by Dan Salem and Todd Salem (7-5-13)
[Part one - Yes, please stuff my Ballot box]
TODD:
I talked AL predictions already, but as for the National League let's go through position by position again to find where the mistakes will lie. First Base will be fine. It will either go to Arizona's Paul Goldschmidt or Cincinnati's Joey Votto. No one else is close and no one else will come close.
Second Base gets a little interesting since a few guys have had good years. Daniel Murphy, Matt Carpenter and Brandon Phillips have all been solid if unspectacular and there's no big name here having a good enough year to steal the spot from one of these guys. We should be okay.
Shortstop is interesting for a different reason. Three guys are having monster seasons but I will hate who ends up starting; mark it down. Troy Tulowitzki will most likely win the vote but he is currently injured. The other two deserving candidates (Everth Cabrera and Jean Segura) are no-names in small markets. They will get beat out by someone like Andrelton Simmons. Simmons plays for the Braves and has been pretty good and is a good defensive shortstop. He may end up getting the nod just by playing in Atlanta.
Third Base is safe. Everyone stinks except David Wright. David Wright plays for a team who calls Citi Field their home. The All-Star game is being played at Citi Field. Third base is safe.
Catcher should also be safe assuming MVP candidate Yadier Molina doesn't get passed over for Buster Posey. This seems possible but improbable.
NL Outfield will play host to my final indiscretion. There are a number of deserving candidates but the clear top three are Carlos Beltran, Carlos Gomez and Carlos Gonzalez. My worry is that as many as all three may not win the vote. There are a couple of much bigger names who may usurp the starting spot. They come in the form of Ryan Braun (hasn't been that good and is now hurt), Yasiel Puig (came up too late to accumulate enough stats), Dominic Brown (Phillies' savior has home runs and nothing else), Bryce Harper (hasn't played enough to warrant a top three spot), Justin Upton (has really been awful after a scalding start). If one, two or three of these men start in the All-Star game, it will be ridiculous. Really if anyone who has a first name other than Carlos is starting in the NL outfield, I am going to be pissed.
So that's where I stand. Luckily, there are very few places for voters to make mistakes this season. They will still find a way to mess up the final AL outfield slot, NL shortstop and perhaps all of the NL outfield slots.
For America's pastime, Americans sure do make a ton of wrong decisions when it comes to the All-Star game.
DAN:
Three mistakes out of seventeen positions is NOT an atrocity. If I was successful 80% of the time at everything then I'd already be a millionaire with a hefty yacht and some servants. I've got three of my own predictions that I'll hate come Saturday's lineup reveal, but your's require some serious argument.
You asked earlier if I would vote a Yankee over anyone and I said no, only if all stats were equal. Well I lied. I DO NOT want to see Alex Rios take the field over Brett Gardner. Gardner is a beast, like the flash on the base paths and in the outfield. I've been to one Yankees game this season and he had two web gems in that game alone, plus he's been putting up clutch hits night after night for a team sorely lacking in offense. I don't care if Rios' stats are better, Gardner gets my vote! Unfortunately, Gardner has dropped out of the top 15 vote getters for AL outfield. Torii Hunter in fifth? Really America!
I can understand, as a numbers purest, how the AL outfield will cause you displeasure, but NL shortstop and NL outfield? The National League shortstop position is lacking cache, to put it kindly. I get it, you want to see a lesser known get voted in since they've got the stats to warrant it. But if America doesn't know them, they aren't getting the vote! And if America doesn't know them, are they really deserving yet? I hope Everth Cabrera gets the spot, but it won't bother me either way. As for NL outfield, although it would be comical for all three men to be named Carlos, they don't all deserve it! I don't care if Bryce Harper has been injured, he can be on the team for what he did the second half of last year. And Yasiel Puig, he better make it. There is no one, I repeat NO ONE, who was been more exciting and dominant in the last month than Puig. I get it, he needs to earn his stripes, but hasn't his absolute domination of big league pitching proven he's worthy? Puig is in! One of the Carlos' is out. Now let me jump into my hate filled predictions before I really get on a tangent.
Three things I'll HATE about the All-Star lineups:
1 - Andrew McCutchen will not be starting in the NL outfield.
This is an atrocity! One of the best players on the best team in baseball is not starting the All-Star game. A bigger atrocity, the Pirates will end up with zero starters for the National League. How can Justin Upton beat out McCutchen and Harper? Upton is on my fantasy team. He had one great month, but that was April. Lately I wish I had a replacement for him. If Upton gets in for his April then Puig should be a lock for his June. Come on!
2 - I hate how nearly EVERY starting player is on the All-Star ballot.
I'm a Yankees fan, but MLB has put Mark Teixeira, Derek Jeter and Kevin Youkilis on the ballot. (Leaving off Alex Rodriguez mind you) That's just dumb! We are allowed to write in our own candidates, so why list so many players at a position? Americans do in fact follow the sport of baseball, so we know who we want to write in, if necessary.
3 - If Pujols gets the starting AL first base slot I'll be pissed (thankfully he's behind in the voting). His season so far has been average. I personally think he's injured, but I'm no fan of past success being voted in as a starter over current success. Pujols can be on the bench. Please.
TODD:
Well that was certainly misguided criticism. You asked for three mistakes and I gave you three mistakes that are SURE to happen. Furthermore, your math is all wrong! The fans are definitely not going 14 for 17 here.
A number of All-Star positions are no-brainers that even America cannot mess up. AL first and third base are great examples. The fans should not get credit for voting Miguel Cabrera as the starting third baseman. That's ludicrous.
Let's be generous and throw in all the starting spots where no player clearly deserves the vote, we're left with only 11 chances for the vote to go wrong. The fans will screw up three of these and messing up on those drops our grade to a C or C-. And that's being generous! I even gave the fans NL first base, where Goldschmidt or Votto WILL be starting. Suddenly, things aren't looking so good, am I right?
As for the men themselves, this NL outfield is going to be a disaster...especially if YOU vote the allowable 25 times. Yasiel Puig, really? He only has 114 more Major League at-bats than I do and I am not much of a prospect at this point.
Do you realize how good someone, ANYONE, can look in 114 at-bats? It's barely a sixth of the season; it's one month. It's going against San Diego and Philadelphia for 40% of those at-bats, which Puig has done. Poor Carlos Gomez. The guy is absolutely raking and he's not going to make the top three. Not because of Puig though and I am definitely with you on Justin Upton. He has been as bad this past month as Puig has been good. They're looking at each other from opposite ends of the spectrum at this point. Rewarding Upton with the All-star start would be a joke.
And by the way, don't worry about Pujols. He won't even make the roster, let alone start.
DAN:
Carlos Gomez is clinging to the twelve spot, but there's always a chance the NL manager will add him to the All-star roster. And unfortunately Justin Upton is holding strong to the three spot, just ahead of Bryce Harper and Matt Holliday. He's been playing so poorly I wouldn't be surprised if he lands on the DL this week, so there's hope for the third Carlos yet!
One last thought on Puig, sure he's only had 114 at-bats, but there is no player I'd rather watch in the All-star game. Hopefully he isn't injured after running into the wall this week, but you want excitement? Get Puig on the NL roster and Brett Gardner on the AL roster and let the speedsters steal America's attention for a night. I want fireworks baby!
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