Tag Archives: MLB
Mike Pizza began his career with the Los Angeles Dodgers as a long shot. The Dodgers drafted him with the 1,390th pick in the 1988 draft. He was truly a diamond in the rough. By 1992 he made his Major League debut. He was named the 1993 rookie of the year. When his career ended in 2007 he had a lifetime batting average of .308, hit 427 home runs and batted in 1,335 runs. A 12 time All Star, Mike Piazza was one of the most popular and talented catchers of the 1990s. One part of his career many people over look or don’t even know about is his time with the Florida Marlins.
On May 15th, 1998 after playing 6 seasons with the Dodgers he was included in a blockbuster trade to the Marlins. The Marlins still trying to dump player from their World Series team traded 5 players including Gary Sheffield and Bobby Bonilla for Mike Piazza and Todd Zeile. The deal was a strange one that no one saw coming. Many were excited to see Piazza play for the Marlins. His addition gave the fans of Florida a chance for hope after almost all of their players had been sent packing in the infamous 1997 fire sale.
Mike Piazza as a Florida Marlin (Getty Images)
Mike Piazza’s Marlins career would be short lived. Piazza was traded 8 days later to the New York Mets after just 5 games with the Fish. During this stint Piazza batted .278, scored 1 run, batted in 5 runs and even landed a triple. Sure it was not the most exciting run but that only because it was so short lived. While it is just a small part of his baseball career it will remain an unusual situation and always be a cool trivial fact you can stump your friends with.
Like this:
Like Loading...
Leave a comment | tags: 1988 draft, 5 games, 8 days, batting average, bobby bonilla, catcher, dodgers, fire sale, Florida, gary sheffield, marlins, met, mets, mike piazza, MLB, todd zeile, trade | posted in MLB, sports, Sports History
The State of Florida has been the home of Spring Training since the early part of the 1900s. Up until 1993 Florida never had a professional baseball team to call their own. The Florida Marlins who were based in the Miami area were the first. The Tampa Bay Devil Rays were soon to follow in 1998. But Florida has a deep history of pursuing Major League Baseball before they received their teams in the 1990s.
It started in 1983 in the Tampa Bay area when local city officials considered building a baseball stadium to house a pro team. Construction began in 1986 on what is now known as Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg. It was completed in 1990. At the time there were no expansion franchises being granted for any city. So they sought a team the best way they could, trying to lure a team from their current city.
Tropicana Filed, The stadium that would bring baseball to the Tampa Bay area. (Getty Images)
The Chicago White Sox were the first team that Tampa pursued. In 1989 The White Sox were not happy in the old Comiskey Park and wanted a new stadium. They flirted with Tampa for a while before ultimately getting their new stadium and staying in Chicago.
The next team that was rumored was the Seattle Mariners. The talks did not go very far and the Mariners remained in Washington.
Tampa had their hearts broken in 1991 when they were denied an expansion franchise. The Miami area won out instead of Tampa and the Florida Marlins came into existence. The Marlins played the first ever regular season game in Florida in April of 1993.
The closest that Tampa ever came to stealing a team away from a city was in 1993. The San Francisco Giants owners were looking to sell and a group of investors from Tampa were looking to buy them. The deal was almost done. The local baseball fans were already celebrating and then the bad news came. The sale was vetoed by the National League Owners. The Giants remained in San Francisco and Tampa was still without a team.
That was until in 1995 when they were granted an expansion franchise. The Tampa Bay Devil Rays played their first regular season game in 1998.
The past does make one wonder how different things would be if the White Sox, Mariners or Giants would have relocated to Tampa. If the White Sox or Mariners would have moved would there have been a team in Miami in 1993? Probably not, there more than likely would have been years later though. The Giants move would have been interesting. The city of San Francisco would probably have a different team right now. There is no way that City would be without a team for too long, not with their tradition and history.
It’s really incredible how things turned out for Tampa. They took a huge risk by building a stadium without having a team for it. For many years they looked like failures. Many in the city thought they would never have a team to call their own. But Tampa proved to be very persistent and got what they wanted in the end.
