Fans, managers and players, almost always make a few mistakes in their selections for the All-Star Game, so the question on the day after roster announcements has to be: Who was the biggest All-Star snub?
With the Cincinnati Reds surprising everybody by being in first place, how could their best player, Joey Votto, not be selected? The Reds will be represented by second baseman Brandon Phillips and reliever Arthur Rhodes, but their most important player this year and since he broke into the majors in 2007 has been Votto. While the first baseman is only in the fourth year of his career, Votto could be a future Hall of Famer if he keeps up his output. Being in Cincinnati, nobody has noticed.
Albert Pujols will start at first for the NL. He batting .305 with 20 home runs and a .981 OPS. Votto is batting .310 with 19 home runs and a .984 OPS.
While Pujols’ numbers, not just his reputation, have justified his place in the starting lineup. How was Votto excluded for Adrian Gonzalez and Ryan Howard, whom he tops in every major statistical category?
Angels starter Jered Weaver also has significant case for an All-Star berth. His ERA is better than the ERAs of All-Stars CC Sabathia, Phil Hughes, and Fausto Carmona. And so is his WHIP. His 8-3 record equals Cliff Lee, and is far better than Carmona’s 7-7 mark. You have to wonder: How did Carmona make it over Weaver?
Finally, how could Kevin Youklis be excluded, given the year that he is having? The answer likely is that while the NL includes three first basemen on its roster, the AL team only has two, because a DH is also selected. Youklis’ .299 average, 17 home runs and 1.000 OPS are impressive, as is his leadership for the Red Sox, who have had a great first half despite injuries.
Still, it’s to argue with the selections of both starter Justin Morneau and Miguel Cabrera. Mauer’s .344/17/1.051 line and Cabrera’s .339/20/1.048 make them the AL’s two best offensive players so far.
Both Youklis and Votto may eventually be selected by the fans’ final vote.
So who was the biggest All-Star snub?
