Roberts
SS | Guillen
3B | Glaus (not voting for any fucking yankee)
C | Martinez
OF | Vlad, Mags, Ichiro

NL:
1B | Prince
2B | Chase
SS | Hanley
3B | Miguel
C | Russ
OF | Holliday, Griffey, Byrnes

Id est all of Morbs' fancy acronyms may measure how many runs created above or value over replacement player, but all those fancy numbers don't measure a player's HEART.

the hell do you think BHORP is, buddy?

Bigger Heart Over Replacement Player!

haha

Shasta, I don't know BP's role in Albert natal issue.

Thermo, you know I like you, but Byrnes is a big laff. (not as big as .197 Andruw being 5th among OFs, yet)

Anyway, I'm sure other NL CFs (Asburn, Snider etc) had better midsummer numbers once in awhile between 1954-66, but Willie Mays was elected pretty much every year nonetheless BECAUSE EVERYONE KNEW HE WAS THE BEST CENTERFIELDER! Except the Thermos of the world, who didn't want to see the same boring old Willie Mays. ;)

the idea of, say, the pro-bowl is to reward the best players of that particular season

I don't even hafta say motherfuck a Pro Bowl, ja?

Okay, I had to google:

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/pecota/pujolal01.php

2003

If there’s something unfair, it’s that Pujols was labeled a defensive liability at third. He wasn’t Terry Pendleton (or Scott Rolen for that matter), but he was effective enough. The point isn’t particularly relevant now, of course. Assuming anyone still believes that Pujols is 23 and not around 27, you should have seen an attractive if mature-looking Mrs. Pujols in last year’s Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition. Whatever his actual age, Pujols will be an asset with the Cardinals for the next four years, whether he divulges his age to the organization and signs a multiyear deal or not. He should achieve that projection handily.

2002

He's older than advertised, by at least three years according to some estimates. It was apparently a not-so-open secret in his college program, but the party line is that he “graduated early” from high school in the Dominican Republic. From a practical standpoint, who really cares? His age is most germane to issues such as his likely career totals, not whether he can help the Cardinals. Pujols can mash the ball and will continue to do so into the foreseeable future. If he plays third base, he'll be the best third baseman in the National League in 2002.

One of the few breaks Albert took was to appear in an All-Star Game for high schoolers in the Kansas City area. Among those in attendance was Marty Kilgore, the coach at nearby Maple Woods Community College. Kilgore was blown away by Albert’s strength, maturity and knowledge of the game. He recruited the 18-year-old for the spring of 1999.

Meanwhile, Albert was ready to meet another challenge, this one off the field. At a Latin dance club in Kansas City, he met a pretty 21-year-old named Deidre. Completely smitten, Albert lied about his age to get a date with her. When he eventually owned up to his fib, Deidre revealed a secret of her own. She had a daughter named Isabella who had been diagnosed with Down Syndrome. Albert bonded immediately with the infant, and Deidre marveled at the maturity of her teenage boyfriend.

^^^That's an excerpt from his biography.^^^

Are you shitting me, Shasta?

Not the BP comments, BTW, but the bio pullquote.

http://www.jockbio.com/Bios/Pujols/Pujols_bio.html

similarly, Kris Benson is actually 25

Morbsies, i know you consider baseballprospectus the MLB equivalent of Weekly World News, but all those blorbs are directly pulled from his PECOTA RARP BLORP card and all we get from you is a dull Kris Benson joke that doesn't even mention Anna?

gimme a break dude, insomnia.

THE PRINCE FIELDER NIGHTSWEATS

that's a big stain.

I turned off BBTN before Kruk & Phillips could rep for Prince.

Oh - I know Byrnes is a fluke but he's done good 'nuff so far this year.
hope that's not what's keeping you up! ;p

More insomnia ahead for Morbs.

DETROIT -- In the final update before All-Star voting ends Thursday, Magglio Ordonez has moved into second place among American League outfielders. The top three vote-getters will be the starting AL outfield. Ordonez trails only Vladimir Guerrero, with Ichiro Suzuki in third place.

Pudge Rodriguez and Placido Polanco have strengthened their leads at catcher and second base.