Like this:
Like Loading...
Leave a comment | tags: 1983, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1998, almost, April, baseball, Chicago, city, comiskey park, debut, devil rays, did they, first team, Florida, franchise, giants, inagural, mariners, marlins, MLB, move, moved, of, old stadium, opening day, pro, professional, rays, run down, san francisco, seattle, sports, stadium, tampa, tampa bay, tropicana field, white sox | posted in MLB, Sports History
The long baseball season is nearing its end. The summer is coming to an end and the Fall season is about to start. With it will come the Major League Baseball Playoffs. The first games of the playoffs start next weekend. So let’s take a look at what teams are approaching the playoffs in this final week of the season.
The American League
The interesting note of the week is that no A.L. teams have clinched a playoff spot yet. It has been a tight race for all of the divisional spots and especially for the two Wild Card spots.
East
In the East there is great competition between the division leading New York Yankees and the Baltimore Orioles. The Yankees only lead that division by one game with the Rays in third place by only 5 games.
Central
The Central division has seen the Chicago White Sox fall quite a bit in the past week. The White Sox are trailing the Detroit Tigers in the division by one game. The third place team in the division is held by the Kansas City Royals who are fourteen games behind and have no hope for the playoffs.
West
The Western division has just as tight of a race as the Eastern division. The Texas Rangers hold the top position with a record of 92-65. The Oakland A’s have been surging ahead in the final month of the season and are only three games behind the Rangers. In third place five games behind the Rangers are the Anaheim Angels. The Angels got off to a bad start at the beginning of the season but were able to turn their season around in the summer months.
Wild Card
Only six games separate the top five teams in the Wild Card race. The Baltimore Orioles and the Oakland A’s are in the top spots. The Angels are two games back. The Rays are three games back, while the White Sox are six games back and will likely only be able to enter the playoffs with winning the Central division.
The National League
The almost half of the playoff spots in the N.L. have been claimed. All but one of the divisions have champions already, which takes some of the excitement away.
East
This is the only division where a champion has not yet been crowned. With the third place team the Phillies seventeen games back, its between only the Braves and the Nationals for the crown. The Nationals have shocked the baseball world with an incredible season and they currently hold the top spot. The braves are trailing by four games and still have a chance at winning the division. Both the Nationals and Braves have clinched playoff spots. The only question is which one will be the division champion and which one will be in the wild card position.
Central
The Cincinnati Reds won the division this past week. They appear to be a team that could contend for the World Series Title in October.
West
The San Fransisco Giants won the division championship just a few days ago. This team has been a great team built for the playoffs for a few years now. The Giants won the World Series in 2010 and are looking to win their second in three years.
Wild Card
With the Braves having clinched a playoff birth there is only one wild card spot remaining. The St Louis Cardinals hold the remaining spot at the moment. The Dodgers and the Brewers are the only two teams that still have a chance for the remaining wild card. The Dodgers are three games back while the Brewers are five back. The Dodgers have been turning downward as September rolls along. The Brewers have to win their remaining five games to have a chance. The Cardinals will likely hold their position and go into a wild card playoff game with the Braves.
Like this:
Like Loading...
Leave a comment | tags: 2012, american league, birth, braves, brewers, can win, central, champions, classic, east, fall, giants, long, make it, MLB, national league, nationals, october, orioles, phillies, play, playoff, playoffs, rays, reds, season, september, west, what teams, white sox, who is in, who is left, who will, wild card, world series, yankees | posted in MLB, sports
This past off season Major League baseball did something they had not done since 1994. It changed it’s playoff structure by adding a new element.
Prior to 1995 there were just four teams involved in the post season. There was an Eastern and Western Champion in Both leagues who would play each other for the League Championship. Those two winners would go into the World Series and face off against the opposing leagues Champion. This had been the case since 1969.
The new system was enacted in 1994 but due to the strike shortened season it debuted in 1995. The system worked with each league having three divisions. Each division winner would go to the playoffs and the team with the best record that did not win a division would also go to the post season. There have been five wild card teams that have won a World Series since MLB instituted the wild card.
