All-Star voting/rosters [Reply #43: Braun 4th in OF votes and the only Brewers' all-star]

[ninja33]

Although with Greinke it's hard to get THAT upset. Johnny Cueto and James McDonald are also pretty big snubs. All 3 have been better than Lynn and probably Hamels (hard to leave him off though). And Huston Street and Hanrahan, but I guess like 6 closers is the norm. oh well.

[dlk9s]

I would assume with how close the vote more than likely was, that the summer steroid scandal was the deciding factor against Braun this year.

Looks like it wasn't close between Braun and Cabrera. They just showed the rosters on MLB Network. Here are the starting outfield numbers:

 

Cabrera: 7,521,784

Beltran: 6,469,408

Kemp: 5,462,757

 

It's smells a bit 1988 Oakland A's-y to me. As of Tuesday, Braun had 3,168,617 votes while Cabrera had 3,045,884. So in just a few days, Cabrera got 4.5 million votes, at least 2.3 million more than Braun? Please.

[dlk9s]

Also, Chipper Jones is on the final ballot. I'm a fan, but come on.

[pitchleague]

this just gives Jim Caple more ammo to prove that Giants fans really ARE better than Brewers fans, because they voted for their players in a vote that actually means something, rather than a "meaningless" best-stadium vote.

[LouisEly]

Can't believe I'm saying this, but I think I might hate the Giants as much if not more than the Cubs.

 

The Cubs are kind of like the Bears - they've sucked for so long that I'm almost starting to feel sorry for them.

 

Almost.

[packfan79]

Somehow Sandoval overcame a 400,000 vote deficit as well, some semi valley tech geek probably created a program to vote non-stop.

[Funketown]

Next season, can brewerfan.net please "Rory Fitzpatrick" somebody?

 

"During the 2006–07 NHL season, while playing for the Vancouver Canucks, despite having zero points in 18 games, Fitzpatrick finished third in All-Star Game voting for defensemen in the Western Conference with 550,177 votes, falling 23,000 votes shy of second place Nicklas Lidström, winner of 4 Norris Trophies and 3 Stanley Cups.[3]

The idea was to use the new NHL procedure, where people were encouraged to vote as often as they liked, to have an unlikely candidate chosen. Contributors to this goal sent the idea across the Internet in the hopes of having Fitzpatrick voted in as one of the two starting defensemen for the Western Conference.[4] They also created several videos on Youtube as a way to spread news. A website, www.voteforrory.com, was created as well.[5] Rory peaked in balloting at the number 2 position, before eventually being bumped from participation in the game to third place.

The plot was originally conceived as a humorous campaign designed to show the flaws in the NHL voting system. The logic was that if enough people voted for an unlikely player to start the game, the league would change its system. After some time, the plan metamorphosed for many into a more symbolic gesture."

 

 

We can get Yuniesky Betancourt into the game. With legions of Brewers fans, Royals fans, and the SABRmetric horde, it can be done.

[SoCal Brew Crew Fan]

Can't get too bitter...remember when it was us staying up all night punching our guys in?

[logan82]

I would rather vote in a crappy player from the Cards who has a clause for a raise with an ASG appearance.

[Funketown]

I would rather vote in a crappy player from the Cards who has a clause for a raise with an ASG appearance.

 

That's brilliant. A 50,000 bonus is pretty common. If we get it together we could cost that ballclub half a mil.

[joepepsi]

The All Star game is stupid and no one really cares. Bud Selig can try all he wants to add relevance, but in the end, it's just 3 days in the summer without good baseball.

[dlk9s]

Actually, it is typically the one All-Star game that lots of people DO care about.

[Patrick425]

Can't believe I'm saying this, but I think I might hate the Giants as much if not more than the Cubs.

 

The Cubs are kind of like the Bears - they've sucked for so long that I'm almost starting to feel sorry for them.

 

Almost.

 

Not sure you can quite put the Bears on the same level as the Cubs. I believe the Bears were in the Super Bowl about 6 years ago and they actually won a Super Bowl within the last 30 years.

 

The All Star game is stupid and no one really cares. Bud Selig can try all he wants to add relevance, but in the end, it's just 3 days in the summer without good baseball.

 

Actually, it is typically the one All-Star game that lots of people DO care about.

 

Exactly. Why do people get so upset about the All Star Game?? It's an exhibition game where fans get to see the big names in baseball play. Why is that such a bad thing? Relax and enjoy!

[pacopete4]

My only gripe is that if you are going to make the game mean something (home field advantage for AL or NL), then the best players THAT SEASON should be starting for that league. Same goes for the bench players. It should be a panel of guys whether it is managers of teams or whatever that looks at stats and decides it. If you want a fan vote, fine. Then let the fans vote in the last remaining player for the teams as they do now. Fan votes are so stupid. So, so stupid.

