2015 All Star Vote

Airdrop01 · 05-20-2015, 03:55 PM

I think it's too early by month to definitively decide, obviously. But, it you picked the team, who would you pick? I haven't looked yet but will put my 34 up today and adjust as we get closer. This could be a fun thread.

stl jason · 06-09-2015, 03:26 PM

the way it's going now, it might end up being the Royals vs the NL all stars to start the game (only have Altuve and Trout throwing a wrench in that at the moment).

TribeFanInNC · 06-09-2015, 04:13 PM

Yeah, normally I'm not too interested in voting, certainly not more than once or twice. But this Royals silliness actually wants to make me use all my votes to vote actual all-stars to the game.

It is great they are so into baseball now. Cleveland was very much the same in the mid-90s and it was awesome. Unintended consequences I guess.

r0nster · 06-09-2015, 04:31 PM

why not vote for the players that media doesn't like or even the unknowns and that would turn things upside down HEHE

Airdrop01 · 06-09-2015, 08:22 PM

Man, I've been a Royals fan for over 40 years, had season tickets forever and I think it is crazy stupid. Omar freaking Infante is almost in it for Pete's sake. But, on the bright side, it is nice to see so many people under the age of 50 (or for that matter of any age) at baseball games here now.

Airdrop01 · 06-15-2015, 06:01 PM

Well, today at almost age 50 I decided that I'd heard enough national and east coast media belly aching about the All Star Game and decided I'm voting every day, 35x, from here on out. It's not that the Royals all deserve to play in the game. It's that all of a sudden they're acting as if it is somehow a travesty, when it apparently wasn't a travesty when I had to watch Jason Varitek or Mark Loretta or any number of east coast players in the ASG before now.....

It's always been a popularity contest. I remember sitting with paper ballots and my friends at the games when we were kids debating about what circle to poke out with our key...only to see people vote for all Cardinals or whatever next to me.

I have seen all sorts of east coast and west coast popularity selections who didn't deserve it and no one ever complained. Well, I just voted for Omar friggin Infante. 35x. I'll do it every day from now until voting is over.........And who inspired me to do it: Jon Heyman and Bob Nightengale.

Mariner and Giants Fan · 06-15-2015, 07:05 PM

Since I started watching baseball in the 60s I have always believed that the players and managers should chose the all star players, not the fans. Maybe let the fans vote on the backups

actionjackson · 06-17-2015, 09:15 PM

Here's my "location bias free" all-star selections as of right now. I reserve the right to change them before I vote officially should players jump up and demand my vote in the next two weeks before voting closes:

AL:
C: Stephen Vogt, OAK
1B: Miguel Cabrera, DET
2B: Jason Kipnis, CLE
3B: Josh Donaldson, TOR
SS: Xander Bogaerts, BOS
OF: Mike Trout, LAA
OF: Lorenzo Cain, KCR
OF: Yoenis Cespedes, DET
DH: Nelson Cruz, SEA

NL:
C: Buster Posey, SFG
1B: Paul Goldschmidt, ARI
2B: Dee Gordon, MIA
3B: Todd Frazier, CIN
SS: Brandon Crawford, SFG
OF: Bryce Harper, WSN
OF: Giancarlo Stanton, MIA
OF: A.J. Pollock, ARI

As for the whole east coast/west coast/mid-west blah blah blah bias thingy, I could care less. I just vote for the players who in my eyes have been the best so far this season. Others will vote for the players who have been the best in the last calendar year. Others will vote for the best players over the last three years. Others will vote for all the players on their favourite team. Omar Infante has no business being anywhere near Cincinnati on July 14th unless he buys a ticket. I would wager that most Royals fans have been calling for him to be replaced in the starting lineup, seeing as he should be paying the Royals organization for the privelege of suiting up as their starting second baseman so far this season. That's not my northeast bias talking. That's just common sense.

Splitter24 · 06-18-2015, 10:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Airdrop01

...when it apparently wasn't a travesty when I had to watch Jason Varitek .....