In November the commissioner of MLB, Bud Selig announced that their would be a second wild card team for each league. The two wild card teams would play each other in a one game playoff. The winner will advance to the divisional round of the playoffs and face one of the divisional champions. All that was added was basically one more game to each leagues playoff. We will see the first wild card playoff game in less than two weeks from now.
The new system obviously adds something to the final month of the season. More teams will be in the hunt for the post season with the additional wild card. Those teams games will also be more exciting down the stretch when MLB can be boring at times. It will also create a new buzz in the playoffs. However there is a draw back.
The two wild card teams might actually be pretty far apart records wise. The second wild card team will be given an opportunity for the playoffs they may not deserve. As of right now you have two teams at the top of the National League wild card race. The Atlanta Braves and the St. Louis Cardinals. The braves lead the Cardinals by 6 games. If the playoffs were to start today the Cardinals would get a one game playoff opportunity with the Braves they should not have.
This new system seems nice right now but over time it will dilute the MLB post season. One wild card team per league is just enough. If you have too many non playoff worthy teams getting a shot in the playoffs it will spell disaster for MLB. This is just another scheme by Selig to make more money off of the last month of the season and add more money to the post season television deals. MLB should go back to the four team per league system before the post season become watered down. As the old adage goes if it is not broke don’t fix it.
Like this:
Like Loading...
2 comments | tags: 1969, 1994, 1995, 2012, 6, american league, apart, atlanta, bad, braves, bud selig, buzz, cardinals, champion, chase, chmpions, commisioner, controversy, diluted, division, divisions, don't change, game, games, generate, go back, history, hunt, just enough, league champions, loss, MLB, money, money hungry, national league, new, old system, opinion, opportunity, per, players, playoff, playoffs, post season, race, record, season, september, shortened, st louis, strike, sudden death, system, television, too many teams, wild card, win, winner, world series, worthy | posted in MLB, sports
Everyone who is a sports fan wants to appear smarter and more knowledgeable than anyone else. Sports provide so many historical moments and stats. I will bring you closer to the high level of sports learning you seek. I will do all of the hard research so you can become the ultimate sports fan. Each edition will be on one particular sport. You may know some of the events but I will open your eyes to something about them you may not yet know. I bring to you the 1st edition of “Get Smart” So let’s get started.
Joe Dimaggio’s 56 Game Hit Streak
In 1941 Joe Dimaggio had 56 straight games with a hit. This record still stands in 2012 and is widely considered the most elusive of all sports records. The final and 56th game of the streak occurred on July 16th against the Indians at Cleveland’s famed Municipal Stadium. The pitchers in that game were Al Milnar and Joe Krakauskas, Dimaggio went 2 for 4 and scored 3 runs. The great streak came to an end one day later July 17 in a game also against the Indians.
Joe Jackson And The Throwing Of The 1919 World Series
In 1919 one of the worst happenings in the history of Baseball occurred. The heavily favored Chicago White Sox threw the World Series against the Cincinnati Reds. The truth came out two years later that some of the White Sox players were involved with gamblers and payed off to lose. In 1921 eight players from the White Sox were found guilty of intentionally losing the series and banned from baseball for life. The most notable of those player was the sure Hall Of Fame candidate “Shoeless” Joe Jackson. Jackson is considered one of the best short stops to ever have played the game. The puzzling fact of Joe Jackson’s involvement in the throwing of the Series are his stats. The stats Jackson had in that series do not look like that of a man that was intending to lose. Jackson batted .375, had 5 runs scored, hit a home run and batted in 6 runs. Jackson played no different than he usually did at the plate and made no critical fielding errors. It has been said that he was aware that the games where fixed but did not actively participate in the plan. We will truly never know if he was involved but if you judge it by the numbers the answer looks like he was not.
