Where's Harang? ESPN Poll

[FutureRedsGM]

http://proxy.espn.go.com/chat/sportsnation/ballot?event_id=2782

The above link is to an ESPN poll asking for your ideal rotation. Of course, the obvious choices are there (Santana, Halladay, etc), but what struck me as odd was who was not listed. AARON HARANG!!! How can media outlets as "credible" as ESPN include pitchers like Kei Igawa, Derek Lowe, Jeff Suppan and Chris Young in a poll about baseball's best starters while leaving one of the NL's best off the list?

FWIW, Arroyo made the list . . .

[TeamSelig]

I went with

Santana
Clemens
Webb
Oswalt
Zambrano

Hard to pick though. Hmm... actually I would probably go with Halladay over Clemens if considering the future was involved... Maybe Chris Young, or Justin Verlander might be considered... Oh, and there is also Pedro. Forgot about him. Jeez, too tough to decide.

Harang should be on the list though, whats up with that? (wouldn't have picked him though)

[flyer85]

Santana
Peavy
Webb
Oswalt
King Felix

[dabvu2498]

Santana
Oswalt
Halladay
Webb
Clemens

[Puffy]

Santana
Oswalt
Halladay
Webb
Pedro

[FutureRedsGM]

Santana
Halladay
Oswalt (especially if he's pitching against the Reds)
Webb
Verlander

I probably wouldn't have included Harang in my top 5 either, but it's time that he starts getting some credit.

[CRedsLarkin11]

Santana
Halladay
Oswalt
Carpenter
Webb

[Jaycint]

Yeah with some of the names on that list it is ridiculous to not throw Harang out there for consideration. He wouldn't have made my top 5 either but to not put his name on the board for consideration is crazy. I'll bet if Arroyo never would have played in Beantown he wouldn't have been on there either.

For the record I went with:

Santana
Halladay
Oswalt
Carpenter
Peavy

[Gamble]

A modest five..
Santana
Oswalt
Webb
Zambrano
Peavy

[Sean_CaseyRules]

Mine were...

Santana
Verlander
Sabathia
Bonderman
and as a homer...Arroyo

[durl]

If Harang played for a team on either coast, he'd be at the top of their list.

[RedsManRick]

The bigger omission: Ben Sheets.

Yes, he's had some injury issues the last two years. But...

Look at his K/9.
Look at his K/BB.

In my top 5? No, only because of the injuries.

I went:

Johan
Carpenter
Oswalt
Halladay
Webb

Lots of strikeouts Lots of groundballs.

[UC_Ken]

Sheets is a bad omission but leaving out the guy who led the NL in wins and Ks last year is a total slap in the face to the Reds. You lose all credibility when you have a poll like this without Harang. Not saying he'd be in my 5 but he needed to be a choice to make the poll unbiased.

[RedsManRick]

Sheets is a bad omission but leaving out the guy who led the NL in wins and Ks last year is a total slap in the face to the Reds. You lose all credibility when you have a poll like this without Harang. Not saying he'd be in my 5 but he needed to be a choice to make the poll unbiased.

At least Kei Igawa made the list. ESPN is simply a marketing machine with very little actual value in terms of presenting sports in an informative and insightful way. I don't even go there for anything other than some stats and the occasional page 2 article anymore.

[Bigredfan#1]

Oswalt
Halladay
Carpenter
Zambrano
Santana

Age will eventually catch up to him, if you go career he is on it period.
Age may have already caught up with Randy Johnson but ditto Clemens.'

If Pedro is healthy he could not be left off either, might be the most dominate pitcher of all of all of them - at least for a couple of years.

I am not a bif Webb fan and think it was a trravesty that he won the CYoung last year. But that is just my 2 cents worth

[dougdirt]

I just want to know which 13.1% of people didnt choose Johan Santana. They need to be banned from watching baseball for a year.

[blumj]

I just want to know which 13.1% of people didnt choose Johan Santana. They need to be banned from watching baseball for a year.
Anti-Venezuelans? People just trying to be different for the sake of being different, I guess. There's at least one in every crowd, isn't there?

[VI_RedsFan]

Santana
Halladay
Oswalt
Webb
Sabathia

[Hap]

Aaron Harang led the league in victories, strikeouts, and complete games in 2006, but ESPiN did not notice.

[paintmered]

Aaron Harang led the league in victories, strikeouts, and complete games in 2006, but ESPiN did not notice.

First in complete games (6).
First in strikeouts (216).
Third in innings pitched (234.1).
Fifth in wins (16).

[Heath]

I just want to know which 13.1% of people didnt choose Johan Santana. They need to be banned from watching baseball for a year.

I wouldn't have voted for him. He's hurt.

:D

[Hap]

Fifth in wins (16).

Harang led the NL in wins with 16. Five others (Lowe, Zambrano, Smoltz, Penny, Webb) also had 16. There was no fifth place. Five people (Trachsel, Oswalt, Carpenter, Maddux, Glavine) were tied for seventh.

[paintmered]

Harang led the NL in wins with 16. Five others (Lowe, Zambrano, Smoltz, Penny, Webb) also had 16. There was no fifth place. Five people (Trachsel, Oswalt, Carpenter, Maddux, Glavine) were tied for seventh.

So much for depending on ESPN for stats. :laugh:

[noskill27]

I read Tim Kurkjian's column (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/hotstove06/columns/story?columnist=kurkjian_tim&id=2760117)that went with the poll and... :bang:

Chien-Ming Wang is a stud

When did that happen? "Stud" is the last word I would use to describe him...

[Jr's Boy]

Santana
Webb
Oswalt
Zambrano
Jerrod Weaver

[tripleaaaron]

I Went With
Santana
Halladay
Webb
Zambrano
Randy Johnson (Old, but one of my favorites all time)

[tripleaaaron]

I wouldn't have voted for him. He's hurt.

:D

Santana is the most dominant pitcher around right now.
Others I'd like to have, not listed: Harden, Kazmir, Cain, or Sheets (if healthy)
Also suprised Dontrelle didn't make it

[guttle11]

Harang should have at least been an option.

Not top 5 in baseball, though.

Santana
Oswalt
Carpenter
Verlander
Webb

That's who I got.

[Rojo]

I might put Harang in my top five based on durability.