You do know that Varitek was voted in to start once, right? And that season he was tied with Victor Martinez for MVP votes among AL catchers. Oh, and he was the captain of the reigning World Series champions. And won the Silver Slugger. And the Gold Glove. You might want to pick a different example.

Airdrop01 · 06-18-2015, 11:43 AM

That's not my point. But there are lots of examples. Varitek's is perhaps worse, because he was selected by the supposedly smart people in a horrid year. And no one complained. Big east coast and national media didn't notice until now.

I drove across Kansas yesterday and listened to MLB radio and it is hilarious how they're on there talking about, for example, how the Phillies can turn it around this year, how the Red Sox should trade (just signed for stupid money) Pablo Sandoval for (insert stupid trade ideas here to include Greinke and Kershaw to the Sox).

Anyway, the reason I've joined in making the mockery now is stuff like this from the media because now they're all upset about the ASG.

The point is that the thing has always been a mockery. It's just that now KC fans are "kicking it up a notch!" as Costanza would say.

Splitter24 · 06-18-2015, 11:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Airdrop01

Varitek's is perhaps worse, because he was selected by the supposedly smart people in a horrid year.

Did you actually read my post? The only year he was voted in, he was tied for the most MVP votes for an AL catcher. He won the Silver Slugger. He won the Gold Glove. Your definition of horrid needs work.

Airdrop01 · 06-18-2015, 11:54 AM

And my real ballot for the ASG starters would have only Cain and Perez.

But, heck, now KC fans are putting Aoki in it in the NL, beating out Dtanton, which is hysterical.

This year will be the mockery of mockeries!

Airdrop01 · 06-18-2015, 11:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Splitter24

Did you actually read my post? The only year he was voted in, he was tied for the most MVP votes for an AL catcher. He won the Silver Slugger. He won the Gold Glove. Your definition of horrid needs work.

I'm not talking about voted in. You miss the point man. And you take it very personally. The point is that it has always been a mockery. You're raising the votes in year when it is immaterial to the point that the ASG has always been a joke. He was chosen by the professionals in his other two appearances.

Also, relax.

Splitter24 · 06-18-2015, 01:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Airdrop01

I'm not talking about voted in. You miss the point man. And you take it very personally. The point is that it has always been a mockery. You're raising the votes in year when it is immaterial to the point that the ASG has always been a joke. He was chosen by the professionals in his other two appearances.

I'm taking nothing personally. This thread is about All-star votes. You voting 35 times for Omar Infante is All Star votes. You alluded to people being upset with all the Royals all star votes, but that Jason Varitek being an all star was just as bad. So, actually, it sure did look like you were talking about voted in. I felt like pointing it out. Deal with it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Airdrop01

Also, relax.

Actually, I'm totally relaxed. It took less effort to type up those two short posts than it did to fill out 35 All Star ballots.

Look, I get it. The All Star game selection process is silly. The game itself is meaningless to me. I haven't even watched a second of it since maybe 1986. Sometimes fans make stupid selections because they're stuffing the ballot box. Sometimes managers pick their own guys over guys from other teams with better numbers. Sometimes a guy gets voted/picked even though he's washed up instead of the younger, better player. Sometimes managers pick an inferior player from a Team A because he needed another pitcher even though the best player from Team A is the shortstop. You want to go through the effort to vote 35 times for Omar Infante? Have at it. I live on the East Coast and I could care less.

Oh, and relax.

MBarrett · 06-18-2015, 02:21 PM

AL:
C: S.Perez, KC
1B: M.Cabrera, DET
2B: J.Altuve, HOU
3B: J.Donaldson, TOR
SS: J.Lowrie, HOU
OF: M.Trout, LAA
OF: A.Jones, BAL
OF: Y.Cespedes, DET
DH: N.Cruz, SEA

NL:
C: B.Posey, SF
1B: P.Goldschmidt, ARI
2B: D.Gordon, MIA
3B: T.Frazier, CIN
SS: T.Tulowitzki, COL
OF: B.Harper, WSN
OF: G.Stanton, MIA
OF: S.Marte, PIT

David Watts · 06-18-2015, 03:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MBarrett