The Beginning Of The MLB Draft
The amateur draft has a history of good picks by teams but it has a even greater history of players not panning out. It is the least popular of the drafts amongst casual sports fans. The die hard baseball fans look forward to it every June. The first ever MLB amateur draft took place in 1965. The first team to pick was the Kansas City Royals, who selected outfielder Rick Monday from Arizona State University. Monday went on to play 19 seasons and retired in 1984 with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Monday had a career batting average of .264, 271 Home Runs and 775 RBI’s. He was also a World Series Champion with the Dodgers in 1981. After his playing career ended he moved on to Broadcasting.
Like this:
Like Loading...
Leave a comment | tags: 1919 world series, 1921, 1965 mlb draft, 1st ever, 1st overall, 56 game hitting streak, al milnar, arizona state university, aware, banned for life, baseball, black sox, cincinnati, cleveland, eight players, first pick, fixed, hall of fame, home run, indians, involved, joe dimaggio, joe jackson, joe krakauskas, kansas city, los angeles dodgers, MLB, most elusive record, municipal stadium, rbis, record, reds, rick monday, royals, scandal, shoeless, short stop, stats, suspension, throwing, time enduring, what did he do, when did it end, when was the first draft, where did it end, yankees | posted in MLB, sports
This season has been very disappointing for the Miami Marlins. They showed that they are essentially giving up on hopes for the playoffs this season by trading some of their top stars. Rebuilding mode has already started when this team was supposed to be ready to contend this year. They have a strong focus on pitching in their trades this week, that is a spot they definitely need help in.
The first trade came on Tuesday when the Marlins sent Omar Infante and Anibal Sanchez to the Detroit Tigers. Infante has had a decent season thus far and had led the team to numerous victories. Sanchez has been with the club for a few years and been a reliable starter at times. Sanchez had a rough start to the season but leveled out towards the summer. The Marlins received top-rated pitching prospect Jacob Turner from the Tigers in the deal.
Hanley Ramirez
(Getty Images)
On Wednesday the Marlins traded away a star they coveted very heavily just a couple of years ago. Going into this season no one suspected that the Marlins would not finish the season with Hanley Ramirez. The rumors started floating around last week that the team was looking at offers for the former N.L. batting champion and multiple time All Star. The Marlins made a deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers to send Ramirez and pitcher Randy Choate to California. The Marlins received pitcher Nathan Eovaldi and a minor leaguer in the deal.
Hanley Ramirez will never be forgotten by the franchise. He was acquired from the Boston Redsox in the 2005 trade that sent Josh Beckett to Boston. The Marlins had coveted and groomed Ramirez as their big star of the future. He had a few season where he played really well and even one a batting title. But the last couple of years has seen Ramirez numbers drop significantly. The Marlins owe a lot of credit to Ramirez for helping them get a new stadium built in Miami for the club. The team signed Ramirez to a 6 year deal a few years ago to show the city of Miami tax payers that they were committed to building a contender. A lot has changed in the last few years and Ramirez is no longer a Miami Marlin.
The Marlins have got to start building a team built for the future. The team has been out of contention for too long. A lot of the blame falls on pitching but really its everything. The Marlins franchise should have been contenders this year but have shown themselves not to be a team that can contend. The decision to trade some of their top talent is questionably but at least they are receiving top young pitching talent for the future. The city of Miami will lose their patience with the team really quickly if they don’t get a team on the field that not only looks like contenders but play like contenders.
Like this:
Like Loading...
2 comments | tags: 2005 trade, 2012, anibal sanchez, baseball, batting champion, boston red sox, Detroit Tigers, dismantle, florida marlins, franchise, future, Hanley Ramirez, jacob turner, josh beckett, july 31st, L.A., los angeles dodgers, marlins, marlins park, Miami, MLB, national league, omar infante, playoffs, pro sports, prospect, randy choate, rebuilding, reliever, short stop, south florida, third baseman, trade, trade deadline, trade off, who did they get, why did they trade | posted in MLB
The Pirates have been changing the perception of their team this year. After years of dwelling in the cellar of the National Leagues Central Division they seem to have turned things around. The team currently holds a record of 51 wins and 40 loses and are tied for first in the division with the Cincinnati Reds. Both teams hold a 5 game advantage over the defending World Series Champion St. Louis Cardinals. Superb pitching has a lot to do with their success but beyond the pitching is the incredible play of Andrew McCutchen.
