all things relating to the 2016 All-Star Game in San Diego

Consulting the two WAR systems over both the current partial season and the last calendar year (ie bcz Marcell Ozuna should not be considered to start), I came up with this ballot today:

C
NL: Posey (arguable alternative: Lucroy)
AL: S. Perez

1b
NL: Goldschmidt (aa: Rizzo, Votto)
AL: Davis (aa: Cabrera)

2b
NL: Zobrist (aa: Murphy)
AL: Altuve

SS
NL: Crawford (aa: Seager)
AL: Bogaerts (aa: Lindor, Machado)

3b
NL: Arenado (aa: Bryant, Carpenter)
AL: Donaldson

OF
NL: Fowler, Harper, Marte (aa: Cespedes, Herrera)
AL: Betts, Cain, Trout (aa: Bradley, Eaton, Pillar)

DH: Ortiz

Notes:
Goldschmidt still underrated; so is Votto, but his current year is too weak to vote for. Chris Davis still has too awesome a case over the last 365 days for me to vote Miggy.
Murphy is a butcher in the field and an outspoken homophobe; I have no doubt Zobrist will prove the clearly superior choice by year's end.
It's a crime Lindor isn't even in the top 5 in SS voting.
Machado has played SS nearly all year, to vote for him at 3b is unfair to Donaldson.
Would've loved to throw a homer vote tp Yoenis, but the depth of his current slump put me off it.

As discussed on the BP podcast yesterday, to put MadBum in the HR Derby would add juice; the weird push for a pitchers' Derby misses the point.

very well-rounded ballot

I also did not realize Bryant had played so much OF this year, which sealed my choice of Arenado.

looking like EDUARDO NUNEZ will be an All-Star, tho AL SS is prob crowded so maybe FERNANDO ABAD

no idea how he grades out defensively but wilson ramos is having a hellof a yr i think hes stolen bryces mojo

hardy's back and manny's back at 3B, kind of weird to toss him in at SS for the ASG when it's still not really "his" position

@BNightengale
2B Omar Infante, released today by Royals, still in 4th place on AL All-Star balloting, just 61,000 votes behind 3rd place Dustin Pedroia.

legit surprised that both mookie AND jbj have enough votes to be starting outfielders as of right now (one will fall behind tho i'm sure)

Betts deserves more credit for last year

amazing the KC fans haven't been homer-voting more strongly for a deserving starter like Cain, given some of their fetid support at other positions

i guess the results were announced lol

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Cmo9PmvVIAA0A2f.jpg

weird that theo isn't an all-star too

oh selection show was tonight. usta be Sunday.

Posey over Molina! Evil defeated!

AL v Cubs.

You know, it's almost like Collins doesn't know Familia is his 6th-most valuable pitcher.

Quintana, Kluber and B Crawford not being picked is fuckin' ridic.

http://espn.go.com/blog/keith-law/insider/post/_/id/5283/five-players-who-belong-on-all-star-roster-and-five-who-dont

jumped out to me how much younger on par the nl is vs al, I guess that makes sense to an extent

that's not what Ken Rosenthal's lede is:

"The youth of the American League starting position players is unprecedented.

All eight AL fielders will be 26 or under, a first in All-Star history, according to STATS LLC (designated hitter David Ortiz is 40)."

Kluber, Aledmys Diaz named as All-Star injury replacements

BARTOLO

HR Derby sub?

srsly?

44 minutes to get those Final Votes in for Marte and Kinsler

@jaysonst
Bartolo Colon has been added to NL All Stars to replace Madison Bumgarner (pitching Sunday). Can we also add Bartolo to the HR Derby please?

deGrom snubbed by his own manager

wilpons just trying to keep his arbitration down

if Johnny Cueto doesn't start the whole thing is a joke!

colon obv shd be in the hr derby

ha, he shouldn't even be in the game, the whole thing is so stupid

is this your first one?

must be

just venting, sorry

i know everyone is dropping like flies but there are so good starting pitchers still left in the NL.

i guess i should not be so jaded, i'm happy for the old man.

lol had no idea cueto was in SF now, pvmic

hahahaha

colon in the game is obviously a plus

Colon in the game and Stanton in the HR derby (despite not being an official All-Star) and half of the NL pitchers not pitching in the game (due to injury, starting on Sunday, etc.) and getting replaced by lesser guys to completely dilute the meaning of "All Star" is all fine, because it's supposed to be exhibition game for the fans.

Except of course it's not an exhibition game, because THIS TIME (every time since 2002) IT COUNTS. This is the real problem -- in fact one of the biggest jokes in baseball IMO.

None of that is new, I just felt like venting. I want to like the ASG!

selig's dead and gone that ridiculous stip needs to die too

Manfred too much of a save-a-Bud

(in addition to Cespedes and Syndergaard), Chicago Cubs outfielder Dexter Fowler also had to withdraw on Saturday due to a hamstring injury.