AL:
C: S.Perez, KC
1B: M.Cabrera, DET
2B: J.Altuve, HOU
3B: J.Donaldson, TOR
SS: J.Lowrie, HOU
OF: M.Trout, LAA
OF: A.Jones, BAL
OF: Y.Cespedes, DET
DH: N.Cruz, SEA

NL:
C: B.Posey, SF
1B: P.Goldschmidt, ARI
2B: D.Gordon, MIA
3B: T.Frazier, CIN
SS: T.Tulowitzki, COL
OF: B.Harper, WSN
OF: G.Stanton, MIA
OF: S.Marte, PIT

Lowrie's played in only 18 games and isn't he still hurt? Why not Iglesius?

actionjackson · 06-18-2015, 03:40 PM

Also, to be fair re: Mark Loretta in 2006, here's the list of AL 2B and their statistics from the first half of that season:

BAL: Brian Roberts: .296/.361/.383/.745, 1 HR, 33 RBI, 22 SB
BOS: Mark Loretta: .305/.353/.385/.738, 3 HR, 37 RBI, 2 SB
CHW: Tadahito Iguchi: .287/.346/.429/.775, 10 HR, 40 RBI, 5 SB
CLE: Ronnie Belliard: .291/.339/.425/.764, 8 HR, 42 RBI, 2 SB
DET: Placido Polanco: .285/.318/.361/.679, 3 HR, 32 RBI, 1 SB
KCR: Mark Grudzielanek: .291/.328/.403/.731, 3 HR, 27 RBI, 1 SB
LAA: Adam Kennedy: .259/.315/.363/.678, 2 HR, 31 RBI, 8 SB
MIN: Luis Castillo: .280/.342/.355/.697, 2 HR, 29 RBI, 9 SB
NYY: Robinson Cano (injured June 26th - Aug 7th): .325/.353/.439/.792, 4 HR, 27 RBI, 3 SB
OAK: Mark Ellis: .219/.288/.311/.600, 3 HR, 13 RBI, 3 SB
SEA: Jose Lopez: .280/.316/.454/.771, 9 HR, 58 RBI, 2 SB
TBD: Jorge Cantu: .275/.318/.433/.751, 6 HR, 31 RBI, 0 SB
TEX: Ian Kinsler: .320/.379/.553/.932, 7 HR, 26 RBI, 2 SB
TOR: Aaron Hill: .297/.344/.390/.734, 2 HR, 28 RBI, 3 SB

It's not like Loretta was an absolute dog of a selection. Had Mark Ellis been selected by the fans, there would've been a problem, but I have no issue with Loretta. There are better choices, but it's not like he's a terrible player, which is what Omar Infante is.

MBarrett · 06-18-2015, 07:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David Watts

Lowrie's played in only 18 games and isn't he still hurt? Why not Iglesius?

Totally missed Lowrie's playing time.

actionjackson · 07-14-2015, 03:21 PM

There are 38 players on each All-Star team. In the AL, there are 24 position players and 14 pitchers. In the NL, there are 23 position players and 15 pitchers. Here's my attempt to put the best teams out there, ignoring fan voting, player/coach/manager voting, and the Bochy/Yost selections i.e. these are the All-Star teams if I was the only one picking them (kinda like in my own little OOTP world). I have not provided at least one all-star per team because in my view that rule makes no sense for a game that "means something". Players are listed in order, so the first player at each position is the guy I would start (unless injured of course).

AL:
P:
SP:
Dallas Keuchel, HOU (I agree with Yost that he should start the game)
Sonny Gray, OAK
Chris Sale, CWS
Chris Archer, TBR
David Price, DET
Felix Hernandez, SEA
Yovani Gallardo, TEX (substitute for Hector Santiago, LAA)
Corey Kluber, CLE (substitute for Brad Boxberger, TBR - yeah Kluber's 4-10, but he has 2.3 RS/G, and his peripherals are nearly identical to last years Cy Young winning season - he belongs)

RP:
Wade Davis, KCR
Glen Perkins, MIN
Dellin Betances, NYY
Zach Britton, BAL
Andrew Miller, NYY (substitute for Kelvin Herrera, KCR)
Carson Smith, SEA (substitute for Darren O'Day, BAL)