The Pirates Andrew McCutchen is having an MVP caliber season heading into August.
(Getty Images)
McCutchen is having a great year and has shown himself to be the team leader. He has the best batting average in both leagues batting .369 after 87 games played. He also has 22 home runs, 65 RBI’s, 65 runs and 14 stolen bases. Producing many walk off game winners and with the lowly Pirates not looking so low combined with his stats shows that he is in the running and possibly the lead to win the National League MVP trophy this year.
McCutchen was drafted by the Pirate in the 1st round of the 2005 draft with the 11th overall pick. He is in prime position to turn this franchise around for good and be recognized as one of the best baseball players around. He has added excitement to a team that had nothing to get excited about since Barry Bonds left after the 1992 season. He has had a few good seasons already but none as dominant as he has been this season. The fact that the Pirates are in 1st place in late July is amazing in its own right. The city of Pittsburgh could be transferred from a football city into to a baseball city in just a matter of a couple more years.
The Pirates have a lot to prove still. Can they make the playoffs for the first time since the early 90′s? Can they advance in the playoffs? Can they continue to be a good team year in and year out? All of those questions ride on the play of McCutchen. If McCutchen continues this run he will be the N.L. batting champion and should be the N.L. MVP. Recognition of that level would be incredible for the Pirates franchise. So if you have not been following this player or this team its time to open your eyes and believe what you are seeing, its true the Pirates are for real and they have one of baseballs best rising stars.
Like this:
Like Loading...
Leave a comment | tags: 1st round, 2012 season, american league, andrew mccutchen, barry bonds, baseball, batting champion, cardinals, central division. 2005 draft, Florida, fort meade, home runs, july, loosers, major leagues, MLB, mvp, n.l., national league, pirates, pittsburgh, playoffs, rbis, record, reds, runs, schedule, stolen bases, super star, walk off win, will he win mvp, wins, world series | posted in MLB
The Florida Marlins have been one of the most unusual franchises in the history of baseball. They have only been in existence for 19 years and have had really highs and dramatic lows. They have captured 2 World Series Championships, the first in 1997 and 2003. They have also had some of the worst teams in recent memory. Their 1998 squad was the first team to lose over 100 games after winning the World Series. The Marlins have been up and down since their last title. I have decided to use the technology available today with sports simulators like Whatifsports.com to find out what Marlins team was the greatest. Before that I will give you an idea what we have here in each team, so let’s take a look.
The 1997 Florida Marlins (92-70 record, entered the N.L. Playoffs by way of the Wild Card)
The 1997 Florida Marlins
(Getty Images)
The Marlins entered their 5th season with high hopes. The field was full of great players of that time. Bobby Bonilla came in as the big free agent acquisition from the previous off season. The squad also had the hard hitting Gary Sheffield, “Mr. Marlin” Jeff Conine and the best fielding catchers of that season in Charles Johnson to name a few. This Marlins team was assembled by then owner Wayne Huizenga to turn the tax payers of Miami onto the idea of funding a baseball only stadium. That did not happen but the team did accomplish the unbelievable. The Marlins swept the San Fansisco Giants in the N.L. Divisional round and headed into the N.L.C.S. versus a very dominant Atlanta Braves team. The Marlins won that series in 6 games. The most memorable game of that series was when the rookie Cuban defector Livan Hernandez throw for 15 strike outs in game 5 and defeated one of the best pitchers of the day in Greg Maddux with a 2-1 victory. The Marlins charged into the World Series against the Cleveland Indians. The Marlins won the first game which was played in Miami in the state of Florida’s 1st World Series Game. The teams kept switching off wins the entire World Series. In game 7 of the 1997 World Series the Marlins came out on top when Edgar Renteria batted in the winning run in the bottom of the 11th, which was the mid season acquisition of Craig Counsell. This team was a great on e and will go down as the state of Florida’s 1st World Series Champions.