[trwi7]

My problem with the all-star game is if you're going to have the game decide something like home field advantage in the World Series, then don't have the fans vote for the starters.

[PrinceEatMeat]

Exactly, if the game is going to mean something than the fans are the last people who should be deciding the starting lineup. Maybe they can help select who makes the team, but the manager should pick the starters.

[Invader3K]

Exactly, if the game is going to mean something than the fans are the last people who should be deciding the starting lineup. Maybe they can help select who makes the team, but the manager should pick the starters.

 

I like this idea a lot. Fans can still try to get their guys on the team, but the manager gets to decide who starts. That makes a lot of sense.

[SoCal Brew Crew Fan]

http://espn.go.com/mlb/allstar12/story/_/id/8123276/tony-la-russa-all-stars-draw-ire-milwaukee-brewers-cincinnati-reds

 

Interesting part of the story that the Brewers moved up Greinke's next start given the off day to give him a shot at pitching at the All Star game. It says LaRussa was unaware...not sure I buy that, but seems this could set him up to be added.

 

Cueto & Dusty also have some great quotes against LaRussa. Something along the lines of Cueto stating LaRussa was mad because he went out with one of his girlfriends. I can't make that stuff up.

[endaround]

Don't blame the fans for this. Pitchers are chosen by players and managers. In general players are the ones who do a terrible job of voting.

[slappzilla]

LaRussa was plenty aware that Greinke could have pitched.

 

Remember last year during the NLCS when Greinke did that interview, saying he and the Brewers didn't like the Cardinals, and also said something along the lines of how "no one likes the cardinals" and what not. I think that's why LaRussa snubbed him. I don't doubt LaRussa purposely snubbed Cueto either.

 

Greinke is 2nd in the league in WAR, 2nd in FIP (was 1st before last night), and 2nd in the league in xFIP (was also 1st before last night). That's a hard snub.

 

The fan voting is always garbage. I remember when Barry Bonds was named starter of the AS team even though he spent the entire 1st half of the season on the DL. Same with when Cal Ripken would start ever year, even though some years he was batting like .220 or 2.30. Can't take the fan voting away because then fans lose interest if their fan favorites aren't there and MLB does not want that. Just something we all have to deal with.

[razzzorsharp]

Was Braun asked to be part of the HR derby?

[slappzilla]

Kemp snubbed him.

 

There's a thread about it.

[Raw Biz]

Kemp snubbed him.

 

There's a thread about it.

 

Yes that you started and its really a non-issue. In fact, I think most fans (or rather informed fans who understand that the HR derby probably does more harm than good) would rather have Braun not participate. The only good thing that could come out of it is Braun wins, which is nothing more than PR. The bad things could be he gets hurt/reinjures his achilles, he doesn't get an extra days rest, he screws his swing up from trying to hit a HR every AB, etc. It's really not a big deal and like others said in that thread you started, who's to say that Braun told Kemp he didn't want to. Just because that wasn't made public knowledge doesn't mean it didn't happen.

 

By the way, what's the deal with the avatar?

[Mr QL]

Whatever. I'd rather Braun stayed home all together then participate in some dog and pony show for the media and fans that put him thru so much this offseason. The All-Star game is a joke and should count for nothing.

[slappzilla]

Kemp snubbed him.

 

There's a thread about it.

 

Yes that you started and its really a non-issue. In fact, I think most fans (or rather informed fans who understand that the HR derby probably does more harm than good) would rather have Braun not participate. The only good thing that could come out of it is Braun wins, which is nothing more than PR. The bad things could be he gets hurt/reinjures his achilles, he doesn't get an extra days rest, he screws his swing up from trying to hit a HR every AB, etc. It's really not a big deal and like others said in that thread you started, who's to say that Braun told Kemp he didn't want to. Just because that wasn't made public knowledge doesn't mean it didn't happen.

 

By the way, what's the deal with the avatar?

 

 

The average fan outweighs the informed fan 10 to 1. I agree there maybe more 'informed' fans that don't want Braun in the derby or AS game or both, but to say most fans would not want him in the derby or AS game or both couldn't be farther from the truth.

 

and, like I said in that thread, even the informed fan would enjoy watching Braun win the HR derby.

 

You are seriously reaching when you say Braun participating in the HR derby could be bad because he could hurt/reinjure his achilles, or he won't get an extra days rest, or he could screw his swing up from trying to hit a HR every AB, etc. He could do all that x10 just playing in this afternoons game (sans the rest of course). If he really needs the rest as you pointed out, RR will rest him out of the lineup before an off day.

 

Seriously, if you think Braun, or anyone for that fact, participating in a HR derby is cancerous towards their health or performance going forward, you are nit-picking at best.

 

The avatar is just an avatar of some chick. I've used that avatar for a decade in fantasy sports.