Corey Knebel an All Star

[Thurston Fluff]

Aaron Judge for the Yankees is a rookie having a fantastic first half. Corey Dickerson for Tampa is having a great first half. They are both All Stars. I don't care what Travis did the second half of last season. He is having a fantastic year for the Crew this year and deserves to be an All Star this year.

 

Justin Turner should also be an All Star. Bryant's numbers this year aren't as good.

 

All Stars should be having great years up to the game. Not resting on laurels from the past.

 

Why should only the first half a season count? Why a sport that constantly measures itself over a long period of time and is constantly aware of small sample sizes should pick it's best players based on half a season is beyond me. Wha about slow starters who get better in the second half? Or the reverse? In 1989 Robin Yount won league MVP but wasn't an all star. Let that sink in for a second. The league MVP wasn't an all star the year he was MVP. To top it off he finished 11th the previous season in MVP votes and 18th the season before that. He was not an all star in any of those seasons. Three seasons of top 20 MVP votes and one MVP and no all star appearances during that time. How does that make sense? Only if to many people think only how fast you start the season is the only thing that matters. I don't really care if the fans vote someone is for having a great half season or a manager is forced to choose someone from every team. It doesn't change my belief that all stars are not made in half a season. If you really think Shaw deserves it more than Bryant would you be ok with a straight up trade of the two? If you would why? After all, Shaw is better over the past 80ish games. Isn't that all that counts when assessing who is a star?

[CheezWizHed]

The All-Star selections are performance based, not a selection of the best players in the game.

[bill hAll Star]

It would be surprising if Kris Bryant is not voted in from the final 5.

All final 5 are deserving but I think having the mass of chicago fans behind him & being ROY & MVP the prior 2 seasons will garner much voting for Kris..

 

Mark Reynolds is not deserving.

 

Also, a note to add: DJ LeMahieu is going to push some of the more hilarious players in the history of sports that lucked into incredible riches. Guy should be fighting for a spot in the majors right now and probably will amass $50-$100 million and 4 or 5 All-Star selections (if he stays in Colorado) in his career depending how stupid teams are when he becomes a free agent.

 

A .750 career OPS for DJ is nothing special and he's only hit double digit homeruns once in his career despite playing at Coors. Outside of a BA that jumped 50 points last year and in turn added 50 points to his OBP I don't even see a smokescreen that makes him look like a really good player.

 

He just made his 2nd ASG (selected OVER Kris Bryant) on name recognition. His OPS outside of Coors is .655, yet somebody is going to pay him big bucks and if it's the Rockies, he may make 4 ASGs.

 

I'm just saying compare this with a comparable player like Tommy La Stella or Sogard who will be forced to fight for every contract they'll ever get again if any.

 

He'll always carry a high batting average because he plays at Coors and therefore will hang around. He's improved probably to an MLB caliber hitter but he'd be a utility fringe roster guy for anyone else.

[Thurston Fluff]

The All-Star selections are performance based, not a selection of the best players in the game.

 

True, but beside the point. I was talking about what sample size we should base their performance on. There is nothing that says at least the last year's worth of performance shouldn't count. It's how we measure everything else in baseball. We don't have a first half MVP. We don't take the first half winners and second half winners. So why should we choose all stars based on one half on one season? It's simply because some people believe how well a player starts the season should be the only determining factor. Obviously plenty of people feel differently or Bryant wouldn't have a shot at it while Shaw doesn't. It's fine to believe only this season should count when you vote but that doesn't mean people who take more into consideration are wrong. There Is at least as much reason to take more into consideration than a player having a hot start to a season than not Personally I think there is more reason to take more into account than not.

[jerichoholicninja]

The All-Star selections are performance based, not a selection of the best players in the game.

 

True, but beside the point. I was talking about what sample size we should base their performance on. There is nothing that says at least the last year's worth of performance shouldn't count. It's how we measure everything else in baseball. We don't have a first half MVP. We don't take the first half winners and second half winners. So why should we choose all stars based on one half on one season? It's simply because some people believe how well a player starts the season should be the only determining factor. Obviously plenty of people feel differently or Bryant wouldn't have a shot at it while Shaw doesn't. It's fine to believe only this season should count when you vote but that doesn't mean people who take more into consideration are wrong. There Is at least as much reason to take more into consideration than a player having a hot start to a season than not Personally I think there is more reason to take more into account than not.

 

So why not just pick the All Stars at the beginning of the year based on the highest WAR the previous 3 years? The All Star game is for players fans like and to reward players that had good first halfs. You're putting way too much thought into what an All Star should be. By your thinking our All Star should be Braun because he's the best player on the team and has been for a few years. But he's been no where near our best player this year and in no way should he be an All Star this year.

[rcc]

The All-Star selections are performance based, not a selection of the best players in the game.

 

True, but beside the point. I was talking about what sample size we should base their performance on. There is nothing that says at least the last year's worth of performance shouldn't count. It's how we measure everything else in baseball. We don't have a first half MVP. We don't take the first half winners and second half winners. So why should we choose all stars based on one half on one season? It's simply because some people believe how well a player starts the season should be the only determining factor. Obviously plenty of people feel differently or Bryant wouldn't have a shot at it while Shaw doesn't. It's fine to believe only this season should count when you vote but that doesn't mean people who take more into consideration are wrong. There Is at least as much reason to take more into consideration than a player having a hot start to a season than not Personally I think there is more reason to take more into account than not.

 

So why not just pick the All Stars at the beginning of the year based on the highest WAR the previous 3 years? The All Star game is for players fans like and to reward players that had good first halfs. You're putting way too much thought into what an All Star should be. By your thinking our All Star should be Braun because he's the best player on the team and has been for a few years. But he's been no where near our best player this year and in no way should he be an All Star this year.

 

 

Agreed. It's not name recognition it's what a player has done this year and is a way to reward that player for doing so well.

[jerichoholicninja]

It's both first half performance and name recognition based. Fans vote for players they want to see and the league wants players with name recognition in the game. Cal Ripken probably shouldn't have been an All Star past 30, yet he made the team every year till he retired. Bryant plays for the Cubs and the league would prefer to have him in the game than some random dude named Travis Shaw from Milwaukee. It is what it is but really, it's a pointless game that very few people care about and gives the sports talking heads something to blather about because there is little other sports news happening this time of year.

[rcc]

Well, I am very happy that some "random dude" like Corey Knebel is going to the All Star game. Now baseball fans will know who Corey is and what he has accomplished this year.

 

I am unhappy that some "random dude" like Travis Shaw isn't.

 

I think the All Star Game is a big deal for the player. It gives him recognition outside his team's fanbase and is probably a lot of fun for him.

 

I think Travis would have been happy to be a part of it all, but he will get to spend more time with his daughter.

[jerichoholicninja]

Well, I am very happy that some "random dude" like Corey Knebel is going to the All Star game. Now baseball fans will know who Corey is and what he has accomplished this year.

 

I am unhappy that some "random dude" like Travis Shaw isn't.

 

I think the All Star Game is a big deal for the player. It gives him recognition outside his team's fanbase and is probably a lot of fun for him.

 

I think Travis would have been happy to be a part of it all, but he will get to spend more time with his daughter.

 

I would guess when you're young and it's you're first or second time it's probably fun. But for someone like Braun who's done it a few times, I'm sure he would rather have the days off to recoup and be with his family.