All Star Reveal

[Mario-Rijo]

Tomorrow (Sunday) at 1 EST on TBS.

Who is the team in your opinion that should be starting, both AL and NL with starting pitchers? Also who did you actually vote for and did you vote multiple times?

I voted multiple times online and once at the park.

Most Deserving/Voted for

AL
C - Victor Martinez
1B - Justin Morneau
2B - Aaron Hill
SS - Jason Bartlett/Derek Jeter
3B - Evan Longoria
OF - Jason Bay
OF - Torii Hunter
OF - Carl Crawford

Easiest Choice(s): Jason Bay, Morneau, Longoria, Carl Crawford and Aaron Hill
Toughest Choice(s): Torii over many other OF's mainly Ichiro, Victor over Mauer, Jeter over Bartlett

NL
C - Yadier Molina
1B - Albert Pujols/Joey Votto
2B - Chase Utley/Brandon Phillips
SS - Hanley Ramirez
3B - David Wright/Mark Reynolds - Ryan Zimmerman
OF - Ryan Braun
OF - Carlos Beltran/Andre Ethier
OF - Raul Ibanez/Justin Upton

Easiest Choice(s): Molina (even though I did vote for McCann a few times as well), Hanley and Braun

Toughest Choice(s): Wright/Reynolds/Zimmerman but I decided to split my votes largely between Reynolds and Zimmerman. Ethier over a host of players but wanted someone who could actually play a little CF and I like Ethier and feel he has been Votto-Esque for the Dodgers in the sense he got it done when they needed it.

Basically I voted for the most deserving team on both sides once and then went to town on a combination of who I felt was deserving/wanted to see/and balance by position and team. Basically if all else was fairly even I'd vote for a player on a team that may not have yet been represented. And then I tossed in my Reds slant a bit with Votto/Phillips and even a couple of votes for Bruce and Hanigan. Unanimous selections for me were Braun, Hanley, Bay, Crawford and Morneau.

My pitchers are:

AL - Zach Grienke 10-3 in 16 starts, 1.95 ERA, 5 CG's, 2 SHO's and 114/18 K/BB in 115.1 IP with 100 hits against and 3 HR

NL - Tim Lincecum 8-2 in 16 starts, 2.37 ERA, 3 CG's, 2 SHO's and 132/28 K/BB in 114 IP with only 94 hits against & 4 HR

[westofyou]

I never vote, I never watch it, to me it's a break from watching real games which I tend to do every day of the season, personally I view it as an exhibition game for the kids, casual fans and the press.

[Red in Chicago]

I never vote, I never watch it, to me it's a break from watching real games which I tend to do every day of the season, personally I view it as an exhibition game for the kids, casual fans and the press.

I never vote either. I really couldn't care less about the game. If it were up to me, no Reds would ever make the team, just so they couldn't get hurt while playing.

[smith288]

I never vote, I never watch it, to me it's a break from watching real games which I tend to do every day of the season, personally I view it as an exhibition game for the kids, casual fans and the press.

Well lah-dee-dah.

I love the all star game.

[westofyou]

Well lah-dee-dah.

I love the all star game.

That's cool, different strokes Willis, different strokes.

[nate]

I haven't voted since 1978.

The whole "now it counts" thing is a bad idea.

[sonny]

I haven't voted since 1978.

The whole "now it counts" thing is a bad idea.

Yeah, if it really counts, and is as important as we are led to believe, why does each team need a representitive? Would it not make more sense to take the best players no matter what team they played for?

[reds44]

Tomorrow (Sunday) at 1 EST on TBS.

Tomorrow is Saturday

[TheNext44]

I never vote, I never watch it, to me it's a break from watching real games which I tend to do every day of the season, personally I view it as an exhibition game for the kids, casual fans and the press.