The 2003 Florida Marlins (91-71 record, entered the N.L. Playoffs by way of the Wild Card)
The 2003 Florida Marlins
(Getty Images)
This Marlins squad was built a lot in part to the 1998 fire sale. One of the players received during the sale would end up being the 1st baseman from the 2003 championship team Derek Lee. Many of the draft picks acquired during that time drafted many of the players on this championship team. When the season started the team did not have very high expectations but was expected to fair better than they did in the first two months of the season. The Marlins had a record of 16-22 when manager Jeff Torborg was fired and replaced by 72 year old Jack McKeon in May. The season was about to turn around in large part to mid season call ups Dontrelle Willis and Miguel Cabrera. The team which also acquired veteran Jeff Conine back during the middle of the season made it into the playoffs through a wild card bid. Like the team did in 1997 this team beat the Giants in the Divisional Playoff Series to advance to the N.L.C.S. to face the Chicago Cubs. The Marlins won the N.L.C.S. against the Cubs in 7 games. The team was almost eliminated in game 6 but had a miracle in the late innings of the game and were able to stay alive until game 7. The World Series had the Marlins in the usual spot as the underdog against the New York Yankees. The Marlins rode the incredible pitching of Josh Beckett to beat the Yanks in 6 games. This team shocked the world more than the 1997 team. This squad was also younger and more inexperienced than the 1997 squad but proved themselves to be just a great.
The Simulation via Whatifsports.com – 1997 Marlins VS 2003 Marlins
I decided to go with a one game championship to determine which World Series team was the best. The 2003 squad got the 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning. The 1997 team came up with 1 run in the bottom of the first to trail by only 1 run. The next and only additional runs of the game came in the 5th inning when the 1997 team put 2 runs on the board which would seal the victory. The 1997 team had 10 huts while the 2003 team had just 7 hits total. Kevin Brown won the game with 8 innings pitched and Rob Nen got the save. Gary Sheffield had a home run and 2 RBI’s in the winning effort. The losing pitcher was Carl Pavano and the 2003 team had runs scored by Juan Pierre and Luis Castillo the only RBI came from Derek Lee. This was a very tight game and had some good pitching from both teams. The offense of both teams was toned down a bit by both Kevin Brown and Carl Pavano.
Champions: 1997 Florida Marlins
The Ultimate Marlins team the 1997 Florida Marlins
(Getty Images)
My thoughts
This was a dream match up that all Marlins fans would love to see but unfortunately we have only simulation. I feel that if we could see these two great teams face off this is the likely outcome. The 1997 team was more experienced and would have handled the game much better than the 2003 team. The offensive power was greater and the bats were better on the 1997 team. Both teams were great but on this night the 1997 Florida Marlins proved themselves to be the ultimate champions.
Like this:
Like Loading...
2 comments | tags: 1993, 1997, 2003, all time, baseball, championship, cleveland indians, dream game, fantasy, florida marlins, franchise, GREG MADDUX, hero, history, JEFF CONINE, LIVAN HERNANDEZ, matchup, Miami, Miami marlins, MLB, MR. MARLIN, mvp, N.L..C.S., national league, new york, pro player stadium, rookie, sports simulator, title, who was the better team, world series, yankees | posted in Dream Matchup, MLB
The rookie phenom that is 19 year old Bryce Harper will continue his whirl wind season by going to the All Star Game. Harper was not originally slated to attend the game which takes place this week in Kansas City. Harper will be taking the spot of injured Marlins star Giancarlo Stanton. Harper will be the 3rd youngest player to play in the MLB All Star Game. While Harper will be playing off of the bench the eyes of all of the fans will be on him for sure.
Harper has had a solid start to his MLB career since his debut in April. He is an excellent outfielder fielder with a rocket arm. His offensive play has been very good for his experience level. Harper has a batting average of .283, hit 8 home runs and had 25 RBI’s and scored 43 runs in just 62 games for the 1st place Washington Nationals.