The last time the Tigers had three All-Star starters was in 1984, when Chet Lemon, Lance Parrish and Lou Whitaker all started. Alan Trammell was also picked to the All-Star team that year but pulled out because of an injury.

CHET LEMON!

the immortal Chet.

I'm OK with that outfield; Ordonez looks legit. But Grady's time will come. (Pudge is coasting on his CV)

i wanna know how Polanco has managed to pull this off

He's storing extra ballots in his cheeks.

Ichiro at CF >>> Sizemore at CF (it's close though.)

He's storing extra ballots in his cheeks.

There's his forehead, too.

I'm guessing all the bend-over-backwards praise throughout last year's playoffs did a great deal.

He's hitting .370 on 0-2 counts (27).

And he has never been an all-star, so what the hell.

Ordonez looks legit.

It's all smoke and mirrors.

I think it helps that there isn't really a great AL 2B candidate.

No Johjima for Catcher? he's been pretty decent this year!

Since Ichiro's been a CF for about 3 months and Grady had by far the better '06, I bump Ichiro to a corner.

There aren't any great AL 2Bs, but given that Roberts has the best numbers and that he was #2 to Cano last year...

Johjima is certainly better than Pudge the last year and a half, but doesn't measure up to Joe-Jorge-Vic.

I can't believe that some of you peeps are going to war with each other over ASG voting strategy. It's the ASG, there are no voting regulations! One guy's eight-week hot streak is just as good as another guy's five-year WARP3 average, IMO.

I only get pissed off when 1) players coast in the voting for years based on reputation when there are *plenty* of other worthy candidates (that qualifying point is crucial, i.e. Cal Ripken's 57943 ASG starts = good, Pudge's 74983 ASG starts = not so good), 2) big market voting takes over (i.e. FOX-friendly lineup full of Red Sox and Yankees).

Sean Casey is third.

Sanjaya Casey.

Okay, I had to google:

google them off your clipboard? XD

Ordonez looks legit.

It's all smoke and mirrors.

Well, he's .377/.452/.637 in 74 games. With a career line of .309/.368/.520, you'd hafta think he's more likely to end up around .340/.420/.580. Still fine, just not Ted Williams.

Nate Silver, onto something:

...for years and years the argument was that the fans were too slow to recognize changes in performance, and kept electing the same veterans year after year. In fact, the process has almost completely reversed itself, to the point where the fans barely consider a player’s pedigree prior to 2007 at all. No doubt this has a lot to do with the introduction of Internet balloting, which puts the current year’s statistics just a mouse click away, and perhaps more specifically the influence of fantasy baseball, since no crowd of fans is more firmly in the what-have-you-done-for-me-lately camp than avid fantasy gamers.

What the fuck, Braves and Marlins?

It's all Bob Wickman's fault.

this is hilarious on about 90,000 different levels

if only i could find a jpg of that 'blame benitez' t-shirt

i can only hope that the dozens of people who tuned in hoping to watch a rerun of 'enough' aren't too upset

IT BEGINS

YES LET'S DISCUSS JETER

MEAT HOOK RETURNS

wagner instead of maine? guess fox is really hoping for an 'exciting' ninth

well at least brian fuentes' weekend is a little brighter now

Anyway, I'm sure other NL CFs (Asburn, Snider etc) had better midsummer numbers once in awhile between 1954-66, but Willie Mays was elected pretty much every year nonetheless BECAUSE EVERYONE KNEW HE WAS THE BEST CENTERFIELDER! Except the Thermos of the world, who didn't want to see the same boring old Willie Mays. ;)

the idea of, say, the pro-bowl is to reward the best players of that particular season

I don't even hafta say motherfuck a Pro Bowl, ja?

oh, i missed this. i dont really disagree, but it is cool to me that the flavor of the month gets rewarded in beisbol whereas in football the same douchebags get voted in every year, in part because of how incredibly difficult it is to seperate individual performance from team performance.

anyway i am super stoked about barry's triumphant return!!! and griff too i guess. nate silver's argument falters a little when you consider that miggy didnt make the roster. EVERY fantasy player knows that dude is a top 10 choice!

The player/manager picks were fucking stupid.

ESPN's front page headline, "Despite a lackluster season and a cloud of suspicion hanging over him, Barry Bonds found a home in the 78th All-Star Game."