C:
Stephen Vogt, OAK
Brian McCann, NYY (substitute for Salvador Perez, KCR)
Russell Martin, TOR

1B:
Miguel Cabrera, DET
Mark Teixeira, NYY
Albert Pujols, LAA

2B:
Jason Kipnis, CLE
Brian Dozier, MIN
Jose Altuve, HOU

3B:
Josh Donaldson, TOR
Manny Machado, BAL
Kyle Seager, SEA (substitute for Brock Holt, BOS)
Trevor Plouffe, MIN (substitute for Mike Moustakas, KCR)

SS:
Xander Bogaerts, BOS (substitute for Jose Iglesias, DET)
Alcides Escobar, KCR

OF:
Mike Trout, LAA
Lorenzo Cain, KCR
Mookie Betts, BOS (substitute for Adam Jones, BAL)
Brett Gardner, NYY
J.D. Martinez, DET
Alex Gordon, KCR
Jose Bautista, TOR

DH:
Nelson Cruz, SEA
Prince Fielder, TEX

NL in the next post...

Questdog · 07-14-2015, 03:43 PM

It is 34 players per team, not 38.

P.S. It also looks to me like the NL has a lot better team than the AL this year.

05-20-2015, 03:55 PM	#1
Airdrop01 All Star Starter Join Date: May 2009 Location: Lenexa, KS / Wilson, WY Posts: 1,354	2015 All Star Vote I think it's too early by month to definitively decide, obviously. But, it you picked the team, who would you pick? I haven't looked yet but will put my 34 up today and adjust as we get closer. This could be a fun thread.

06-15-2015, 07:05 PM	#7
Mariner and Giants Fan All Star Starter Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Port Townsend, WA. Posts: 1,264	Since I started watching baseball in the 60s I have always believed that the players and managers should chose the all star players, not the fans. Maybe let the fans vote on the backups __________________ Hebrews 11:1 "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen"

06-17-2015, 09:15 PM	#8
actionjackson Hall Of Famer Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Toronto, ON Posts: 6,181	Here's my "location bias free" all-star selections as of right now. I reserve the right to change them before I vote officially should players jump up and demand my vote in the next two weeks before voting closes: AL: C: Stephen Vogt, OAK 1B: Miguel Cabrera, DET 2B: Jason Kipnis, CLE 3B: Josh Donaldson, TOR SS: Xander Bogaerts, BOS OF: Mike Trout, LAA OF: Lorenzo Cain, KCR OF: Yoenis Cespedes, DET DH: Nelson Cruz, SEA NL: C: Buster Posey, SFG 1B: Paul Goldschmidt, ARI 2B: Dee Gordon, MIA 3B: Todd Frazier, CIN SS: Brandon Crawford, SFG OF: Bryce Harper, WSN OF: Giancarlo Stanton, MIA OF: A.J. Pollock, ARI As for the whole east coast/west coast/mid-west blah blah blah bias thingy, I could care less. I just vote for the players who in my eyes have been the best so far this season. Others will vote for the players who have been the best in the last calendar year. Others will vote for the best players over the last three years. Others will vote for all the players on their favourite team. Omar Infante has no business being anywhere near Cincinnati on July 14th unless he buys a ticket. I would wager that most Royals fans have been calling for him to be replaced in the starting lineup, seeing as he should be paying the Royals organization for the privelege of suiting up as their starting second baseman so far this season. That's not my northeast bias talking. That's just common sense. Last edited by actionjackson; 06-17-2015 at 09:32 PM.

07-14-2015, 03:43 PM	#20
Questdog Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: In a dark, damp cave where I'm training slugs to run the bases...... Posts: 16,142	It is 34 players per team, not 38. P.S. It also looks to me like the NL has a lot better team than the AL this year. Last edited by Questdog; 07-14-2015 at 03:45 PM.

06-09-2015, 03:26 PM	#2
stl jason Hall Of Famer Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 10,112	the way it's going now, it might end up being the Royals vs the NL all stars to start the game (only have Altuve and Trout throwing a wrench in that at the moment).