I used to care in the 70's and 80's, when it played like a real game, to win. Then most starters would last 4-5 innings, some the whole game. The Starting pitcher would go 3 innings, unless he gave up a bunch of runs. One starting pitcher was held back in case of extra innings and 3-4 players on each team would not get any action at all.
But most importantly, the players took it seriously, and really wanted to win and show that their league was the best.

Now, spring training games are more intense, and all the excitement surrounds the events the days before.

I still do get excited about who goes though.

I like your list Mario-Rijo. My main change would be switch Matt Kemp for Eithier. He's plays center and has 23 SB, with similar other numbers. But as you said, there are a lot players up for that spot who are qualified.

And I hate to say this, but Fielder is having a monster year:

.309 .425 .617

and has played every game. I have to take him over Votto.

[Mario-Rijo]

I never vote, I never watch it, to me it's a break from watching real games which I tend to do every day of the season, personally I view it as an exhibition game for the kids, casual fans and the press.

I like the voting part of it, just getting to vote for who is actually deserving. The festivities and what not I enjoy, the game I still like just not as much as I once did.

[Mario-Rijo]

I used to care in the 70's and 80's, when it played like a real game, to win. Then most starters would last 4-5 innings, some the whole game. The Starting pitcher would go 3 innings, unless he gave up a bunch of runs. One starting pitcher was held back in case of extra innings and 3-4 players on each team would not get any action at all.
But most importantly, the players took it seriously, and really wanted to win and show that their league was the best.

Now, spring training games are more intense, and all the excitement surrounds the events the days before.

I still do get excited about who goes though.

I like your list Mario-Rijo. My main change would be switch Matt Kemp for Eithier. He's plays center and has 23 SB, with similar other numbers. But as you said, there are a lot players up for that spot who are qualified.

And I hate to say this, but Fielder is having a monster year:

.309 .425 .617

and has played every game. I have to take him over Votto.

Yeah Kemp was one of those I struggled with putting Ethier ahead of but ultimately I felt like Ethier has been the Dodgers leader without Manny. He's had a few game winning RBI this year and I am bias I like him.

[westofyou]

I like the voting part of it, just getting to vote for who is actually deserving. The festivities and what not I enjoy, the game I still like just not as much as I once did.

I watched every AS game from 1970-1994 or so, somewhere along the way it got sloppy, the players didn't seem to care as much and my exposure to them was wider than in the media poor 70's and early 80's.. especially since I lived in a town that had a team in each league.

I get why folks love it, and I don't think they need to not love it because I don't (I feel the same way about chocolate frosting too) but after they called that one game a tie I felt that I really wasn't missing anything that enriched ME. And that is a completely selfish and narcissistic take on it.. I'm willing to admit that.

[Mario-Rijo]

My 1st AS memory was Fred Lynn's Grand Slam, what a memory to have huh. Was that off of Atlee Hammaker? I just seem to remember them saying at the time it was the 1st ever GS in the AS game and so it stuck with me. I think it's also the last.

[HeatherC1212]

I usually vote for the starters but I actually didn't vote at all except at one Reds game earlier this season. I didn't have as much time to sit and vote at the computer so I just said "meh" and went on my merry way. : It always seems to end up being the same people starting the game so I'm never really interested in things until the starters are out. I like seeing who the other players and managers picked for the teams and IMO, Joey Votto and Johnny Cueto both have decent shots of getting voted in by their fellow players and/or the managers. Joey has such a huge disadvantage with there being so many monster 1B's in the NL right now but he really has been the star of this team and Cueto has been too. I'd love to see both of them picked but I have a feeling it will only be Cueto.

[Tony Cloninger]

The game has become a self serving love fest.

That scene where Tori Hunter is lifted up by Bonds after he robbed him of a HR was really... annoying to me. Picture Johnny Bench doing that to Yaz after he robbed JB of a homer in the old Washington stadium? That looked like a joke to me.

Why do the pitchers bat? If it's an AS Game then the pitcher is not there for his hitting...so they both should have the DH going.