Lackluster = leading MLB in OPS?

Stupid fans.

yeah, that was the partyline on Dumbass Tonight as well -- "Don't look at Barry's numbers." 2nd in NL in slugging and leading majors in on-base...

He's no FREDDY SANCHEZ.

The NL 'last spot' runoff is a joke... Oswalt, Webb, Young should all go. and neither Duke nor Gorzelanny are going?

I think you mean SNELL, not Duke.

whoa, yeah.

Let the Bonds / HR Derby stories begin!

"Don't look at Barry's numbers." 2nd in NL in slugging and leading majors in on-base....

Not to mention a .300+ batting average and a good number of R and RBI (though not great). And his defensive numbers, while not good, are better than or on par with guys like Pat Burrell, Manny Ramirez, Raul Ibanez, Adam Dunn, Carlos Lee, Chris Duncan. He doesn't have a trademark on "slow left fielder" by any means. And he has 5 SB with no CS!

On the downside, he's 33rd among outfielders in extra-base hits.

2nd in NL in slugging >>>>>>>> 33rd among OF in XBH.

I love that Fox put Andruw Jones in their ASG commercial.

Maybe they were weighing 90% toward last season.

lol @ TLR overstocking his "all-star" bullpen w/ 'Daisy' Fuentes over Chris Young.

The NL 'last spot' runoff is a joke... Oswalt, Webb, Young should all go. and neither Duke nor Gorzelanny are going?

Considering how much W's weigh in All-Star consideration, Oswalt has been royally ass-raped by his bullpen in the past month.

And before that it was the offense.

Jerami St. Paul MN: Who is your favorite to win the HomeRun Derby?

Rob Neyer: (1:15 PM ET ) Hank Aaron. But my dark horse pick is Gus Triandos.

Wally Post (RIP)

Leyland will hopefully/rightly go with Haren as the starter after witnessing Sabathia today: 4 IP, 10 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 3 HR. I say this despite being the future proud owner of a CC Sabathia disco bobblehad.

HEAD

i know he didn't pitch well today - but decapitating him is a tad extreme, bro.

Off with his bobblehead.

Neyer said in that chat he believes in pitching the best pitcher. ie, Santana.

I think he will get a chance, yeah.

So, Oswalt was next in line for the players' vote and got added to the NL squad today when Smoltzie pulled up lame.

Chris Young wins the internet vote.

and Okajima.

NL Pitchers by VORP (All-Star TV watchers in bold):

1. Jake Peavy SDN 42.7
2. Brad Penny LAN 41.7
3. Chris Young SDN 35.7
4. John Maine NYN 34.7
5. Ian Snell PIT 33.9
6. Tom Gorzelanny PIT 33.2
7. Roy Oswalt HOU 30.8

11. Ben Sheets MIL 27.7

15. Cole Hamels PHI 23.5

143. Brian Fuentes COL 3.3

Wait, you mean to tell me that the players of MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL are ranking their peers with something other than VORP???

Tony LaRussa is ranking Mets pitchers acc to who gave up a fucking HR to So Taguchi last October.

Haren vs. Peavy

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Ichiro Suzuki, cf
Derek Jeter, ss
David Ortiz, 1b
Alex Rodriguez, 3b
Vladimir Guerrero, rf
Magglio Ordonez, lf
Ivan Rodriguez, c
Placido Polanco, 2b
Dan Haren, p

NATIONAL LEAGUE
Jose Reyes, ss
Barry Bonds, lf
Carlos Beltran, cf
Ken Griffey Jr., rf
David Wright, 3b
Prince Fielder, 1b
Russell Martin, c
Chase Utley, 2b
Jake Peavy, p

TLR used to bat McGwire second too. Hmm.

It's so he can take him out after the 4th PA. You're not confusing this with a real game, r u?

BUT IT COUNTS

i think ASG voting should be entirely based on who's the funnest to watch. vorp doesn't hold a candle to watching ichiro play, or... shit, i forget who it was, but somebody in the infield made some a few brilliant fielding plays at last year's all-star game. oh, and watching webb burn bitches when he pitched. it was webb, right?

zito's filthy curve vs his ~5 e.r.a.?

a.j. pierzynski in hopes he'll get punched?

dontrelle, julio franco, julian tavarez, 6 fingered alfonseca.