They will be replaced by San Diego Padres left-hander Drew Pomeranz, Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Starling Marté and Cincinnati Reds outfielder Jay Bruce.

Marcell Ozuna and Carlos Gonzalez now will start for the National League in the outfield.

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/16927534/new-york-mets-p-noah-syndergaard-yoenis-cespedes-chicago-cubs-dexter-fowler-all-star-game-injuries

hm, fangraphs shows a significant advantage for LH home runs in petco (103 PF vs 94 for righties)

wonder if i should put money on the 3 LHHs? seager cano cargo. do PFs matter for what is essentially batting practice? why hasn't there been any serious analysis of home run derbies dammit

btw Zobrist beat Murphy by 88 votes, so my ~20 were literally the most significant i've ever cast in an election.

Jose Quintana, at last, replaces Danny Salazar

it's Sale v Cueto! god knows what Bee OK hadda do...

AL manager Ned Yost said Monday that his batting order has Astros second baseman Jose Altuve leading off, followed by Angels center fielder Mike Trout, Orioles third baseman Manny Machado, Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz, Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts, Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer, Red Sox right fielder Mookie Betts, Royals catcher Salvador Perez and Red Sox left fielder Jackie Bradley Jr.

NL manager Terry Collins has Cubs second baseman Ben Zobrist leading off, followed by Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper, Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant, the Padres' Wil Myers at designated hitter, Giants catcher Buster Posey, Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo, Marlins center fielder Marcell Ozuna, Rockies left fielder Carlos Gonzalez and Cubs shortstop Addison Russell.

This is dumb:

The AL will be the home team for the game at Petco Park because this is the second year of at least four straight in which a National League ballpark will host the All-Stars.

TOUGH SHIT

"Let's get ready to TRUMBO!!!" at least a couple swings into Trumbo's at-bat -- amazing restraint from Berman.

you have to be kidding me:

A reporter covering the Cubs asked Toronto third baseman Josh Donaldson, who was drafted by the Cubs and shipped to the A’s a year later, if he felt like the eighth Cubs All-Star.

“I was barely with the organization, and they got rid of me quickly,” Donaldson said. “When I got traded, ESPN called me John Donaldson. They didn’t even know my name. I don’t think they’d claim me as part of the organization.

yay Cueto!

what the fuck is up with this clock? there is no clock in baseball.

you are mistaken

I like the clock; its an inherently dopey exhibition regardless but why not make it a bit competitive?

The clock has improved this thing 100%

good points

"Down goes Frazier" in three, two...

oh it'll be worse than that I'm sure. that'd be getting off easy bermanism-wise

this is it for Chris Berman right?

There will be no Frazier Chorus of boos tonight.

oh it'll be worse than that I'm sure. that'd be getting off easy bermanism-wise
--if young slothrop don't trust ya i'm gon' rhyme ya (slothroprhymes)

I lied, it wasn't worse

jose fernandez sez he plans to groove pitches to big papi if he's up against him http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/17018587/jose-fernandez-wants-give-serve-home-run-david-ortiz-all-star-game

unlike the jeterman in 2014 tho, ortiz doesn't need anyone throwing him meatballs to hit good pitches as if they are meatballs

Jose doesn't want WS Game 7 in Miami apparently

NOBODY WANTS THAT.

i can tot see j0rdan using his connections to sit next to Marlins Man for that

sorry i missed Wil Myers' brother hitting him w/ a pitch

Chris Sale is 4th among AL pitchers in fWAR and not even in the top 10 in bWAR. But, wins.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CnNFuNIUkAAkVRk.jpg

Wow. The NL sucks.

this is all Bee Ok's fault

i told u Bryant is not a 3b

also "Garbage Time" is an excellent name for the ASG after the first inning

do Suck & Schmaltz ever mention this is not played remotely like a meaningful game?

the traditional mid sixth inning break for a dirge ballad abt cancer

o i guess it was after the 5th, forgot the al is the home team

canadian tenors scandal!

Baseball, mom war, and apple pie cancer.

as a person w/ cancer im pretty sure all that shit just enriches Big Pharma, so fuck it

Baseball, (-mom-) war, and (-apple pie-) cancer.
--Andy K

baseball: bae af since 1869 (why not)
war and cancer: bae af since B.C.

damn finally someone has brought together colin cowherd & jason whitlock

btw what was offending phrase in "O Canada"?

and did they book the sailor of color for GBA in the third inning?

i was hoping if the NL loses Murphy would at least make a crucial error

btw what was offending phrase in "O Canada"?
--helpless before THRILLARY (Dr Morbius)

one of those assholes snuck "all lives matter" into the words somehow apparently

nice job, Stankee Miller

the fairytales continues for the Royals

Collins used neither Met pitcher

best or worst ASG mgr ever?

i'm glad Cueto got that out of his system.