06-09-2015, 04:13 PM	#3
TribeFanInNC Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 4,019	Yeah, normally I'm not too interested in voting, certainly not more than once or twice. But this Royals silliness actually wants to make me use all my votes to vote actual all-stars to the game. It is great they are so into baseball now. Cleveland was very much the same in the mid-90s and it was awesome. Unintended consequences I guess.

06-09-2015, 04:31 PM	#4
r0nster Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2006 Location: Michigan Posts: 3,053	why not vote for the players that media doesn't like or even the unknowns and that would turn things upside down HEHE

06-09-2015, 08:22 PM	#5
Airdrop01 All Star Starter Join Date: May 2009 Location: Lenexa, KS / Wilson, WY Posts: 1,354	Man, I've been a Royals fan for over 40 years, had season tickets forever and I think it is crazy stupid. Omar freaking Infante is almost in it for Pete's sake. But, on the bright side, it is nice to see so many people under the age of 50 (or for that matter of any age) at baseball games here now.

06-15-2015, 06:01 PM	#6
Airdrop01 All Star Starter Join Date: May 2009 Location: Lenexa, KS / Wilson, WY Posts: 1,354	Well, today at almost age 50 I decided that I'd heard enough national and east coast media belly aching about the All Star Game and decided I'm voting every day, 35x, from here on out. It's not that the Royals all deserve to play in the game. It's that all of a sudden they're acting as if it is somehow a travesty, when it apparently wasn't a travesty when I had to watch Jason Varitek or Mark Loretta or any number of east coast players in the ASG before now..... It's always been a popularity contest. I remember sitting with paper ballots and my friends at the games when we were kids debating about what circle to poke out with our key...only to see people vote for all Cardinals or whatever next to me. I have seen all sorts of east coast and west coast popularity selections who didn't deserve it and no one ever complained. Well, I just voted for Omar friggin Infante. 35x. I'll do it every day from now until voting is over.........And who inspired me to do it: Jon Heyman and Bob Nightengale.

06-18-2015, 11:43 AM	#10
Airdrop01 All Star Starter Join Date: May 2009 Location: Lenexa, KS / Wilson, WY Posts: 1,354	That's not my point. But there are lots of examples. Varitek's is perhaps worse, because he was selected by the supposedly smart people in a horrid year. And no one complained. Big east coast and national media didn't notice until now. I drove across Kansas yesterday and listened to MLB radio and it is hilarious how they're on there talking about, for example, how the Phillies can turn it around this year, how the Red Sox should trade (just signed for stupid money) Pablo Sandoval for (insert stupid trade ideas here to include Greinke and Kershaw to the Sox). Anyway, the reason I've joined in making the mockery now is stuff like this from the media because now they're all upset about the ASG. The point is that the thing has always been a mockery. It's just that now KC fans are "kicking it up a notch!" as Costanza would say.

06-18-2015, 11:54 AM	#12
Airdrop01 All Star Starter Join Date: May 2009 Location: Lenexa, KS / Wilson, WY Posts: 1,354	And my real ballot for the ASG starters would have only Cain and Perez. But, heck, now KC fans are putting Aoki in it in the NL, beating out Dtanton, which is hysterical. This year will be the mockery of mockeries!

06-18-2015, 02:21 PM	#15
MBarrett All Star Reserve Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Canada Posts: 627	AL: C: S.Perez, KC 1B: M.Cabrera, DET 2B: J.Altuve, HOU 3B: J.Donaldson, TOR SS: J.Lowrie, HOU OF: M.Trout, LAA OF: A.Jones, BAL OF: Y.Cespedes, DET DH: N.Cruz, SEA NL: C: B.Posey, SF 1B: P.Goldschmidt, ARI 2B: D.Gordon, MIA 3B: T.Frazier, CIN SS: T.Tulowitzki, COL OF: B.Harper, WSN OF: G.Stanton, MIA OF: S.Marte, PIT