Oddibe McDowell & Turk Wendell woulda been 5x All-Stars by that criterion.

Oddibe McDowell's numbro on back of jerzee = 00

YES

Turk = 99

Polanco may have biggest fan in Pujols
By Rick Hummel
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
07/10/2007

SAN FRANCISCO — Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols had been waiting for this day — when longtime friend Placido Polanco would join him as an All-Star. Pujols had envisioned it a little bit differently, either that second baseman Polanco would make it as a Cardinal or, next best, as a National Leaguer.

But the fact that Polanco, who plays for Detroit now, will line up as an American Leaguer tonight in the 78th All-Star Game does not curtail the joy that Pujols feels for his Dominican Republic countryman as the latter plays in the game for the first time. Pujols never will forget how Polanco made his arrival in the big leagues a much more comfortable one.

"He took me under his wing when I was a rookie (in 2001)," Pujols said. "As a rookie you make a lot of mistakes. But the first thing he helped me with, I wasn't even in the big leagues yet. It was in spring training (in Jupiter, Fla.).

"He opened the door for me and my wife (Dierde). She was six months pregnant with A.J. He gave me a place to stay (in Polanco's house) and that is something I will never forget.

"There's not too many people who can do that without really knowing you. That's the kind person he is. He helped me out and then I made the club and he took care of me with the rules and what I had to do as a rookie and what I didn't have to do.

"He's my best friend."

When Pujols' appreciation of Polanco's act was relayed to Polanco, the latter smiled and said, "We are brothers."

Polanco is hitting .335 to Pujols' .310 this season.

"I can't even describe how excited I am for him," said Pujols. "All the hard work he's put in, he's finally getting his due. He should have been an All-Star a long time ago."

But when news came across the board at Busch Stadium on Sunday that Polanco had hurt his back and wasn't playing in Detroit, Pujols and Tony La Russa, who will manage the National League All-Star team, both winced.

"We were both concerned it was something that would keep him out of this," said La Russa. "That describes our affection for him. We're thrilled. He earned the opportunity to start."

Polanco said he felt better, though, Monday. "I'd like to get an at-bat or two," he said.

Anyone even watch the Derby? ALEX RIOS second??

I watched a little, kind of boring. The espn crew was especially annoying. Highlights: watching Vlad swing like he's holding an axe with his mini-dreads whipping about. Little pujols going bananas when his dad hit one out.

I caught the last swing. I recorded it, but I doubt I'll get past five minutes before deleting. It's not like the last hour plus was recorded anyway, since it went on so long.

Bronx Is Burning: very weird.

who was tossing to Rios, Victor Zambrano?

HA ha!

"He took me under his wing when I was a rookie (in 2001)," Pujols said. "As a rookie you make a lot of mistakes..."

Not when you're a 25-year-old rookie! </ss>

I liked Bronx Is Burning! I feel shame

what time did Bronx is Burning actually start? wifet wanted me to google when the reruns would happen BUT I KNEW THAT SHIT DIDNT EVEN EXIST

i mean, everything online or on TV drove to that tune in at 10pm Monday. Hell of a way to start a miniseries. Twin Peaks it's not.

btw I hate the Home Run Derby because it's the one day that Baseball turns into Football.

btw I hate the Home Run Derby because it's the one day that Baseball turns into Football.

100% OTM

I don't follow.

Can we nominate Russ Martin as the MVP of the game since he managed to both hit a cop with a foul ball and then audibly yell out 'shit' after he was jammed and popped out to second in the same at bat?

I liked Bronx Is Burning! I feel shame

I liked it, too (esp. the Mickey Rivers content). It was just... very weird. And the ears...

MVP = Byrnes' dog!

haha yeah Mickey Rivers ... "my goals for the season are to be injury prone"

and yeah those ears were ridonkulous.

I liked "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend" playing on the top 40 station.

btw I hate the Home Run Derby because it's the one day that Baseball turns into Football.

100% OTM

-- Andy K, Wednesday, July 11, 2007 2:38 AM (1 hour ago) Bookmark Link

I don't follow.