Harper going deep at Fenway Park earlier this season.
(Getty Images)
Harper came in with a lot of hype and has been living up to it. He has displayed a maturity on and off the field, the later many thought he would be able to do. He has shown a lot of personality and has a charisma that a lot of players don’t have. He has created great moments already in his young career, like when he hit a home run in the historic Fenway Park during his first game on that field. He is in the right spot now to really display his skills in front of a national audience. Harper is a strong contender for Rookie of the Year in the National League.
Harper will probably get at least 1 at bat and play 2 innings or so. Many players have created unforgettable moments in All Star Games. I have a feeling Bryce Harper will have a chance to make one of those moments. When he gets he will more than likely take advantage of it. If Harper continues to play the way he has been and develop into the player that he has been billed to be than this is just the beginning.
Like this:
Like Loading...
Leave a comment | tags: 19 years old, 1st all star game, 1st place, 2012, all star game, american league, at bats, baseball, baseball tonight, bench, bryce harper, cardinals, fenway, field, fox, future star, giancarlo stanton, history, home run, innings, july 12th, kansas city, kaufman stadium, live online, Miami marlins, MLB, moment, national league, outfielder, red sox, rookie, si, start, tv schedule, unforgetable, washington nationals, watch live, what channel | posted in MLB
The 2012 All Star Game will be held in Kansas City at Kaufman Stadium on July 10th. The votes are in and we now know who will make up the MLB All Star Game starting line ups. Many fans and media disagree with some of the results.
As usual there were some that got snubbed. Players like the New York Mets David Wright for example will not be starting at Third Base for the National League team. Wright has a batting average of .354 with 9 Home Runs and 50 RBI’s. Wright lost the chance to be a starter in the fan voting to the San Fransisco Giants Pablo Sandoval. Sandoval is batting .300 with 6 Home Runs and 25 RBI’s. Wright not only has better numbers but is better a fielder. This is not the first year there has been controversy over starters.
This years All Star Game will have many of baseballs best players starting the game from the bench, all because of fan voting.
(Getty Images)
The debate has rage on for many years whether the fans should be allowed to dictate the starters. The All Star Game is really just a popularity contest. Many of the teams in bigger markets get more players voted in. More importantly many of the teams get their players named as starters.
The All Star Game was created as an exhibition of the best players from the first half of the season. The one problem is that it is no longer just exhibition game now. The winning team whether it be the National League or the American League gets home field advantage in the World Series. Who knows how many World Series Champions were crowned based on their league winning the game played in all the way back in July. All Star teams that were not comprised of the best in each league.
Something needs to change and boy does baseball commissioner Bud Selig have a lot of things on his list to fix. When it comes to the All Star Game the fan voting needs to be taken away if baseball wants the winner to have such an advantage in the World Series. The All Star squads should be picked by the players and managers only. There is way too much riding on the game for it to be up to fans that only vote for their favorites rather than the players who really have dominated the first half of the season.
Let’s think about the example of David Wright that I brought up previously. David Wright has put up incredible season numbers and will most likely win the MVP trophy at the end of the year. It is not right that a player that has been playing the way Wright has would not start the All Star Game.
If the All Star Game is going to be considered an exhibition it should not have important ramifications like it has now. I am all for making it fun but if its going to be it needs to be just a game in July with baseballs best player and only that. So Bud Selig a decision should be made. Either you have a fan vote or a game that could dictate the next World Series Champion not both.
Like this:
Like Loading...
Leave a comment | tags: 2012, all star game, baseball, bench, boys of summer, champion, david wright, exhibition, fan voting, fans should not vote, johnny cueto, kansas city, kaufman stadium, managers vote, MLB, mvp, new york mets, omline sports, pablo sandoval, pitchers, players snubbed, players vote, reds, royals, san fransisco giants, should the fans vote, starters, tv, tv schedule, watch the all star game, what channel is the game on, when is the all star game, world series home field advantage | posted in MLB