06-18-2015, 03:40 PM	#17
actionjackson Hall Of Famer Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Toronto, ON Posts: 6,181	Also, to be fair re: Mark Loretta in 2006, here's the list of AL 2B and their statistics from the first half of that season: BAL: Brian Roberts: .296/.361/.383/.745, 1 HR, 33 RBI, 22 SB BOS: Mark Loretta: .305/.353/.385/.738, 3 HR, 37 RBI, 2 SB CHW: Tadahito Iguchi: .287/.346/.429/.775, 10 HR, 40 RBI, 5 SB CLE: Ronnie Belliard: .291/.339/.425/.764, 8 HR, 42 RBI, 2 SB DET: Placido Polanco: .285/.318/.361/.679, 3 HR, 32 RBI, 1 SB KCR: Mark Grudzielanek: .291/.328/.403/.731, 3 HR, 27 RBI, 1 SB LAA: Adam Kennedy: .259/.315/.363/.678, 2 HR, 31 RBI, 8 SB MIN: Luis Castillo: .280/.342/.355/.697, 2 HR, 29 RBI, 9 SB NYY: Robinson Cano (injured June 26th - Aug 7th): .325/.353/.439/.792, 4 HR, 27 RBI, 3 SB OAK: Mark Ellis: .219/.288/.311/.600, 3 HR, 13 RBI, 3 SB SEA: Jose Lopez: .280/.316/.454/.771, 9 HR, 58 RBI, 2 SB TBD: Jorge Cantu: .275/.318/.433/.751, 6 HR, 31 RBI, 0 SB TEX: Ian Kinsler: .320/.379/.553/.932, 7 HR, 26 RBI, 2 SB TOR: Aaron Hill: .297/.344/.390/.734, 2 HR, 28 RBI, 3 SB It's not like Loretta was an absolute dog of a selection. Had Mark Ellis been selected by the fans, there would've been a problem, but I have no issue with Loretta. There are better choices, but it's not like he's a terrible player, which is what Omar Infante is.

07-14-2015, 03:21 PM	#19
actionjackson Hall Of Famer Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Toronto, ON Posts: 6,181	There are 38 players on each All-Star team. In the AL, there are 24 position players and 14 pitchers. In the NL, there are 23 position players and 15 pitchers. Here's my attempt to put the best teams out there, ignoring fan voting, player/coach/manager voting, and the Bochy/Yost selections i.e. these are the All-Star teams if I was the only one picking them (kinda like in my own little OOTP world). I have not provided at least one all-star per team because in my view that rule makes no sense for a game that "means something". Players are listed in order, so the first player at each position is the guy I would start (unless injured of course). AL: P: SP: Dallas Keuchel, HOU (I agree with Yost that he should start the game) Sonny Gray, OAK Chris Sale, CWS Chris Archer, TBR David Price, DET Felix Hernandez, SEA Yovani Gallardo, TEX (substitute for Hector Santiago, LAA) Corey Kluber, CLE (substitute for Brad Boxberger, TBR - yeah Kluber's 4-10, but he has 2.3 RS/G, and his peripherals are nearly identical to last years Cy Young winning season - he belongs) RP: Wade Davis, KCR Glen Perkins, MIN Dellin Betances, NYY Zach Britton, BAL Andrew Miller, NYY (substitute for Kelvin Herrera, KCR) Carson Smith, SEA (substitute for Darren O'Day, BAL) C: Stephen Vogt, OAK Brian McCann, NYY (substitute for Salvador Perez, KCR) Russell Martin, TOR 1B: Miguel Cabrera, DET Mark Teixeira, NYY Albert Pujols, LAA 2B: Jason Kipnis, CLE Brian Dozier, MIN Jose Altuve, HOU 3B: Josh Donaldson, TOR Manny Machado, BAL Kyle Seager, SEA (substitute for Brock Holt, BOS) Trevor Plouffe, MIN (substitute for Mike Moustakas, KCR) SS: Xander Bogaerts, BOS (substitute for Jose Iglesias, DET) Alcides Escobar, KCR OF: Mike Trout, LAA Lorenzo Cain, KCR Mookie Betts, BOS (substitute for Adam Jones, BAL) Brett Gardner, NYY J.D. Martinez, DET Alex Gordon, KCR Jose Bautista, TOR DH: Nelson Cruz, SEA Prince Fielder, TEX NL in the next post...