-- Stormy Davis, Wednesday, July 11, 2007 2:39 AM (1 hour ago) Bookmark Link

i don't hate HATE the derby, it's just kind of crass and a glorified batting practice. mayve it's more NASCAR than Football, perhaps that was unfair.

i don't hate HATE the derby, it's just kind of crass and a glorified batting practice. mayve it's more NASCAR than Football, perhaps that was unfair.

weird x2 post

nice work Ichiro

Pretty great game, actually.

good game after all, at first you did wonder.

LaRussa leaves Pujols on bench and decides the game with Orlando Hudson: DRUNK AGAIN.

happily I slept thru Billy fucking Wagner.

Yeah, that the Ramones were heard anywhere near Yankeeland in '77 is a riot. TBIB reruns twice tonight.

"If he wants to get upset, he can get upset," La Russa said. "Whatever he wants to do, he can do. It's America. That wasn't the most important thing tonight."

Also, the tension between Chris Young and Derrek Lee: palpable!

Yeah, I didn't see the game, but if the game ended w/ Aaron Rowand at the plate w/ the bases loaded and Albert Pujols on the bench, when you're playing for SOMETHING THAT COUNTS, that manager better be shitfaced.

It's America.

AMERICA: THIS TIME IT COUNTS

That should be the slogan for the Iran invasion.

Pujols had said Monday that he would do "whatever (La Russa) wants" as a player chosen not by the fans or the players but by La Russa himself. But when Pujols didn't play Tuesday night, he said, "Go ask the manager. He's the one you should ask. I have no idea. He didn't even talk to me at all.

"This is the All-Star Game. He's the manager. He can do anything he wants.

"But if I wasn't expecting myself to play, I wouldn't have come up here. I'd rather stay home with my family. That's the way it is."

a lot of very happy Freddy Sanchez fans this morning, amirite?

Sitting Pujols defies logic
Rob Neyer
posted: Wednesday, July 11, 2007 | Feedback | Print Entry

Preposterous. Unconscionable. Indefensible.

[pause while online thesaurus is consulted ...]

Inexcusable. Unjustifiable. Lamebrained.

To continue reading this article you must be an Insider.

HR Derby vs Steroid Outrage = hahahaha

I looked for Pujols in the dugout but I couldn't see him.

Did they show him on TV?

Da Meathook was pretty money.

bflaff (Phila, PA): Surely Pujols comes in to bat for D Lee?

Nate Silver: At least one manager is playing to win.

Uh, pinch hit for DERREK LEE?

Lee went around, amirite?

I was honestly surprised Fielder stayed in as long as he did.

I liked the shot of LaRussa laughing in the dugout after Lee TOTALLY WENT AFTER that pitch but was awarded 1st base.

if la russa wants out next year, fine. but i don't understand how he gains anything from a thinly veiled fuck you to a superstar he is still going to have to manage for three more months.

he wasn't just preserving the integrity of the selection process?

Where's the love for Barry making like he was dropping down to bunt?

also, nice error, Prince.

i know it was ruled as a bad hop but HAY-ROD

how was that not ruled an error?

MAGIC

It wasn't just a bad hop. It had an incredible amount of spin on it.

infield double.

Jose Reyes

bronx is burning = http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/51E9KJQSS0L._SS500_.jpg

did you guys see ichiro all dressed up like he was going to a flock of seagulls concert

http://bestmessageboardever.com/uploads/monthly_07_2007/post-1452-1185465935.jpg

sup morbz

check out those RATE STATS my niggaz

Uh you do notice that Cabrera is still ahead of Chipper on that list, don't you?

(shhh he's on a roll)

what is VORPr because that shows Chipper even with A-Rod?

Is it VORP per PA?

alex: stfu pussfag

ya the ones with little r's after them are rate versions. CJ has like 60 fewer plate appearances so of course he has accrued less blorp but pps on here made it sound like cabrera was assraping him to death with his golden bat~

Well for the previous three years he has been. . .

CJ's goals for '08: Accrue more BLORP

I thought Cabrera was the guy accruing all the blorp!

what is Larry's BLORPr?

I'm more interested in his FRAAP.

they c me rollin
they h8in~